Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village and Thomsen Center Archeodome

Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village and Thomsen Center Archeodome

Mitchell, SD

Reviewed June 12th, 2005

The Prehistoric Indian Village features artifacts, reconstructed dwellings, and a complete bison skeleton that aptly tell the story of a sedentary farming people who were the ancestors of the Mandan. These people lived in a village which was fortified by a trench on one side and a stockade on the other, ostensibly to keep bison out. These people worked the earth with stone and bone tools like hoes made from bison scapulas (the shoulder bone), raising the powerful ancient triad of corn, beans and squash as well as other crops and intrepidly hunting with atlatls in the time long before the bow and arrow became the machine gun of the New World. These people hunted, fished and likely reflected on their lives and their place in the universe in song, dance, art and religion. Just like us, except different.

Where, how and when did they go to the restroom? Was there a special place designated for this purpose? Did people just go anywhere they wanted? The very fundamental nature of long term community living in one place suggests that these people would have created a system and some rules about when and where to go to the bathroom out of sheer necessity, but this is my own speculation. Currently, no data yet exist to illuminate these specific questions, but perhaps someday soon there will be. Unlike every other location in the world, where archaeologists work under conditions of searing heat, biting cold, and perhaps even need to arm themselves to protect sites from bandits, thieves and pot hunters, archaeologists in Mitchell, North Dakota only have to complain a little bit. And then a student will run over to the wall and turn up the air conditioner or the heat.

Huh? Thats right. Mitchell is the only place in North America where an archaeological site is totally walled in on all sides in a state-of-the-art, climate controlled building with scaffolding that gives tourists and students alike a bird's eye view of what goes on at a typical Midwestern archaeological site. Okay, the site is bigger and more complex than most typical Midwestern sites. Thats why the multimillion dollar, privately funded Thomsen Center Archeodome was built, so that work could continue year round without waiting for winter to slow the artifact gathering process and perhaps even degrading the site. Unlike much more expensive domes, which taxpayers are often forced to build for outrageously wealthy and undeserving steroid addled beefcakes to toss around a ball in, this dome actually does something for the greater public good at no cost to you or I, Joe or Jane P. Citizen. It increases valuable knowledge of our collective human heritage. Now go ahead and show me an entire football stadium full of people who - when considered as a group - make a contribution to society equal to even one archaeologist or American Indian elder. Yeah right! No contest! Call me an elitist if you like; I'm happy to join an elite who refuses to be swindled by the nothing for something numb nuts promise of professional sports.

Moving forward, the archeodome contains restrooms that said "closed for cleaning" on signs outside. I went in anyway and found immaculately clean facilities with tiled mosaics of pictograph-like motifs of antelope. Even those these people did not - per my limited tourist knowledge - make any pictographs, one finds these motifs throughout the village. It may not be accurate but its still a nice touch. The restrooms in the main building of the Indian Village interpretive center were small, older but clean and well kept none the less. I'm happy with the heritage I found here. Now if only there was time to work out on the fake deer with the atlatl a little bit... If only...

- Justin Teerlinck

RESTROOM RATING: 8
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