Aden Site facts for kids
 Location in Mississippi
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| Location | Valley Park, Mississippi, Issaquena County, Mississippi,  USA |
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| Region | Issaquena County, Mississippi |
| Coordinates | 32°38′13.09″N 90°50′10.82″W / 32.6369694°N 90.8363389°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 800 CE |
| Abandoned | 900 CE |
| Cultures | Coles Creek culture |
| Site notes | |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | platform mounds, plaza |
| Architectural details | Number of monuments: 3 |
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Aden Site
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| Nearest city | Valley Park, Mississippi |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002698 |
| Added to NRHP | December 14, 1988 |
| Responsible body: Private | |
The Aden Site is an important archaeological site in Mississippi. It helps us learn about the ancient Coles Creek culture. This culture lived in the Lower Yazoo Basin area. The Aden Site shows us what life was like between 800 and 900 CE. This time is called the Aden Phase.
Contents
Where is the Aden Site Located?
The Aden Site is found in Issaquena County, Mississippi. It is near a small place called Valley Park, Mississippi. The site sits on the south bank of Jeff Davis Bayou. This is a small stream in the area.
What Does the Aden Site Look Like?
The Aden Site has three large platform mounds. These are human-made hills. They are arranged in a triangle shape. In the middle of the mounds is a small open area called a plaza. The fourth side of this plaza is next to Jeff Davis Bayou. This kind of layout was common for Coles Creek settlements.
- Mound A: This is the largest mound. It is about 3 meters (10 feet) tall. Its top is about 23 meters (75 feet) long and 17 meters (56 feet) wide. It is on the east side of the plaza.
- Mound B: This mound is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) high. It is on the south side of the plaza. Its base is about 50 meters (164 feet) long and 35 meters (115 feet) wide.
- Mound C: This mound is about 2 meters (6.5 feet) high. It is on the west side of the plaza. It is about 50 meters (164 feet) across. This mound has been damaged over time by farming. It might have been larger before.
Understanding the Aden Phase
The Aden Phase is a way archaeologists classify sites. It helps them group similar places and artifacts from the Coles Creek Culture. Phillip Phillips created this classification. The Aden Phase lasted from 800 to 900 CE.
Aden Phase sites are found across western Mississippi. They are mostly east of the Mississippi River and north of the Yazoo River. These sites help us understand the "classic" Coles Creek Culture.
What Artifacts Were Found?
Archaeologists study pottery to learn about ancient cultures. At Aden Phase sites, they found specific types of pottery. These included:
- Baytown Plain, var. Valley Park
- Chevalier Stamped, var. Chevalier
- Coles Creek Incised, vars. Coles and Wade
- Evansville Punctuated, var. Rhinehart
- French Fork Incised, var. Larkin
- Marzique Incised, var. Marzique
- Mulberry Creek Cord Marked, var. Smith Creek
The pottery from the Aden Phase often had simple designs. The pots usually had regular shapes and smooth edges. Their surfaces were often light gray. Sometimes, they had triangular, zig-zag, or crescent shapes as decoration.
How Were Aden Phase Settlements Built?
The Aden Phase settlements show the first examples of rectangular mounds. These became a key feature of Coles Creek Culture towns. Some sites also had older, rounder mounds from an earlier time.
During the Aden Phase, towns started to be built with a plan. Three rectangular mounds were often placed to form a ceremonial center. These mounds created three sides of a rectangular open space. This shows that people were planning their communities carefully.
