Pocahontas Mounds
Encyclopedia
Pocahontas Mounds is an archaeological site
from the Plaquemine Mississippian culture in Hinds County, Mississippi
, dating from 800 to 1300 CE
. Two mounds from the site were added to the NRHP
on two separate occasions, Pocahontas Mound A on November 25, 1969 as NRIS number 69000365 and Pocahontas Mound B on April 11,1972 as NRIS number 72000694.
and a mortuary mound, and an associated village area. The site was occupied from 800 to 1300 CE by peoples of the Coles Creek
and Plaquemine Mississippian cultures, although evidence found during excavations in 2004 showed that the site was occupied briefly in the Middle-Late Archaic period about 4000-1000 BCE. The platform mound, Mound A, is about 175 feet (53.3 m) in width and 22 feet (6.7 m) in height. It was described in the late 1930s by archaeologist James A. Ford
as being 250 feet (76.2 m) by 350 feet (106.7 m) at its base and 25 feet (7.6 m) in height. Archaeological investigations found the remains of a typical Mississippian-period thatched, clay-plastered log-post structure on the mounds summit, which was once a ceremonial temple or residence of a chief. Located 1200 feet (365.8 m) northwest of Mound A is Mound B, a steep-sided conical mound 75 feet (22.9 m) in diameter and 10 feet (3 m) in height.
At the time of Ford's writing Mound B was included within the grounds of a local school and could not be excavated. Various kinds of artifacts have been recovered from the site through site survey collections and excavations, including Mississippian-culture copper ear-spools, Mississippian culture pottery
, flint chips and numerous burials in the surrounding fields. A fragmentary bird effigy bowl and a human effigy ceramic pipe were found at the burial mound by children from the school. The pottery found at the site is very similar to that found at the Anna Site
.
New excavations took place in June of 2004 under the direction Jeffrey Alvey for the Cobb Institute of Archaeology and funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation
. In 2008 a roadside park was opened at Mound A as a combined rest stop area and educational center explaining the site’s cultural and historical importance.
, near its junction with Interstate 220
.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
from the Plaquemine Mississippian culture in Hinds County, Mississippi
Hinds County, Mississippi
As of the census of 2000, there were 250,800 people, 91,030 households, and 62,355 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 100,287 housing units at an average density of 115 per square mile...
, dating from 800 to 1300 CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. Two mounds from the site were added to the NRHP
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on two separate occasions, Pocahontas Mound A on November 25, 1969 as NRIS number 69000365 and Pocahontas Mound B on April 11,1972 as NRIS number 72000694.
Description
The site consists of two mounds, a rectangular platform moundPlatform mound
A platform mound is any earthwork or mound intended to support a structure or activity.-Eastern North America:The indigenous peoples of North America built substructure mounds for well over a thousand years starting in the Archaic period and continuing through the Woodland period...
and a mortuary mound, and an associated village area. The site was occupied from 800 to 1300 CE by peoples of the Coles Creek
Coles Creek culture
Coles Creek culture is a Late Woodland archaeological culture in the Lower Mississippi valley in the southern United States. It followed the Troyville culture. The period marks a significant change in the cultural history of the area...
and Plaquemine Mississippian cultures, although evidence found during excavations in 2004 showed that the site was occupied briefly in the Middle-Late Archaic period about 4000-1000 BCE. The platform mound, Mound A, is about 175 feet (53.3 m) in width and 22 feet (6.7 m) in height. It was described in the late 1930s by archaeologist James A. Ford
James A. Ford
James Alfred Ford was an American archaeologist. He was born in Water Valley, Mississippi, on February 12, 1911. He became interested in work on Native American mound research while growing up in Mississippi.-Archaeological work:...
as being 250 feet (76.2 m) by 350 feet (106.7 m) at its base and 25 feet (7.6 m) in height. Archaeological investigations found the remains of a typical Mississippian-period thatched, clay-plastered log-post structure on the mounds summit, which was once a ceremonial temple or residence of a chief. Located 1200 feet (365.8 m) northwest of Mound A is Mound B, a steep-sided conical mound 75 feet (22.9 m) in diameter and 10 feet (3 m) in height.
At the time of Ford's writing Mound B was included within the grounds of a local school and could not be excavated. Various kinds of artifacts have been recovered from the site through site survey collections and excavations, including Mississippian-culture copper ear-spools, Mississippian culture pottery
Mississippian culture pottery
Mississippian culture pottery is the ceramic tradition of the Mississippian culture found as artifacts in archaeological sites in the American Midwest and Southeast. It is often characterized by the adoption and use of riverine shell-tempering agents in the clay paste. Shell tempering is one of...
, flint chips and numerous burials in the surrounding fields. A fragmentary bird effigy bowl and a human effigy ceramic pipe were found at the burial mound by children from the school. The pottery found at the site is very similar to that found at the Anna Site
Anna Site
The Anna Site is a prehistoric Plaquemine culture archaeological site located in Adams County, Mississippi north of Natchez. It is the type site for the Anna Phase of the Natchez Bluffs Plaquemine culture chronology...
.
New excavations took place in June of 2004 under the direction Jeffrey Alvey for the Cobb Institute of Archaeology and funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation
Mississippi Department of Transportation
The Mississippi Department of Transportation is the operational agency of the Mississippi Transportation Commission tasked to maintain and improve the highway, rail, maritime, public transportation, and aviation infrastructure in the state...
. In 2008 a roadside park was opened at Mound A as a combined rest stop area and educational center explaining the site’s cultural and historical importance.
Location
The site is used as a roadside park along U.S. Route 49U.S. Route 49
U.S. Route 49 is a north–south United States highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Piggott, Arkansas, at an intersection with U.S. Route 62. Its southern terminus is in Gulfport, Mississippi, at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. US 49 is approximately 516 miles in length.It...
, near its junction with Interstate 220
Interstate 220 (Mississippi)
Interstate 220 in Mississippi is a loop around Jackson that provides an interstate connection for Interstate 55 and Interstate 20. The northern terminus for the route is in the northern suburb of Ridgeland, at Interstate 55 exit 104...
.