Avery Site facts for kids
| Location | Helen, Georgia, Troup County, Georgia,  USA |
|---|---|
| Region | Troup County, Georgia |
| History | |
| Periods | Lamar Phase |
| Cultures | South Appalachian Mississippian culture |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1966, 1967, 1968 |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | platform mound |
| Architectural details | Number of temples: 2 |
The Avery Site (also known as 9TP64) was an archaeological site. An archaeological site is a place where people lived or worked long ago. This site was in Troup County, Georgia, near the Chattahoochee River. Sadly, the Avery Site no longer exists today.
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Discovering the Avery Site
Scientists started looking into the Avery Site in 1966. A person named Harold Huscher led these early studies. More detailed digs, called excavations, happened in June 1967 and again in 1968. These digs helped us learn a lot about the people who once lived there.
Huscher believed the Avery Site was connected to other ancient sites in Georgia. These sites are found along a natural boundary called the Fall Line.
What Was Found at the Site?
The Avery Site once had two large platform mounds. These are big, flat-topped hills built by people. The northern mound was called the Avery Mound. Over time, farming and weather wore it down. But enough of it remained to show that it had been rebuilt many times.
About 300 feet (91 meters) south was the Potts Mound. This mound was flattened by bulldozers for farming. Even so, there was still some proof that it had been there.
The Village Area
Around the two mounds was a large village. Archaeologists found many pieces of pottery here. This pottery tells us that people from the late Lamar Phase lived there. The Lamar Phase was a time period for the South Appalachian Mississippian culture. There might have also been another group from the Mississippian culture living there.
Fortifications and Buildings
A long wall, called a palisade, was found near the Avery Mound. It was about 300 feet (91 meters) long. A palisade is a strong fence made of tall wooden posts. This one was built carefully to protect the village.
Inside the Avery Mound, scientists found a curved line of post-holes. These are holes where wooden posts once stood. They surrounded a mound-like area made of charcoal. Also, a large burned building was found near the Avery Mound. It was rectangular and had a roof that might have been octagonal, meaning it had eight sides.
Future Research
The excavations at the Avery Site stopped after 1968. However, Harold Huscher thought more work should be done. He believed it was important to study the charcoal mound and the palisade more closely.
