Utz Site facts for kids
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Utz Site
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Marshall, Missouri |
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| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
| Built | 1400 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000424 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Utz Site is a very important Native American archaeological site. It is located in Saline County, Missouri, on high ground overlooking the Missouri River. This site, also known as 23SA2, is partly protected within Van Meter State Park. It was once one of the biggest Native villages in the area when Europeans first arrived. The Missouri tribe lived here from the 1400s to the late 1700s. Experts believe it was their main village when they first met Europeans. In 1964, the Utz Site was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a place of great historical importance to the United States.
The Utz Site: An Ancient Village
The Utz Site is found in central Missouri. It is north of Marshall and south of Miami. The site covers about 200 acres (81 hectares). Most of this land is privately owned. A small part of the site is inside Van Meter State Park. This park is famous for a place called the Old Fort. The Utz Site itself is on a series of grassy hills. It is about 2 miles (3 km) south of where the Missouri River flows today.
Discovering the Past
French explorers were the first to write about the Utz Site. Pere Marquette included "Messourit" Indians on his map in 1673. This shows that the Missouri tribe lived here. It seems the village was left empty around 1728. This was about the same time a French fort nearby was also abandoned. There are no European trade goods found from after that year. This suggests people moved away.
People have known about the Utz Site for a long time. This is partly because it is close to the unique earthworks of the Old Fort. Scientists first started studying the site in the 1940s. They used archaeology to learn about the people who lived there.
The people who lived at the Utz Site before the Missouri tribe are called the Oneota people. They were the ancestors of the Missouri tribe.
