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1,000-year-old Corn Cobs, Kernels Found At Mitchell Site

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — Researchers working at the Prehistoric Indian Village in Mitchell have uncovered corn cobs, corn kernels and sunflower kernels that are more than 1,000 years old.

Officials say the discoveries show that people who lived in the region at the time had a diverse diet.

The Prehistoric Indian Village is the only active archaeological site open to the public in South Dakota. Students from the University of Exeter in England and Augustana College in Sioux Falls work every year at the site that holds dual status as a National Register and National Historic Landmark site.

Augustana archaeology professor Adrien Hannus tells The Daily Republic ( ) the new discoveries help show that the village dwellers weren’t exactly primitive. He says it was a successful village of farmers, hunters and foragers.

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Information from: The Daily Republic,