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Site name: Mit-tutta-hang-kush
Last Village of the Mandan
Comments: The community of Mit-tutta-hang-kush was occupied
by the Mitutanika Mandan from the summer of 1822 until 1837, the
year of a disastrous smallpox epidemic. The site is located on a high
terrace above the Missouri River, which provided good defense on two sides
of the village from attacks by native enemies. The remaining village
perimeter was protected by a palisade. The Fort Clark
Trading Post and Primeau's Trading Post,
important centers in the 19th century fur trade, were
located adjacent to this village. Many first-hand written accounts exist about
this site. Its visitors included Prince Maximilian of Wied, and the artists
Catlin and Bodmer who left depictions of the village and its occupants in
paintings (first three figures, by Bodmer, Bodmer, and Catlin, respectively).
In June of 1837 the steamboat St. Peters arrived at Fort Clark carrying
three Arikara women recovering from smallpox. By July the disease broke out in
the village. At the epidemic's height, in August, the survivors
moved to their winter village ahead of schedule. Before
they returned to Mit-tutta-hang-kush the following spring, it was occupied
by their rivals, the Arikara, who continued occupying this site until 1862. It
is estimated that the smallpox epidemic reduced the approximately 1,600 Mandan
to about 125.
Today this large site, measuring nearly 400 x 200 m, exhibits numerous "house" depressions" in the landscape indicating the loci of the former earthlodges of the Mandan and Arikara. Some of of these topographic features can be seen in the photograph at the top of this page, and in an aerial photograph of the site (fourth icon), which also illustrates the area investigated by the geophysical surveys.
Type of survey: Magnetic gradiometry; Instrument: Geoscan Research FM-36 fluxgate gradiometer; Prospection depth: up to 1.5 m; Sampling interval: 0.5 x 0.25 m; Area surveyed: 8,000 m2; Dates of survey: 7/00.
The magnetic survey, depicted in blue in the figure, represents a transect 400 m
long by 20 m wide through the center of this site (see the aerial photograph,
above). Many of the circular earthlodges
(see the figure by Catlin, above, for a depiction of these lodges when they
were occupied), about 15-20 m in diameter, are indicated, as are some of their
internal features like centrally placed and auxiliary hearths, storage pits, and
internal support posts. Also revealed is a portion of the perimeter fortification
ditch and the village plaza of the Mandan. The presence of numerous iron
artifacts is indicated by a large number of dipole anomalies; it is clear
that some lodges possessed many more iron artifacts than others.
Type of survey: Resistivity; Instrument: Geoscan Research RM-15 & MPX-15 (configured as 4 parallel twin); Prospection depth: 0.5 m; Sampling interval: 0.5 x 0.5 m; Area surveyed: 5,600 m2; Dates of survey: 6/00.
The resistance survey, depicted in red in this figure, covers much the same
area as the magnetic survey. Many of the earthlodges are clearly indicated,
paralleling and augmenting the magnetic evidence. Importantly, there is at least
one instance of overlapping lodges which may indicate the placement of a later
Arikara house over an earlier Mandan lodge. A trail feature, known to lead to
a nearby contemporary village, also is revealed. The expression of a large Arikara
ceremonial lodge is particularly clear, including some of its internal features
like the central hearth.
Type of survey: Ground penetrating radar; Instrument: Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc., SIR-2000; Prospection depth: about 1.5 m; Sampling interval: 0.5 x 0.02 m; Area surveyed: 20 x 25 m; Dates of survey: 7/00.
A
limited GPR survey was conducted over an area devoid of any surface evidence
of a house, but where the resistivity survey stronly indicated one. A GPR time
slice, from 11.5-15.5 nS taken across the 50 GPR profiles, shows the floor area
and entryway of this previously unknown earthlodge.
In 1832 Catlin
described Mah-to-toh-pa, The Four Bears, second chief of the Mandan,
as "the most extraordinary man, perhaps, who lives at this day in the atmosphere
of nature's noblemen...wearing a robe with the history of his battles upon it,
which would fill a book in themselves, if properly translated." Catlin twice
painted him, as did Bodmer, with one of the latter's depictions shown here.
Catlin relates his friend's demise (in 1837), learned from the trader Kipp,
which well represents the calamity that befell these proud people.
"This fine fellow sat in his lodge and watched every one of his family die about him (of the smallpox), his wives and his children...when he walked out, around the village, and wept over the final destruction of his tribe; his braves and warriors all laid low; when he came back to his lodge, where he covered his whole family with a number of robes, and wrapping another around himself, went out upon a hill at a little distance, where he laid for several days...resolved to starve himself to death. He remained there until the sixth day, when he had just strength enough to creep back to the village, when he entered the horrid gloom of his own wigwam, and laying his body alongside of the group of his family, drew his robe over him, and died on the ninth day... So have perished the friendly and hospitable Mandans" (Letters and Notes on the Manners, Customs, and Condition of the North American Indians, Vol. II, pp. 257-59, 1841).
(updated: 7/00)
