Ponca Fort
Encyclopedia
Nanza is the Ponca
name for what is now called Ponca Fort. It was a fortified village built by the Ponca in the vicinity of present-day Niobrara, Nebraska
, USA, in circa 1700 and occupied until about 1865.
The site of Nanza is located at the fork where Ponca Creek meets the Niobrara River
, west of the Niobrara River's entry into the Missouri River
. It is located in what is now Knox County, Nebraska
, near the town of Verdel
.
Nanza was a principal settlement for the Ponca and was built to protect the Ponca against the Arikaras, Cheyennes or Apaches. It contained earth lodge
s and was surrounded by several cemeteries, probably created during disease outbreaks after European contact. Today Ponca Fort lies on private property. The site is renowned among archaeologists for its resemblance to Middle Mississippian fortified towns found in Ohio
which date from 800 through 1550.
Nanza comprises numerous earth lodge sites encircled by a protective wall perhaps six feet high. Today the fortification is still visible. Archeological excavations have determined there was originally a ditch three feet deep and ten feet wide surrounding the berm
. An earth embankment supporting a post palisade
was discovered inside the ditch. Guns, hatchets, knives, beads, kettles, cloth and other European goods have been recovered from Ponca Fort, and serve as a testimony to the village's important position in the local fur trade. There is also evidence of extensive trade with other tribes. Pottery, stone mauls, meeling slabs and maulers, bone knives, hoes, tubes, shaft wrenches and picks, and strip bark in rolls from as far away as the Southeastern United States.
Ponca
The Ponca are a Native American people of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan-language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma...
name for what is now called Ponca Fort. It was a fortified village built by the Ponca in the vicinity of present-day Niobrara, Nebraska
Niobrara, Nebraska
Niobrara is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 370 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Niobrara is located at ....
, USA, in circa 1700 and occupied until about 1865.
The site of Nanza is located at the fork where Ponca Creek meets the Niobrara River
Niobrara River
The Niobrara River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, running through the U.S. states of Wyoming and Nebraska. The river drains one of the most arid sections of the Great Plains, and has a low flow for a river of its length...
, west of the Niobrara River's entry into the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
. It is located in what is now Knox County, Nebraska
Knox County, Nebraska
-History:The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the area on 4 September 1804.The US Treaty with the Ponca tribe was signed at White Paint Creek on 9 June 1825.Knox County was formed in 1854. It was named after Major General Henry Knox.-Demographics:...
, near the town of Verdel
Verdel, Nebraska
Verdel is a village in Knox County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 58 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Verdel is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
.
Nanza was a principal settlement for the Ponca and was built to protect the Ponca against the Arikaras, Cheyennes or Apaches. It contained earth lodge
Earth lodge
An earth lodge is a semi-subterranean building covered partially or completely with earth, best known from the Native American cultures of the Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands. Most earth lodges are circular in construction with a dome-like roof, often with a central or slightly-offset smoke...
s and was surrounded by several cemeteries, probably created during disease outbreaks after European contact. Today Ponca Fort lies on private property. The site is renowned among archaeologists for its resemblance to Middle Mississippian fortified towns found in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
which date from 800 through 1550.
Nanza comprises numerous earth lodge sites encircled by a protective wall perhaps six feet high. Today the fortification is still visible. Archeological excavations have determined there was originally a ditch three feet deep and ten feet wide surrounding the berm
Berm
A berm is a level space, shelf, or raised barrier separating two areas. Berm originates in the Middle Dutch and German berme and came into usage in English via French.- History :...
. An earth embankment supporting a post palisade
Palisade
A palisade is a steel or wooden fence or wall of variable height, usually used as a defensive structure.- Typical construction :Typical construction consisted of small or mid sized tree trunks aligned vertically, with no spacing in between. The trunks were sharpened or pointed at the top, and were...
was discovered inside the ditch. Guns, hatchets, knives, beads, kettles, cloth and other European goods have been recovered from Ponca Fort, and serve as a testimony to the village's important position in the local fur trade. There is also evidence of extensive trade with other tribes. Pottery, stone mauls, meeling slabs and maulers, bone knives, hoes, tubes, shaft wrenches and picks, and strip bark in rolls from as far away as the Southeastern United States.