Carson Site facts for kids
The Carson Site is located in Mississippi. This area is about 300 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. This area is about 186 acres. It is in Coahoma County in Mississippi and by the Yazoo River basin.
Contents
Early beginnings
One of the earliest sites in Mississippi. This spot has a variable landscape, but as archaeologists dug deeper they were able to uncover some old Native American cities. The Carson Site was one of the first areas in Mississippi that showed civilizations that were early communities. Socially, people were beginning to centralize around a certain location for safety. This was important as it was able to show people growing with their mental capacities and knew for survival that they needed to live in groups. As they were able to live in large groups, they were able to grow as a community.
Purpose of the mounds
This site was used by Native Americans from the St. Louis region. These Native Americans traveled down the Mississippi River and settled into the area. One of the key points of this area were the mounds. These mounds showed how people were learning how to use the environment to defend themselves. These mounds had multipurpose uses the bigger they were. One of the largest mounds was able to protect them from raids and attacks. The other purpose of the largest mound was able to store food for the community as well. Lastly, these mounds were elevated compared to the normal terrain. They raised the mounds because it would help battle against flooding. As they were close to the Mississippi River, water levels would rise on occasion and the people of the area knew that they needed to build it in this manner.
Excavation of the area
Mapping of this site began in 1894 by William Henry Morris. It contained 7 different parts which included A,B,C,D,E,F, and the embankment. Currently, the person who is running the excavation program here is Jayur Metha. He is an Anthropological Anthropologist and he stems from Tulane University. Tulane University is located in New Orleans and during the summer Jayur would recruit students to work on the site.
What was found and who lived there
During the excavation period, they archaeologists on the scene had to remove Poison Ivy so they would not get hurt. Once they removed the Poison Ivy they were able to find tools that resembled flint knapping. There were also pots that were found with designs around the rim. It is believed that the Natchez people lived there before European settlers took over the land.
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