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Double Ditch Intro | Double Ditch Archeological Studies |
Double Ditch Photos
An aerial view of Double
Ditch State Historic Site
taken from the north.
The Missouri River flows
below the bluff. The
roads and parking area
allow visitors access
to the site.
In this aerial view, ditches
1 and 2 can be seen. The
depressions indicate storage
pits or the foundations of
earthlodges. The elevated
mounds were made of both
earth and trash to strengthen
the defensive system.
This early contour map reveals the locations of earthlodges
within Ditch 4.
Magnetic gradiometry produced this picture of the
sub-surface structures at Double Ditch. With this
method, archeologists were able to determine that the
village had had 4 ditches over its long history and
the exact location of each.
This photograph of an
earthlodge of the reservation
era shows a typical circular
earthlodge which would have
been built in the 1500s at
Double Ditch. The structure
at the very top surrounds the
hole in the roof where smoke
escaped. The hole was covered
by a round bull-boat in the
winter to prevent snow from
falling into the lodge.
This floorplan of a circular
earthlodge shows the four post
and beam central supports (the
square in the center). The
wall between the entry and the
fireplace helped to prevent
drafts from disturbing the
fire or chilling the residents.
Beds were arranged around the
walls.
This mound (named Mound B) was opened in 1905 by
archeologists. They gathered information on how the people
of Double Ditch lived by examining their refuse.
Mound B was re-opened in 2005 by archeologists to see if
they could gain more information with modern
technology and advanced evaluation methods.
