Emerald Mound site facts for kids
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Emerald Mound site
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Secondary mound at west end of Emerald Mound
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Stanton, Mississippi |
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| NRHP reference No. | 88002618 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 18, 1988 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1989 |
The Emerald Mound site is a very old archaeological site in Mississippi, United States. It was built by the Plaquemine culture and later used by the Natchez people. This amazing site dates back to between 1200 and 1730 CE.
Emerald Mound is the second-largest earthwork built by the Mississippian people in the entire country. Only Monks Mound in Cahokia, Illinois, is bigger. The mound covers about eight acres of land. It is 770 feet (235 meters) long and 435 feet (133 meters) wide at its base. It stands 35 feet (11 meters) tall.
The top of Emerald Mound is flat. It has two smaller mounds on each end. The mound was built around a natural hill. Long ago, there were other mounds and a ditch around it, but these are gone now. The National Park Service helped protect the mound in 1955. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1989. You can visit Emerald Mound today, as it is open to the public.
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What is Emerald Mound?
Emerald Mound was built between 1250 and 1600 CE. It was a special place for ceremonies for people living in nearby villages. The mound gets its name from the Emerald Plantation that was once around it.
The large mound started as a natural hill. Workers added earth to its sides, making it into a long, five-sided, flat area. Two smaller mounds sit on top of this main platform. The bigger of these two is on the western end. It is 190 feet (58 meters) long and 160 feet (49 meters) wide at its base. This smaller mound is 30 feet (9 meters) tall.
The smaller mounds on top were likely platforms. Important leaders and chiefs probably had their homes there. The top of the main mound is about 65 feet (20 meters) higher than the land around it. Old drawings show that six other small mounds once lined the sides of the main mound. These were flattened over time by weather and farming. There was also a ditch that went all the way around the site.
Who Lived at Emerald Mound?
Archaeologists believe the people who built Emerald Mound were the ancestors of the Natchez people. The Natchez used Emerald Mound as their main ceremonial center when Europeans first arrived. At its busiest, Emerald Mound was a hub for religious and community events. The ceremonies took place right on top of the mound, which was quite unusual.
The smaller mounds on top were likely bases for a temple. They also housed the homes of priests or rulers and other important people. By the late 1730s, the Natchez had left Emerald Mound. This might have been because many people died from European diseases. These diseases were brought by explorers like Hernando de Soto in the 1540s.
By 1682, the Natchez's main ceremonial center had moved. It was then at the Grand Village of the Natchez, about 12 miles (19 km) away. Emerald Mound was abandoned during the time of French colonists. The Natchez people lived in small groups on family farms. They would gather at ceremonial centers like Emerald Mound for special events. This site was one of the last places where large platform mounds were actively used along the Mississippi River.
Exploring Emerald Mound: Past and Present
The site was first known as the Selsertown site. It later got its current name from the nearby Emerald Plantation. The first digs happened in 1838. A man named John C. Van Tramp wrote about them. People measured the mounds, found pottery, and even skeletons. They also noted the eight smaller mounds and the large ditch.
Since then, more digs have happened, most recently in 1972. National Park Service archaeologists have studied animal bones, pottery pieces, and tools. This helps us learn about the daily lives of the people who lived at Emerald Mound long ago.
The owners gave the site to the National Park Service (NPS) in the 1950s. Some of the smaller mounds were damaged by erosion. So, the NPS fixed them and covered them with grass in the mid-1950s. A path and stairs were built from the parking lot. These led to the top of the main mound and the larger secondary mounds. The staircases have since been removed.
Emerald Mound is now part of the Mississippi Mound Trail.
Images for kids
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Emerald Mound as seen from the air
