Publications in Salvage Archeology, 2: The Black Partizan site

The Black Partizan Site, a large fortified earth-lodge village in Lyman County, South Dakota, was excavated by the Missouri Basin Project, Smithsonian Institution as a part of the Inter-Agency Archeological and Paleontological Salvage Program within the Big Bend Reservoir. During the past decade and a half, salvage investigations have been carried out in a number of reservoirs along the main stem of the Missouri River but work has been most intensive in the lower Oahe and Big Bend Country of central South Dakota. A wealth of data has been accumulated and, although much of it is undigested as yet, the major cultural outlines have been drawn (See Lehmer, 1954). Salvage investigations within the Big Bend Reservoir began in 1956 when it was thoroughly explored by a small reconnaissance party led by Harold A. Huscher of the Missouri Basin Project. At that time the axis of the projected Big Bend Dam had not yet been chosen. In view of the uncertainty, several large sites were thought to be in potential danger. Among these was the Black Partizan village whim lay in the spillway area of one of the more likely construction locations.