This 1,000 Year Old Village In South Dakota Is Beyond Intriguing

Imagine finding an entire village that's more than 1,000 years old... buried beneath the ground. That's exactly what happened in 1910. A student from Dakota Wesleyan University stumbled upon this amazing find near Mitchell. The site has been protected since 1975, and excavation continues. This is the only archaeological site in South Dakota that's open to the public, and in November, admission is free!

The Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village is located at 3200 Indian Village Road in Mitchell.

In addition to a large excavation site, this place has tons of Native American displays and artifacts.

Check out the earthen lodge.

This reproduction lodge shows you the type of dwelling that the indigenous people would have lived in.

The diorama shows what the village may have looked like.

The people who lived here 1,100 years ago were farmers and also hunted bison.

Visitors can observe the site from the walkway above.

Students from Augustana University help excavate the ruins.

When you visit, you'll learn about their techniques and methods.

You can also see archaeologists cleaning and preparing the artifacts.

While visitors can't dig and excavate, they can help with sorting projects and other tasks.

Get an up-close look at some of the artifacts that have been found here.

Arts and crafts projects help connect you to the people who once lived just feet away from where you're standing more than 1,000 years ago.

Watch for events at the village, like the Lakota Games on Ice, which is held every January.

Visit Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Have you visited the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village? We want to hear about your experience there!

If you're looking for more ancient excavations, check out Mammoth Site in Hot Springs.