On behalf of the Historic Preservation Division, Mississippi
Department of Archives and History, and the Southeast Archeological
Center, NPS, we invite you to explore 11 publicly accessible American
Indian mound sites in Mississippi and experience these impressive
ancient structures.
At some point over two thousand years ago the first artificial
mound was built in Mississippi. Eventually there were thousands
constructed for various purposes by the State's precontact inhabitants.
Today, only a small percentage of these remain. The 11 included
in this travel itinerary date from approximately 100 B.C. to 1700
A.D. and are representative samples of sites that were originally
so numerous.
This virtual tour allows you to learn about how the Middle Woodland
(100 B.C. to 200 A.D.) and Mississippian Period (1000 to 1700
A.D.) mounds were built and examine the artifacts and other clues
archeologists use to understand the cultures that made them. These
mound sites 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. We hope that after
you have traveled to these mound sites online, you will visit
them in person and see these awe-inspiring memorials that were
once the center of life for some of the most highly organized
civilizations in the world.
Sincerely,
John Ehrenhard, Director
Southeast Archeological Center
National Park Service
2001 |
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Sam McGahey, Chief Archaeologist
Historic Preservation Division
Mississippi Department of Archives and History
2001 |
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