11/03/2025
Monitoring Erosion and Slumping at Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site
Double Ditch Indian Village State Historic Site is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites preserved on the northern Plains. The village was occupied for nearly 300 years (1490-1785) by the Mandan people and was a regional trading center. The site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historic significance. It’s an amazing place to visit!
Visited by thousands of people annually, Double Ditch has been a North Dakota state historic site since 1936. The village has a deep cultural connection to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation. Following the catastrophic 2011 flood of the Missouri River, the State Historical Society of North Dakota became increasingly concerned about the impact of erosion at the site. Large sections of river terrace edge had shifted in a process called rotational erosion. This erosion destabilized the bank, threatened a large portion of the site, including parts of the public walkway, and exposed numerous burials.
Read the full blog article at https://blog.statemuseum.nd.gov/monitoring-erosion-slumping-double-ditch-indian-village-state-historic-site.
