historic preservation

Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month 2024

COMING SOON

Celebrated each May, South Dakota Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month was created to acquaint the public with the disciplines of archaeology and historic preservation and to strengthen the enduring bond between the past and the present! The theme for 2023 was "History Makers". This theme was chosen to coincide with the South Dakota State Historical Society's Annual History Conference which took place at the end of April 2023. This conference covered some of South Dakota's most interesting and influential 'history makers' including; Casey Tibbs, Mattie Newcombe, Oscar Micheaux, Women Suffragists, Deadwood's Chinatown, Oscar Howe, and Ben Reifel. 

Archaeology Camp 2024

Archaeology Camp 2024 will be on June 4-6! Registration will begin on Wednesday May 1st at 8:00am.

Please click here to go to our Archaeology Camp page for more information and how to register!

Student Essay Contest 2024: "This Place Matters"

Congratulations to the following three students who won our 2024 4th Grade Student Essay Contest!

1st Place: Paisley Carter from Jolley Elementary School in Vermillion, If Barn Walls Could Talk

2nd Place: Sydnee Stevens from Gettysburg Elementary School, The Bait Shop

3rd Place: Chiles Heien from Gettysburg Elementary School, 212 Forest City Bridge

This year we saw another record breaking number of entries at 232 essays from 28 different schools across South Dakota! We coulnd't be more grateful for this amazing amount of participation, and reading about all the historical places around the state that are special and importatnt to all the students who entered was truly inspiring. Thank you to all the students, parents, and teachers who put time and effort into the contest this year. We hope to continue growing this contest each year and help to spread the importance of South Dakota's history to our young learners!