List of archaeological sites in South Dakota

According to the South Dakota State Historical Society's Archaeological Research Center, over 26,000 archaeological sites have been recorded in the U.S. state of South Dakota.^[1]

This list is broken down by county and encompasses sites across all of what is now South Dakota. Only notable sites are listed. Each table consists of the site's common name; the nearest locality; if given, its Smithsonian trinomial (SITS) and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) reference number; associated period or culture; and any further notes, including where a property is listed on the NRHP as a National Historic Landmark, or part of a Multiple Property Submission (MPS), Multiple Resource Area (MRA), or Thematic Resource (TR).

Beadle

SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Notes
39BE2	#93001063	Wessington Springs	Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39BE3	#93000802	Wolsey	Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39BE14	#84003199	Huron	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE15	#84003201	Huron	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE23	#84003206	Huron	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE46	#84003208	Huron	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE48	#84003210	Huron	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE57	#84003212	Yale	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
39BE64	#84003215	Yale	James River Basin Woodland Sites TR

Buffalo

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Crow Creek Site	39BF11	#66000710	Chamberlain	Middle Missouri	National Historic Landmark relating to Crow Creek massacre
Farm School site	39BF220		Fort Thompson		Site partially lost under the Missouri River^[2]
Fire Cloud site	39BF237		Fort Thompson		Cache pit containing ceramics, likely early 18th century^[3]
Fort Thompson Archeological District		#86002738	Fort Thompson		Big Bend Area MRA
Fort Thompson Mounds			Fort Thompson	Plains Woodland	National Historic Landmark District
Old Quarry Mound	39BF234				Burial mound complex^[4]
Side Hill site	39BF233				Burial mound complex^[4]
Sitting Crow site	39BF225				Burial mound complex^[4]
Talking Crow Archeological Site	39BF3	#03000505	Fort Thompson
Two Teeth site	39BF204				^[3]

Campbell

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Vanderbilt Archeological Site		#97000342	Pollock		National Historic Landmark

Corson

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Cultures	Notes
	39CO39	#93000765	Mahto			Cairn and rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 425, 427, 643} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS

Custer

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39CU70	#93001039	Custer		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
Scored Rocks	39CU91	#82004759		Protohistoric (Lakota)	Rock art site, depicts guns;^[5]^{: 379, 586} Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU510	#82004752			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU511	#82004754			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU512	#82004753			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU513	#82004755			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU514	#82004756			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU515	#82004757			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU516	#82004758			Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Rock Art in the Southern Black Hills TR
	39CU890	#93000803	Hermosa		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
	39CU1619	#99000679	Custer		Cairn and stone circle site^[5]^{: 403, 424, 427, 601}
	39CU2565	#16000047	Dewey		Rock art site^[5]^: 379
	39CU3178	#16000048	Dewey		Rock art site^[5]^: 379
	39CU3393	#16000049	Dewey		Rock art site^[5]^: 379
	39CU4164	#16000050	Dewey		Rock art site^[5]^: 379

Davison

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Mitchell Site	39DV2	#66000712	Mitchell	Mississippian culture	Open to the public
	39DV9	#84003275	Riverside		James River Basin Woodland Sites TR
	39DV24	#84003260	Mitchell		James River Basin Woodland Sites TR

Fall River

Numerous archeological sites in Fall River County were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in batches in 1982, 1993, 2005 and 2016. These were deemed significant for their information potential. In most cases, the specific locations of these sites are not disclosed, but their general regions are.

SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
39FA86	#93000804	Edgemont	Plains Village	Rock art site including inscription(s) by member(s) of the 1874 Black Hills Expedition;^[5]^{: 380, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA88	#93001040	Edgemont	Ponca	Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 392, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA89	#93000806	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA90	#93001041	Edgemont		Rock art site, rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 602, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA99	#93001042	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA243	#93001043	Edgemont		Rock art site, rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 391–2, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA244	#93001044	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 603} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA316	#93001045	Edgemont		Rock art site, including painted rock art;^[5]^: 375 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA321	#93001046	Edgemont	Ponca	Rock art site;^[5]^{: 343 / II-278} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA395	#93001047	Edgemont	Middle Archaic (McKean complex)	"Pecked Realistic" rock art; a rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 143, 371, 391–2} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA446	#93001048	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA447	#93001049	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA448	#93001050	Edgemont		Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 391} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA542	#93001051	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA678	#93000801	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA679	#93001052	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA680	#93001053	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA682	#93001054	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA683	#93001055	Edgemont		Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 391} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA686	#93001056	Edgemont		Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 391} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA688	#93001057	Edgemont		Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 379, 385, 391} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA690	#93001058	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 382} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA691	#93001059	Edgemont	Late Prehistoric	Rock art site;^[5]^{: 199, 379} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA767	#93001060	Edgemont		Rock art site; rock shelter and cave site;^[5]^{: 199, 379, 391} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA788	#93001061	Edgemont		Rock art site;^[5]^: 379 Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA806	#93000790	Hot Springs		Rock art site;^[5]^{: 379, 404, 535} Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA819	#93001062	Edgemont		Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA1010	#93001063	Hot Springs	Late Archaic	Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS
39FA1013	#93001064
39FA1046	#93001065
39FA1049	#93000791
39FA1093	#93001066
39FA1152	#93001067
39FA1154	#93001068
39FA1155	#93001069
39FA1190	#93001070
39FA1201	#93000792
39FA1204	#93001071
39FA1336	#05000690
39FA1337	#05000689
39FA1638	#05000691
39FA2530	#16000051
39FA2531	#16000052
39FA7	#82004771
39FA58	#82004765
39FA75	#82004760
39FA79	#82004772
39FA91	#82004773
39FA94	#82004774
39FA277	#82004761
39FA389	#82004762
39FA554	#82004764
39FA676	#82004766
39FA677	#82004767
39FA681	#82004769
39FA684	#82004768			Pecked rock art^[6]^: 19, 33
39FA685	#82004906
39FA687	#82004770
39FA1303	#05000587
39FA1639	#05000586

Hand

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39HD22	#84003296	Danforth

Hanson

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Bloom Site	39HS1	#66000714	Bloom		National Historic Landmark
	39HS3	#84003294	Mitchell
Fort James	39HS48	#84003290	Rosedale Colony	Historic (1865–1867)	U.S. Government fort
Sheldon Reese Site	39HS23	#84003292	Mitchell

Harding

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Ludlow Cave	39HN1	#94000108		Early Archaic^[a] Late Archaic Plains Village (Middle Missouri) Late Prehistoric (Avonlea culture, McKean complex) Protohistoric (Arikara, Mandan)	A multiple-component ceremonial rock art site in North Cave Hills including projectile points, a rock shelter/cave, turtle effigies, and petroforms (now destroyed).^[5]^{: 107, 202, 382, 383, 388, 389, 391, 433, 436, 487, 494}
	39HN5	#94000109
	39HN17	#93000805
	39HN18	#94000088
	39HN21	#94000124
	39HN22	#94000123
	39HN26	#94000122
	39HN30	#94000121
	39HN50	#94000119
	39HN53	#94000118
	39HN54	#94000120
	39HN121	#94000117
	39HN150	#94000114
	39HN155	#94000115
	39HN159	#94000116
	39HN160	#94000113
	39HN162	#94000091
	39HN165	#94000093
	39HN167	#94000092
	39HN168	#94000129
	39HN171	#94000128
	39HN174	#94000127
	39HN177	#94000126
	39HN198	#94000125
	39HN199	#94000110
Lightning Spring	39HN204	#82003930	Ludlow	Middle Archaic Late Archaic (Pelican Lake complex) Plains Woodland Plains Village Late Prehistoric (Avonlea culture, Duncan phase, McKean complex)	In Sandstone Buttes area^[7]^[5]^{: 144, 152, 216, 414, 488}
	39HN205	#94000095
	39HN207	#94000094
	39HN208	#93000794
	39HN209	#94000107
	39HN210	#94000106
	39HN213	#94000105
	39HN217	#94000104
	39HN218	#94000103
	39HN219	#94000102
	39HN227	#94000111
	39HN228	#94000112
	39HN232	#94000101
	39HN234	#94000100
	39HN484	#94000098
	39HN485	#94000099
	39HN486	#94000097
	39HN487	#94000096

Hughes

Name	SITS	NRHP	Associations	Notes
Arzberger site		#66000715		National Historic Landmark, on bluff above McClure site
Cedar Islands Archeological District		#86002739
Fort George Creek Archeological District		#86002741		Part of Big Bend Area MRA
McClure site	39HU7	#86002732		Part of Big Bend Area MRA
Medicine Creek Archeological District		#86002740		Has 21 contributing sites including a village site. Partially in Lyman County
Old Fort Sully	39HU52	#86002731	Historic (1863–1866)	U.S. Government fort
	39HU66	#84003297		Part of the Petroforms of South Dakota Thematic Resource (TR)
	39HU189	#84003307		Part of the Petroforms of South Dakota TR
	39HU201	#84003308		Part of the Petroforms of South Dakota TR

Hutchinson

SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
39HT14	#84003320	Olivet	Plains Woodland	Mound site^[5]^{: 162, 455, 710, 712}
39HT27	#84003323		Plains Woodland	Mound site^[5]^{: 162, 455, 710, 713}
39HT29	#84003325	Clayton	Plains Woodland	Mound site^[5]^{: 162, 455, 710, 713}
39HT30 39HT202	#84003327	Clayton	Plains Woodland (Randall phase)	Mound site^[5]^{: 162, 189, 455, 710, 713}

Hyde

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39HE331	#93000793	Holabird

Jackson

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Lip's Camp	39JK84	#75002104	Wanblee	Historic (Upper Brule Lakota)	In White River Badlands. Lakota site of the "Early Reservation Period", it was occupied 1880–1904 by the Wazhazha band of the Upper Brule.^[5]^{: 613, 617, 619}

Jerauld

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39JE10	#84003336	Wessington Springs
	39JE11	#84003337	Gann Valley

Lincoln

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Blood Run Site		#70000246			On the Iowa/South Dakota border along the Big Sioux River, a National Historic Landmark

Lyman

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Burnt Prairie Site	39LM207	#86002735	Lower Brule
Crazy Bull site	39LM220		Lower Brule		^[8]
Deerfly site	39LM39		Oacoma	Dakota	Late 19th century occupation^[9]
Dinehart Village Archeological Site		#03000501	Oacoma
Fort Lookout IV		#90001940	Oacoma
Jiggs Thompson Site	39LM208	#86002734	Lower Brule
King Archaeological Site		#03000502	Oacoma
Langdeau Site	39LM209	#66000717	Lower Brule		National Historic Landmark
Meander site	39LM201		Oacoma		^[10]
Medicine Creek Archeological District		#86002740			Has 21 contributing sites including a village site. Partially in Hughes County

McCook

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39MK12	#93000796	Bridgewater

McPherson

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39MP3	#93000795	Long Lake		Rock art panel likely depicting bison heads^[6]

Meade

SITS	NRHP	Notes
39MD1 39MD20	#93000798	Rock art site; has stone circle. The site is in the eastern foothills of the Black Hills "lying in a deep arroyo"; the "rimrock above the arroyo contained a stone circle and a scatter of chipped stone artifacts"; the stone circle was "test excavated" and found, however, to have very little "chipping debris".^[5]^{: 379, 397, 538}
39MD81	#93000818
39MD82	#93000797

Minnehaha

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Brandon Village		#01000664	Brandon

Pennington

Name	SITS	NRHP	Associations	Notes
	39PN57	#82004778		Rock art site^[5]^: 379–80
	39PN108	#82004775		Rock art site^[5]^{: 58, 379–80}
Ice Cave	39PN376	#93001072	Paleoindian, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Late Prehistoric, Historic	Rock shelter cave site with red-painted hand prints^[5]^{: 391–92, 467}
	39PN438	#82004776		Rock art site^[5]
	39PN439	#82004777		Rock art site^[5]

Potter

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39PO63	#93000800	Gettysburg
	39PO205	#93000799	Gettysburg

Roberts

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Thunderbird Rock	39RO71	#05000588	Sisseton

Sanborn

SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality
39SB15	#84003384	Mitchell
39SB18	#84003397	Forestburg
39SB31	#84003399	Forestburg

Spink

SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality
39SP2	#84003408	Frankfort
39SP4	#05000590	Tulare
39SP12	#84003403	Ashton
39SP19	#84003405	Spink Colony
39SP37	#84003411	Crandon
39SP46	#84003413	Crandon

Stanley

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Antelope Creek Site	39ST55	#86002737	Fort Pierre		Big Bend Area MRA
Bloody Hand Site	39ST230	#86002736	Fort Pierre		Big Bend Area MRA
Fort Pierre Chouteau		#76001756	Fort Pierre	Historic	National Historic Landmark
Fort Pierre II	39ST217	#88000732	Fort Pierre

Sully

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Cooper Village Archeological Site		#03000504	Onida

Turner

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
	39TU5	#84003417	Freeman		At Turkey Ridge. Petroform site, includes a thunderbird effigy "said to mark the campsite of a leader named Swan, according to Northern Cheyenne oral tradition" in 1750–1825 era.^[5]^{: 429, 749–50}

Walworth

Name	SITS	NRHP	Nearest locality	Associations	Notes
Gravel Pit Site	39WW203	#86000834	Mobridge

Notes

^ Some Early Archaic projectile points were recovered, but they seem to have been carried to the site by later peoples.^[5]^: 42

References

^ "South Dakota State Historical Society Archaeological Aesearch Center". South Dakota State Historical Society. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
^ Neuman, Robert W. (1961). "Salvage Archaeology at a Site Near Fort Thompson, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 6 (13): 189–200. JSTOR 25666355. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.
^ ^a ^b Karklins, Karlis (1970). "The Fire Cloud Site (39BF237), Buffalo County, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 15 (48): 135–142. JSTOR 25666924. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.
^ ^a ^b ^c Neuman, Robert (1962). "Field Season, 1961". Plains Anthropologist. 7 (16): 81. JSTOR 25666415. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be Sundstrom, Linea (April 2019). South Dakota State Plan for Archaeological Resources, 2018 Update (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society.
^ ^a ^b Linea Sundstrom (February 25, 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS". National Park Service. Retrieved February 28, 2021. (with 11 rock art sketches) (from partly NPS-funded project directed by Linea Sundstrom)
^ James D. Keyser; John L. Fagan (1993). "McKean Lithic Technology at Lightning Spring". Plains Anthropologist. 38 (145): 37–51. doi:10.1080/2052546.1993.11931644. JSTOR 25669181.
^ Frantz, Wendell (1962). "Crazy Bull Site (39LM220), Big Bend Reservoir, South Dakota". Plans Anthropologist. 7 (15): 36–42. JSTOR 25666399. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.
^ Lees, William B. (1985). "Dakota Acculturation During the Early Reservation Period: Evidence from the Deerfly Site (39LM39), South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 30 (108): 103–121. JSTOR 25668523. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.
^ Husted, Wilfred M. (1965). "The Meader Site (39LM201) in Fort Randall Reservoir, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 10 (29): 152–165. JSTOR 25666640. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

External links

South Dakota State Historical Society Archaeological Research Center

[7] Some Early Archaic projectile points were recovered, but they seem to have been carried to the site by later peoples.^[5]^: 42

[sdshs-1] "South Dakota State Historical Society Archaeological Aesearch Center". South Dakota State Historical Society. Retrieved April 8, 2024.

[2] Neuman, Robert W. (1961). "Salvage Archaeology at a Site Near Fort Thompson, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 6 (13): 189–200. JSTOR 25666355. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

[karklins1970-3] Karklins, Karlis (1970). "The Fire Cloud Site (39BF237), Buffalo County, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 15 (48): 135–142. JSTOR 25666924. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

[neuman1961-4] Neuman, Robert (1962). "Field Season, 1961". Plains Anthropologist. 7 (16): 81. JSTOR 25666415. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

[Sundstrom2018-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba ^bb ^bc ^bd ^be Sundstrom, Linea (April 2019). South Dakota State Plan for Archaeological Resources, 2018 Update (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society.

[MPS-6] Linea Sundstrom (February 25, 1993). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Prehistoric Rock Art of South Dakota MPS". National Park Service. Retrieved February 28, 2021. (with 11 rock art sketches) (from partly NPS-funded project directed by Linea Sundstrom)

[8] James D. Keyser; John L. Fagan (1993). "McKean Lithic Technology at Lightning Spring". Plains Anthropologist. 38 (145): 37–51. doi:10.1080/2052546.1993.11931644. JSTOR 25669181.

[9] Frantz, Wendell (1962). "Crazy Bull Site (39LM220), Big Bend Reservoir, South Dakota". Plans Anthropologist. 7 (15): 36–42. JSTOR 25666399. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

[10] Lees, William B. (1985). "Dakota Acculturation During the Early Reservation Period: Evidence from the Deerfly Site (39LM39), South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 30 (108): 103–121. JSTOR 25668523. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

[11] Husted, Wilfred M. (1965). "The Meader Site (39LM201) in Fort Randall Reservoir, South Dakota". Plains Anthropologist. 10 (29): 152–165. JSTOR 25666640. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via JSTOR.

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