|
Indian
Mounds in Mississippi
Over
two thousand years ago, the first
artificial mound was built in Mississippi.
Eventually, there were thousands
constructed for various purposes,
but today, only a small percentage
of these remain. Of those, eleven
American Indian mound sites are
publicly accessible in the State.
Thanks to the National Park Service
(NPS), we can experience these
impressive ancient structures.
The
mounds in Mississippi date from
approximately 100 B.C. to 1700 A.D.,
but they offer much more than
a tour through thousands of years
of Mississippi history. They stand
as testaments to the American Indian
presence on the landscape and as
monuments to the first inhabitants
of the southeastern United States.
|
|
Representation
of some of the hundreds
of earthen monuments
built by American Indians.
(Courtesy of the Southeast
Archeological Center)
|
Many
diverse Indian groups, drawn by
the bountiful wildlife, warm climate,
and fertile soil, made their homes
in what is now Mississippi for thousands
of years before the first Europeans
and Africans arrived. Although the
first people entered the region
12,000 years ago, the earliest major
phase of earthen mound construction
in this area did not begin until
some 2100 years ago. Mounds continued
to be built sporadically for another
1800 years. Of the mounds that remain
today, some of the earliest were
built to bury important members
of the local tribe, such as at the
Boyd, Bynum, and Pharr mound sites.
These mounds were usually rounded,
dome-shapes. Later mounds were rectangular,
flat-topped earthen platforms upon
which temples or residences of chiefs
were erected. Examples of this type
of mound can be seen at the Winterville,
Jaketown, Pocahontas, Emerald, Grand
Village, Owl Creek and Bear Creek
sites. (A list of all mound sites
is below.)
Eight
hundred years ago, the lower Mississippi
Delta was home to highly organized
societies. There were roads, commerce,
and cultural centers anchored by
awe-inspiring earthen monuments.
Wonders of geometric precision,
these earthworks were the centers
of life. However, mound construction
was in a period of decline in the
1500s, when the first Europeans
arrived in the region and brought
with them epidemic diseases which
decimated native populations across
the Southeast. As a result, by the
time sustained contact with European
colonists began about 1700, the
long tradition of mound building
was reaching its end.
These
mounds are protected because they
are owned by state or federal agencies.
However, most of the mounds in Mississippi
(other than the eleven listed below)
are on privately owned land. As
a result, many mounds have been
irreparably damaged or completely
destroyed by modern development
and looting. Indian mounds are critically
endangered cultural sites, and now
is the time to see them while you
can.
Bear
Creek Mound and Village Site:
Built between 100 and 1300 A.D.,
this mound is square and flat-topped
and now measures about eight feet
high and 85 feet long. It had been
reduced in size from plowing before
the NPS acquired it. Evidence at
the site indicates there was a temple
or a chief’s house on top at one
time. This mound is about 45 miles
northeast of Tupelo at the Alabama
State line at milepost 308.8.
|
|
Carved
marble statues from
a Mississippian mound.
(Courtesy
of the Southeast Archeological
Center.)
|
Boyd
Mounds Site: Dating much
later than most mounds in the State,
these six small burial mounds were
built and used between about 800
to 1100 A.D. Mound 2 is adjacent
to the parking area, and it was
excavated by NPS in 1964, which
revealed that it is three mounds
in one. Originally, two mounds were
created side by side, and then a
third mound was built over the two.
It is 110 feet long by 60 feet wide
and four feet high, and the remains
of 42 people were found in it. Located
northeast of Jackson at milepost
106.9, it is six miles east of the
I-55 Interchange.
Bynum
Mound and Village: Of the six
mounds here, five were excavated
by NPS in the 1940s. Two of the
largest were restored for public
viewing, and in one of them was
found the remains of a woman was
found between two burned oak logs.
She had copper spools on her wrists.
The other large mound sheltered
a crematory pit lined with logs.
Other remains were found in the
mounds, along with 19 chert projectile
points that were imported from Illinois,
29 greenstone axe heads arranged
in an L shape, lead ore, and copper.
The Bynum Mound and Village Site
is 28 miles southwest of Tupelo
at milepost 232.4.
Emerald
Mound Site: This site covers
eight acres and is home to one of
the largest mounds in the United
States; it measures 770 feet by
435 feet by 35 feet high. It is
designated as a National Historic
Landmark. The Emerald Mound was
built beside a hill and has two
smaller mounds on top. It was used
between 1250 and 1600 A.D. by the
Natchez Indian as a ceremonial center
for the area until they established
their capital at Grand Village.
It is located about 10 miles northeast
of Natchez at milepost 10.3. Exit
the parkway at Route 553 intersection
and follow the signs for about a
mile.
|
|
Emerald
Mound, the second largest
ceremonial mound in
the U.S.
(Photo,
courtesy of Natchez
Trace Parkway, National
Park Service.)
|
Grand
Village of the Natchez Indians:
This site with three platform mounds
was used by the Natchez Indians
into the early 18th century, and
French soldiers and colonists witnessed
and recorded the ceremonies conducted
here. Great Sun, the reigning chief
over all the Natchez, had a home
atop Mound B, and Mound C had a
temple on top, and a perpetual flame
was kept burning in it day and night.
Mound A was not in use by this time.
In
the plaza, funeral ceremonies were
conducted, which included the sacrifice
of the deceased’s relatives and
servants.
Because
the French continued to take more
of their land, the Natchez’ attacked
the French in Fort Rosalie in 1729
and killed most of the garrison.
In 1730, the French retaliated
and used the mound where Great Sun’s
house stood (he had died previously
in 1728) as an artillery emplacement.
The Natchez withdrew into their
own fortifications to the South
and held out during the siege. They
survived, but they soon left the
area and assimilated into other
tribes. Less than 300 of the original
Natchez were captured during the
siege, and they were sold into slavery
in the West Indies. Today, Natchez
Indians can be found among the Creek
and Cherokee Indians.
 The
site is open Monday-Saturday 9-5
and Sunday 1:30-5. It is in Natchez
just south of the Natchez Regional
Medical Center. Turn east off US
Hwy. 61 (Seargent S. Prentiss Dr.)
onto Jefferson Davis Blvd.; the
entrance is about half a mile ahead.
Jaketown
Site: The two major mounds here
are owned by the State of Mississippi
and have not been excavated. However,
pottery and artifacts found in the
area date the mounds to between
1100 and 1500 A.D. Smaller
mounds in the area date even earlier,
to 1500 to 1000 B.C., but some have
been destroyed by plowing and road
construction. For safety sake, NPS
recommends these mounds be viewed
only from the road. The Jaketown
site is about four miles north of
Belzoni on the west side of Hwy.
7.
Owl
Creek Site: The five platform
mounds here date to between 1100
and 1200 A.D. Only two are owned
by the U.S. Forest Service, and
both are open to public. The largest,
Mound I, is 17 feet high, and at
one time, a temple or chieftain’s
residence sat atop it. The Owl Creek
Mounds are 18 miles southwest of
Tupelo at mile post 243.1.
Nanih
Waiya Mound and Village: A rectangular
platform mound measuring 25 feet
high by 218 feet long and 140 feet
wide, it is maintained in a state
park. Nanih Waiya is a Choctaw Indian
name meaning "leaning hill."
The Choctaws venerate this site,
and one tribal legend says the tribe
was born here.
The
site was once encircled by an earthen
embankment, but most of it has been
destroyed. A small burial mound
is located outside the park, but
it has been severely reduced in
size due to plowing. This site is
northeast of Philadelphia, about
15 miles on Hwy. 21. Turn left at
the Nanih Waiya Mound sign and go
three miles.
Pharr
Mounds: This site has
eight burial mounds constructed
between 1 and 200 A.D.
The
mounds covered fire pits and clay
platforms, and cremated and natural
human remains were found near them.
Copper spools and tools, a green
stone pipe, ceramic pots and vessels,
and other metals were found at this
site. This grouping of mounds is
one of the largest in the Southeast,
and the mounds vary in height from
two to 18 feet, spread out over
85 acres. The Pharr Mounds are 23
miles northeast of Tupelo at milepost
286.
Pocahontas
Mound A: A rectangular platform
mound, it is 175 feet wide and about
22 feet high and was built and between
1000 and 1300 A.D. The remains of
a mud-plastered log post building
were been found on top of the mound
and was probably used as a ceremonial
temple or chief’s house. A large
village area surrounds the mound.
The mound is on U.S. Highway 49
at the town of Pocahontas, about
nine miles north of the Jackson.
Winterville
Site: Across 43-acres,
various flat-topped mounds are arranged
around a 55-foot-high mound in the
center. At one time, 23 mounds were
built here, but at least four have
been lost to erosion, grazing, and
agriculture. Yet, it is still one
of the largest groupings of mounds
in the Southeast, and it has been
designated as a National Historic
Landmark. Most of the mounds date
to 1200-1250 A.D. Excavation in
1967-68 revealed ceramic and stone
tools and artifacts, burial remains,
and structures. A museum onsite
houses many of the artifacts found
here, including painted pottery,
stone tools and ornaments. The Winterville
Site is on State Hwy 1, six miles
north of Greenville. The museum
is open Monday-Saturday 9-5 and
Sunday 1:30-5. The mounds are open
every day, dawn to dusk. Call 662-334-4684
for information.
Almost
all of the mounds are open daily,
dawn to dusk, and admission is free.
For information, call 662-680-4025.
Be aware that many of the mounds
have been left in their natural
state and in their natural surroundings.
Consequently, they are often covered
in grass.
(Map
photo) On the NPS website, you
can click on a mound shown on this
map to get specific information
about it. (http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/mounds/map.htm
)
|
