Kolomoki Mounds facts for kids
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Kolomoki Mounds
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Temple Mound
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Blakely, Georgia |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000280 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
The Kolomoki Mounds are ancient earth mounds located in southwest Georgia. They are some of the biggest and oldest earthwork complexes in the southeastern United States. People built these mounds between 350 CE and 600 CE. You can find them in Early County, near the Chattahoochee River.
These mounds are so important that they were named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Seven of the eight mounds are now protected. They are part of the Kolomoki Mounds State Historic Park.
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Exploring Kolomoki Mounds Park
Kolomoki Mounds State Park is a great place to visit. It is also a very important archaeological site. The park covers about 300 acres. This makes it one of the largest preserved mound sites in the USA.
Who Built the Mounds?
Long ago, between 250 CE and 950 CE, Native American groups lived here. These groups were part of the Swift Creek and Weeden Island cultures. They built the eight large earth mounds you can see today.
What Are the Mounds For?
The mounds had different purposes. There is Georgia's oldest great temple mound. This mound has a flat top. There are also two burial mounds. Four smaller mounds were used for ceremonies.
Mounds and the Stars
The people who built the mounds were very smart. They lined up some mounds with events in the sky. For example, Mounds A, D, and E point to where the sun rises during the spring equinox. Mounds F and D line up with the sun during the summer solstice. This shows how much they knew about astronomy.
Amazing Archaeological Finds
Kolomoki Mounds is a treasure chest for archaeologists. They have learned a lot about the ancient people who lived here.
The Tall Temple Mound
The Temple Mound is about 56 feet (17 meters) high. Its base is 325 feet (99 meters) long and 200 feet (61 meters) wide. Experts believe it took over two million basket loads of earth to build this mound. Each basket held about one cubic foot of dirt.
The southern part of the mound is a bit higher. This was likely the main platform for a temple. From the top, you can see most of the ancient Kolomoki area. About 1,500 to 2,000 people lived in a village around a large central plaza. This plaza was a place for public events, ceremonies, and games.
Secrets of Mound D
Mound D is one of the eight main mounds. It is shaped like a cone and is about 20 feet (6 meters) tall. It sits right in the middle of the Kolomoki site.
Archaeologists found 77 burials inside Mound D. They also found special ceremonial pottery. Some of this pottery was shaped like animals and birds. There were deer, quail, and owls.
Mound D was built in several steps. It started as a square platform mound, about 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. This first part was made from yellow clay. Sixty pottery vessels were placed on its east side.
Later, more burials were added. More yellow clay layers were also added. The mound then became a larger circular shape, about 10 feet (3 meters) tall. The skulls in these burials faced east, towards the rising sun. This was likely for religious reasons. People also buried objects with the dead. These included items made from iron and copper, and pearl beads. Finally, the whole mound was covered with red clay.
Kolomoki Mounds Museum
The park has a museum built around part of an excavated mound. This helps you see how archaeologists work. The museum shows a film about how the mounds were built and explored.
The museum displays many ancient pots and artifacts. These pieces are very important to North American history. They show the amazing skills of the Kolomoki culture. Many were used in burial ceremonies. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is working to find some artifacts that were stolen long ago. They want to protect these treasures for everyone to learn from.
Gallery
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Visitor's Center
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Inside of museum that was built around the burial mound archeological excavation
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Artifact on display at Kolomoki museum
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A view of the temple mound
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A view of the plaza from atop the temple mound
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A smaller mound as seen from the top of the large mound
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Ceremonial Platform (Mound F)
Images for kids
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Ceremonial Platform (Mound F)
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