Glass site facts for kids
Location | Vicksburg, Mississippi, ![]() |
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Region | Warren County, Mississippi |
Coordinates | 32°13′46.49″N 90°56′10.032″W / 32.2295806°N 90.93612000°W |
History | |
Cultures | Plaquemine culture |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1910-1911, 2007-2009 |
Archaeologists | Clarence Bloomfield Moore, Lauren Elizabeth Downs |
Responsible body: private |
The Glass site (also known as 22 WR 502) is an ancient place where people from the Plaquemine culture once lived. It's located about 9.5 kilometers (6 miles) south of Vicksburg, Mississippi in Warren County, Mississippi. This site was a major center for ceremonies and community life.
Originally, the Glass site had four large platform mounds. These mounds were built around a big open area called a plaza. Over time, some parts of the site have been damaged. Modern farming methods and people digging for artifacts have changed the landscape. Today, only parts of three mounds remain.
The Glass site was active at the same time as other important Plaquemine sites. These include Emerald, Holly Bluff, and Winterville. The main period when people lived here was from about 1500 to 1650 CE. This time is called the protohistoric period.
Archaeologists have studied the Glass site. Clarence Bloomfield Moore explored parts of it in 1910 and 1911. Later, Lauren Elizabeth Downs conducted more excavations from 2007 to 2009. The mounds at the Glass site are now part of the Mississippi Mound Trail. This trail helps people learn about ancient Native American mounds.
History of the Glass Site
The Glass site is located in an interesting spot. It sits on the northern edge of an area known as the Natchez Bluff region. It is also close to the Yazoo Basin area and across the Mississippi River from the Tensas Basin.
Early Inhabitants and Main Period
While the site had some activity during earlier times, like the Marksville culture and Coles Creek culture periods, its most important time was later. The main period of activity was during the Emerald phase, from 1500 to 1650 CE. During this time, the Glass site grew into a major community center. This is also when the large platform mounds were built.
Contact with Europeans
The Glass site was still in use when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto traveled down the Mississippi River in 1543. Historians believe the people living at the Glass site might have been the group called "Quigualtam" or another unnamed group. These Native American groups bravely fought against the Spanish as they moved down the river. By the time French explorers arrived in the 1680s, the Glass site was no longer being used.