Biesterfeldt Site facts for kids

The Biesterfeldt Site is an exciting archaeological site located near Lisbon, North Dakota. It sits right along the Sheyenne River. This special place is known as Shahienawoju in the Lakota tongue.

What makes Biesterfeldt so unique? It's the only known village made of earth lodges in the entire Red River area. Even more amazing, it's the only one clearly linked to the Cheyenne tribe. Historians believe a group of Cheyenne people lived here between about 1724 and 1780.

Because of its important history and what archaeologists can learn from it, the Biesterfeldt Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Later, in 2016, it was named a National Historic Landmark, which is an even higher honor!

Discovering the Biesterfeldt Site

The Biesterfeldt Site is named after Mr. Louis Biesterfeld, who owned the land in the 1930s. It's found southeast of Lisbon, on a raised area overlooking an old path of the Sheyenne River.

Village Layout and Defenses

The main part of the village is shaped like a rough oval. On one side, there's a steep bank about 30 feet (10 meters) high leading down to the old riverbed. On the other three sides, the village was protected by a large trench. This trench enclosed an area of about 4.5 acres (1.8 hectares).

The ditch was quite wide, more than 10 feet (3 meters) across. It was also about 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep. The sides sloped down to a fairly flat bottom. There are signs, like holes in the ground near the trench, that suggest the village might have had a palisade (a fence made of strong posts) for extra protection. However, archaeologists haven't found clear proof of a full palisade yet.

Homes and Community Life

The village had around 70 circular earth lodges. These homes were different sizes, from about 18 feet (6 meters) to 45 feet (15 meters) across. They looked a lot like the villages built by the Arikara and Mandan tribes along the Upper Missouri River.

Most of the excavated lodges had their entrances pointing southeast. But one special lodge, called "House 16," faced southwest. This large earth lodge opened towards an open area in the middle of the village. It might have been a ceremonial lodge, used for important community gatherings.

Archaeologists can still see signs of these lodge pits in the northern part of the site. The southern part was farmed more in later years, so the signs of old homes there are not as clear.

Artifacts and Daily Life

Many interesting objects were found in and around the lodges. These include tools made from bison shoulder blades, which were used as hoes for farming. They also found two tools made from fishbone, tools for straightening arrow shafts, and heavy stone tools called mauls.

Lots of pottery pieces were discovered, along with other items that show how people lived. A small amount of trade goods, like things brought from far away, were also found. Most of these artifacts are similar to what archaeologists find in Arikara villages. Historical records also support the idea that the Cheyenne people lived here.

Archaeologists have done tests and found that cultural items extend beyond the main trench. This means the village might have been even larger than the main enclosed area.

Archaeological Discoveries

The Biesterfeldt Site has a long history of archaeological study.

Early Explorations

The very first person to describe the site was a pioneering archaeologist named Theodore H. Lewis in 1890. He was one of the first to explore and record such ancient places.

The first official digs happened in 1938. These excavations were led by William Duncan Strong and his team. They uncovered a wide variety of artifacts. These ranged from small glass beads to metal weapons, like arrow points and a lance tip.

They also found bones from many animals, including bison, elk, and even some horse bones. Strong noticed that many of the earth lodges showed signs of being destroyed by fire, as there were charred (burned) wooden beams.

Preservation and Future Study

For most of the 20th century, the Biesterfeldt Site was used as farmland. After about 1950, it was mainly used for grazing animals.

In 2004, a group called the Archaeological Conservancy bought the property. This was done to protect the site forever. Archaeologists continue to study the Biesterfeldt Site from time to time, learning more about the Cheyenne people and their history.