By: HERMAN BENDER
The Norma Nelson Duppler site is located on the west side of the Sheyenne River approximately twelve miles south of Valley City in Barnes County, North Dakota. Archaic in age (ca. 2000 to 8000 BP), the site acts to quarter both time and space utilizing petroform and natural landscape features. At the site, the equinox sunsets, summer solstice sunset and winter solstice sunset alignments have been verified. The solstice sunsets show a pronounced shift (of the obliquity of the ecliptic) consistent with the Archiac age or date. There is also a strong direction north focus and an outstanding northoriented (lithic) bear effigy. Importantly, bison iconography and elements of bison procurement ritual are also present. The unique landscape and Sheyenne River are very much a part of site selection factors likely reflecting ancient Northern Plains Indian beliefs and cosmology. On a broader scale, the physical site and location may well share an affinity with the nearby, mid-Archaic age Fort Ransom Writing Rock also located on the Sheyenne River and displaying a strong direction north focus. Farther afield, the Majorville ‘medicine wheel’ in southwestern Alberta shares similar attributes with the Norma Duppler site connected by time, cosmology, astronomical function, purpose and a landscape conducive to ritual bison procurement.
