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MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2003

Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence that changes their view of an historic Mandan village in North Dakota.

Occupied since at least 1500, the Double Ditch site was a large, fortified village, archaeologists say. Its population was about 2,000, according to one researcher, bigger than most of the towns in the state today.

The tribe dug trenches around the village as a means of protection, which the archaeologists believe shows a higher level of warfare, wealth and organization in the Plains.

The village was abandoned in the late 1700s after a smallpox outbreak decimated the Mandan Tribe. The Mandan tribe is now part of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation in North Dakota.

Get the Story:
In N.D., Uncovering a Tribe's Defensive Savvy (The Washington Post 6/16)

Relevant Links:
Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation - http://www.mhanation.com