Double Ditch

It is named for the two visible trenches that once served as fortifications for the village, but archaeologists found a further two ditches outside these indicating that the population was originally larger.

Fortification systems consisted of a deep moat and a wall of wooden posts that formed a palisade.

[5] In 2002 Kenneth Kvamme generated digitally enhanced maps of Double Ditch using radio gradiometry techniques.

Investigators concluded that at the time of its founding, just before 1500, Double Ditch had a peak population of two thousand and an area of 19 acres.

[2] In the mid 18th Century, the innermost (and still visible) fortification ditch was constructed, enclosing an area of four acres, indicating a population at that time of fewer than four hundred.

[2] At that time, the entire surface layer of dirt in the village was laboriously scraped off, possibly after a horrific infection.

Mound B excavation at Double Ditch Indian Village site, 1905
Earthlodge floor plan.
Earthlodge floor plan. This floorplan of a circular earthlodge shows the four post and beam central supports (the square in the center). The wall between the entry and the fireplace helped to prevent drafts from disturbing the fire or chilling the residents. Beds were arranged around the walls.