Leake Mounds facts for kids
Leake Mounds site in 2015
|
|
 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
|
|
| Location | Cartersville, Georgia, Bartow County, Georgia,  USA |
|---|---|
| Region | Bartow County, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 34°8′21.55″N 84°50′46.03″W / 34.1393194°N 84.8461194°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 300 BCE |
| Abandoned | 1500 CE |
| Periods | Middle Woodland, Lamar Phase |
| Cultures | Swift Creek Culture, South Appalachian Mississippian culture |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural details | Number of temples: 3 |
Leake Mounds (also known as 9BR2) is a very old archaeological site in Bartow County, Georgia. It was built and used by people from the Swift Creek Culture. This important site is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the Etowah Mounds, near the Etowah River. However, Leake Mounds is much older than Etowah Mounds.
Scientists have dug up nearly 50,000 square feet (4,645 square meters) at the site. Their findings show that Leake Mounds was a very important place. It was a major center during the Middle Woodland period, from about 300 BCE to 650 CE. People at Leake Mounds had connections with groups across the Southeast and Midwest. The site was left empty around 650 CE. It was not used again until much later, around 1500 CE, by different groups from the Mississippian culture period.
Contents
What Are Leake Mounds?
The Leake Mounds site includes at least three large mounds. These are big hills of earth built by ancient people. There is also a big semi-circular ditch or moat. These features show that the site was carefully planned.
The Mounds Today
Sadly, much of the mounds were destroyed in the 1940s. The earth was used to help build and expand roads, like Georgia State Route 113 and Georgia State Route 61. Even though parts were removed, important sections of the site still remain. These parts help us learn about the people who lived there long ago.
Nearby Ancient Sites
Several other ancient sites are close to Leake Mounds on Ladds Mountain. These places were connected to Leake Mounds.
- Shaw Mound: This was a stone burial mound.
- Indian Fort: This site had a stone wall around it.
- Ladds Cave: This is a large cave that was also used by ancient people.
Connections to Other Cultures
Archaeologists found a special type of pottery decoration at Leake Mounds. This pottery has diamond-shaped patterns. This same kind of pottery has been found at other ancient sites.
Pottery Clues
Finding similar pottery in different places tells us that these ancient groups were connected. They might have traded goods, shared ideas, or even traveled to visit each other.
- Ohio: Similar pottery was found at Hopewell sites like Seip, Rockhold, Harness, and Turner.
- Indiana: The Mann Site in southern Indiana also had this pottery.
- Other Southern Sites: It was also found at the Miner's Creek site, 9HY98, and Mandeville Site in Georgia. The Yearwood site in southern Tennessee also had these unique pots.
These pottery findings show that Leake Mounds was a key part of a larger network of ancient cultures. It was a place where people interacted and shared their ways of life.
