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Colonial and Pre-Columbian

Swan Creek Site Massacre

1400
South Dakota
Era
Colonial and Pre-Columbian
Year
1400
Location
South Dakota
Status
Historical record
The Battle

History & Significance

Swan Creek Site Massacre was a Colonial and Pre-Columbian engagement fought in South Dakota, 1400.

Extended Coalescent tradition village in central South Dakota with documented massacre evidence. Part of the cluster of violent events in the 15th-century Missouri River valley documented by Kivett and Jensen and later by Willey (1990). The site's skeletal assemblage contributes to the broader picture of catastrophic violence in the protohistoric northern Plains.

Forces engaged
Unknown vs. Extended Coalescent village
Casualties
Multiple individuals with confirmed perimortem trauma
Outcome
Skeletal trauma evidence including scalping marks, projectile wounds, and perimortem fractures. Fortified village.

Approximate location. The nearest recorded settlement is shown; the exact site is unrecorded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Swan Creek Site Massacre take place?
Swan Creek Site Massacre took place in 1400.
Where was Swan Creek Site Massacre fought?
Swan Creek Site Massacre was fought in South Dakota, United States.
What was the significance of Swan Creek Site Massacre?
Extended Coalescent tradition village in central South Dakota with documented massacre evidence. Part of the cluster of violent events in the 15th-century Missouri River valley documented by Kivett and Jensen and later by Willey (1990). The site's skeletal assemblage contributes to the broader pictu
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Everything a full report reveals about Swan Creek Site Massacre

This page covers Swan Creek Site Massacre. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More from this era

Other Colonial and Pre-Columbian Engagements

Crow Creek Tributary Massacre (Talking Crow Site)
1200
South Dakota
Talking Crow Site Conflict
1200
South Dakota
Medicine Crow Site Violence
1250
South Dakota
All battles in South Dakota›Colonial and Pre-Columbianconflicts ›Historic sites in South Dakota›
Source

This page is compiled from cited public sources.

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