List of Mississippian sites facts for kids

A map showing approximate areas of various Mississippian and related cultures (c. 800-1500 CE)

The Mississippian culture was a group of Native American people who lived in what is now the central, eastern, and southeastern United States. They were known for building large earth mounds. This culture thrived from about 800 CE to 1500 CE. Their main area was along the Mississippi River and its major branches. Important sites include Cahokia in Illinois, which was the largest, and Mound Bottom in Tennessee.

The Mississippian people built different kinds of mounds. Many were platform mounds, which had flat tops. These flat tops were often used for temples or homes for important leaders. Other mounds were shaped like cones or long ridges. The Mississippian culture spread widely, with mound complexes found from Wisconsin to Florida, and from Ohio to Oklahoma. Their influence even reached as far north as North Dakota.

This is a list of some of the most important Mississippian sites.

Site	State	Description
Adams site	Kentucky	This village site is near Hickman, Kentucky. It has a central group of flat-topped mounds around a main open area, and another smaller open area. People lived here from 1100 to 1500 CE.
Adamson Mounds Site	South Carolina	Located near Camden, this site was a Native American village. It has one large flat-topped mound, a smaller mound, and a burial area. It dates from 1400 to 1700 CE.
Angel Mounds	Indiana	This was a major center in southern Indiana near Evansville. It had thirteen mounds and about 1,000 people lived there. It was a central place for many smaller settlements nearby.
Annis Mound and Village Site	Kentucky	This site has a single mound and a village. It is located on the Green River in Butler County, Kentucky.
Ashworth Archaeological Site	Indiana	This site belongs to a specific group of the Mississippian culture called the Caborn-Welborn variant.
Avery site	Georgia	This site had multiple mounds and a village. It was located in Troup County, Georgia but has since been destroyed.
Aztalan State Park	Wisconsin	A smaller Mississippian center in Wisconsin, which was at the northern edge of the culture's spread. The village had one mound.
Battle Mound Site	Arkansas	Located in Lafayette County, Arkansas, this site has the largest mound built by the Caddoan Mississippian culture.
Beasley Mounds Site	Tennessee	Also known as the Dixon Springs Mound Site, it is located near Dixon Springs, Tennessee. Many stone statues from the Mississippian period have been found here.
Beaverdam Creek Archaeological Site	Georgia	This site had one mound and a village. It is now covered by the Richard B. Russell Reservoir in Elbert County, Georgia. It was abandoned after 1300 CE.
Belcher Mound Site	Louisiana	A Caddoan Mississippian site in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, near the town of Belcher, Louisiana.
Bell Field Mound Site	Georgia	This site had a single mound and was located on the Coosawattee River. It was destroyed in the 1970s when Carters Dam was built.
Biltmore Mound	North Carolina	A flat-topped mound site with a large settlement in the South Appalachian Mississippian culture.
Bottle Creek Indian Mounds	Alabama	This island in the Mobile–Tensaw River Delta has 18 flat-topped mounds. They were built by the Pensacola culture between 1250 and 1550 CE.
Boyd Mounds Site	Mississippi	A site from the Late Woodland and Mississippian cultures. It is located in Madison County, Mississippi, along the old Natchez Trace.
Brentwood Library Site	Tennessee	Also called the Jarman Farm Site, this village and burial area is in Brentwood, Tennessee. It was active from 1298 to 1465 CE.
Brick Church Mound and Village Site	Tennessee	A village site with multiple mounds and a protective fence (palisade) in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bussell Island	Tennessee	An island in the Little Tennessee River. It is believed to be "Coste," a place visited by Hernando de Soto in 1540. Mounds and burials were found here.
Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site	Texas	Also known as the George C. Davis Site, this Caddoan Mississippian site is in Cherokee County, Texas.
Cahokia	Illinois	Near East St. Louis, Illinois, Cahokia was the largest and most important Mississippian center. It was the biggest Pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. It has many mounds, including Monks Mound, the largest earthwork in the Americas.
Campbell Archeological Site	Missouri	This site in Southeastern Missouri was occupied by the Nodena phase of the Late Mississippian Period from 1350 to 1541 CE.
Carcajou Point site	Wisconsin	Located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, on Lake Koshkonong. This site shows evidence of both prehistoric and historic Native American groups.
Castalian Springs Mound Site	Tennessee	In Castalian Springs, Tennessee, this site was a large Mississippian village with 12 known mounds. It was active from 1000 to 1400 CE.
Chauga Mound	South Carolina	A single mound and village site on the Tugaloo River. It is now covered by Lake Hartwell. Historic Cherokee people lived here in the early 1700s.
Chucalissa Indian Village	Tennessee	This Mississippian site dates to the 15th century and is now in Memphis, Tennessee. It was used, left, and reoccupied several times from 1000 to 1550 CE.
Citico (Hamilton County, Tennessee)	Tennessee	Part of the Coosa chiefdom, this site has a large Mississippian mound from the 15th century. It is located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Cloverdale archaeological site	Missouri	An important site near Saint Joseph, Missouri. It was used by different groups, including those influenced by the Mississippian culture around 1200 CE. Many Cahokia-style tools suggest it was a trading partner with Cahokia.
Crystal River Archaeological State Park	Florida	This park contains ancient mounds and other structures.
Denmark Mound Group	Tennessee	A mound and village site near Denmark, Tennessee. It includes a village with over 70 buildings, two flat-topped mounds, and a small burial mound. It may have also had a protective fence.
Dickson Mounds	Illinois	A settlement and burial mound complex near Lewistown, Illinois. It is named after Don Dickson, who started excavating it in 1927.
Dyar site	Georgia	A single mound and village site in Greene County, Georgia. It was lived in almost continuously from 1100 to 1600 CE. It is now underwater in Lake Oconee.
Eaker site	Mississippi	This is the largest and most complete Late Mississippian village site in the Central Mississippi Valley.
Emerald Mound and Village Site	Illinois	A Mississippian site near Lebanon, Illinois. Its flat-topped mound is the second-largest Pre-Columbian earthwork in Illinois, after Monk's Mound at Cahokia.
Emerald Mound site	Mississippi	A Mississippian site located on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Stanton, Mississippi. It dates from 1200 to 1730 CE. Its flat-topped mound is the second-largest Pre-Columbian earthwork in the country, after Monk's Mound.
Emmons Cemetery Site	Illinois	A Mississippian culture site in Fulton County, Illinois. It was used as a cemetery, and many unique items were found buried with people.
Etowah Indian Mounds	Georgia	One of the most important Mississippian centers in northwestern Georgia. It was part of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture.
Fewkes Group Archaeological Site	Tennessee	Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, this site has a Mississippian mound complex and village. It dates from 1050 to 1475 CE. It has five mounds, some for burials and others for ceremonies.
Fort Walton Mound	Florida	This mound was built around 1300 CE by the Fort Walton Culture. It is located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
Garden Creek site	North Carolina	Two villages and three mounds in Haywood County, North Carolina. They were occupied from 600 to 1200 CE.
Grand Village of the Natchez	Mississippi	This was the main village of the Natchez people. It has three mounds and was used and maintained into historic times.
Holly Bluff site	Mississippi	This site is important for understanding the Mississippian culture's spread down the Mississippi River.
Hoojah Branch Site	Georgia	A single mound and village site in Rabun County, Georgia, located in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Hovey Lake-Klein Archeological Site	Indiana	A Caborn-Welborn culture site located near the Ohio River. It was a large village occupied between 1400 and 1650 CE.
Jaketown Site	Mississippi	This site has two mounds and dates from about 1100 CE to 1500 CE. The largest mound is 23 feet tall and has a ramp.
Jere Shine site	Alabama	A multi-mound and village site located near where the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers meet. It was likely used from 1400 to 1550 CE.
Joara	North Carolina	The largest chiefdom in North Carolina when Spanish explorer Juan Pardo visited in 1566. It might be the furthest northeastern Mississippian center.
Joe Bell site	Georgia	A village site located on the Oconee River. It is now covered by Lake Oconee.
Jordan Mounds	Louisiana	A site with multiple mounds in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. It was built between 1540 and 1685 CE.
Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site	Illinois	A major Mississippian mound center in southern Illinois, across the Ohio River from Paducah, Kentucky.
King Archaeological Site	Georgia	A village site on the Coosa River in Floyd County, Georgia. It was a smaller village connected to the Coosa chiefdom, which was visited by de Soto in 1540. It was used in the mid to late 1500s.
Lamar Mounds and Village Site	Georgia	This site is located on the Ocmulgee River in Bibb County, Georgia. It is part of the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park. Historians think it might be the main village of the Ichisi people, recorded by the Hernando de Soto expedition in 1539.
Letchworth Mounds	Florida	A Florida State Park with the state's tallest ceremonial mound (46 feet). It was built by the Fort Walton Culture between 1100 and 1800 years ago.
Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park	Florida	One of the most important sites in Florida, this was a former chiefdom and ceremonial center of the Fort Walton Culture. It had six mounds, a plaza, and many homes.
Liddell Archeological Site	Alabama	Located in Wilcox County, Alabama, this site shows human activity from 9000 BCE to 1800 CE. It is known for its Mississippian artifacts.
Little Egypt site	Georgia	Located in Murray County, Georgia, this site was destroyed in 1972 during the building of Carters Lake.
Long Swamp Site	Georgia	Located in Cherokee County, Georgia on the Etowah River. This site has a Mississippian village with a protective fence and a flat-topped mound.
Mandeville site	Georgia	A multi-mound and village site in Clay County, Georgia. It is now covered by Walter F. George Lake. It was used by different cultures over time, including the Mississippian.
Mangum Mound Site	Mississippi	A Mississippian site in Claiborne County, Mississippi. A special copper plate with a bird design was found here in 1936.
Marshall Site	Kentucky	An Early Mississippian site near Bardwell, Kentucky. It was occupied from about 900 to 1300 CE. This large village once had a flat-topped mound and other earthworks.
Menard–Hodges site	Arkansas	This site includes two large mounds and several house mounds. It might be the Province of Anilco that Hernando de Soto visited in 1540.
Mitchell Archaeological Site	South Dakota	A site near Mitchell, South Dakota. It is important for understanding how Mississippian culture spread to the Middle Missouri Valley. It also shows how burial practices were connected to other activities at the site.
Mound Bottom	Tennessee	This complex in Cheatham County, Tennessee has ceremonial and burial mounds, a central open area, and living spaces. It was built between 950 and 1300 CE.
Moundville Archaeological Site	Alabama	Along with Cahokia, this is one of the two most important sites of the classic Mississippian culture. It is located near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Murphy Mound Archeological Site	Missouri	This archaeological site in Southeastern Missouri was used from 1350 to 1541 CE.
Nacoochee Mound	Georgia	An earth mound on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in White County.
Nikwasi	North Carolina	A single mound and village site that was also a historic Cherokee town. It is located along the Little Tennessee River, and the town of Franklin, North Carolina has protected the mound.
Nodena site	Arkansas	This site is important for understanding the Late Mississippian Nodena phase, which dates from about 1400-1700 CE. Many archaeologists believe it was the province of Pacaha, visited by Hernando de Soto in 1542.
Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park	Georgia	The center of a Mississippian chiefdom near Macon, Georgia. This large site has many ceremonial mounds, a burial mound, and defensive ditches. It was also used by the Creek people later on.
Old Town Archaeological Site	Tennessee	A village site along the Natchez Trace on the banks of the Harpeth River in Franklin, Tennessee. It was occupied from about 900 to 1450 CE.
Parkin Archeological State Park	Arkansas	This site is important for understanding the Late Mississippian Parkin phase. Many archaeologists believe it was the province of Casqui visited by Hernando de Soto in 1542.
Prather Site	Indiana	Located in Clark County, Indiana, this was the main ceremonial center of the Prather Complex. This was the northeasternmost group of the Middle Mississippian culture.
Punk Rock Shelter	Georgia	A rock shelter found in Putnam County, Georgia, now covered by Lake Oconee. It is the only known site in the Oconee Valley with a large collection of pottery from the Lamar and Savannah phases.
Rembert Mounds	Georgia	A multi-mound and village site in Elbert County, Georgia. It is now submerged by Lake Strom Thurmond.
Riverview Mounds Archaeological Site	Tennessee	A Mississippian multi-mound and village site in Montgomery County, Tennessee, south of Clarksville on the Cumberland River.
Rowlandton Mound Site	Kentucky	Located in Paducah, Kentucky, this site was used from about 1100 to 1350 CE. It has a large flat-topped mound and a village area.
Sellars Indian Mound	Tennessee	A single mound site near Lebanon, Tennessee. It was used from about 1000 CE until 1300 CE.
Shiloh Indian Mounds Site	Tennessee	This archaeological site is part of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture. It is located by the Tennessee River and was used from about 1000 CE to 1450 CE. Because it is part of the Shiloh National Military Park, it has been well preserved.
Sixtoe Mound	Georgia	A single mound and village site in Murray County, Georgia. It was excavated in the 1960s as part of a project for Carters Dam and is now underwater.
Slack Farm	Kentucky	This site belongs to the Caborn-Welborn culture, a Late Mississippian group. It is near Uniontown, Kentucky. The site included a single flat-topped mound and a large village, dating between 1400 and 1650 CE.
Spiro Mounds	Oklahoma	Located in eastern Oklahoma, this is a large complex with many mounds. It is one of the most studied Mississippian sites, and many important artifacts were found here.
Starr Village and Mound Group	Illinois	Located on a bluff overlooking Macoupin Creek in Macoupin County, Illinois.
Sugarloaf Mound	Missouri	The only remaining Mississippian flat-topped mound in St. Louis, Missouri. It is about 40 feet tall and covers three city blocks.
Summerour Mound site	Georgia	A single mound and village site in Forsyth County, Georgia. It was on the Chattahoochee River but is now covered by Lake Lanier.
Swallow Bluff Island Mounds	Tennessee	The northernmost outpost of the Shiloh people. It is located near Saltillo, Tennessee on an island in the Tennessee River. The site had two flat-topped mounds, an open area, and a village.
Talley Mounds	Alabama	A settlement site on the banks of Valley Creek near Bessemer, Alabama. It may have had up to 1,000 people living there. Three earthwork mounds were built around 1100 CE by Mississippian people.
Taskigi Mound	Alabama	Also known as the Mound at Fort Toulouse – Fort Jackson Park, this site has a flat-topped mound and a village with a protective fence. It is located where the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers meet, near Wetumpka, Alabama.
Tolu Site	Kentucky	A three-mound site near Tolu, Kentucky. It was built and used by Mississippian people between 1200 and 1450 CE.
Towosahgy State Historic Site	Missouri	A Mississippian chiefdom in southeastern Missouri.
Town Creek Indian Mound	North Carolina	A Mississippian chiefdom in North Carolina, often linked to the historic Pee Dee people.
Travellers Rest (Nashville, Tennessee)	Tennessee	In 1799, Judge John Overton built his home here. He first called it "Golgotha" because many ancient skulls were found when digging the cellar. Later, archaeologists found that these human remains were from a large Mississippian village site. In 1996, 13 stone box coffins from the Mississippian culture were found here.
Turk Site	Kentucky	This multi-mound site is near Bardwell in Carlisle County, Kentucky. It was used from 1100 to 1500 CE. The site has several flat-topped mounds around a central open area, which is typical of Mississippian sites.
Twin Mounds Site	Kentucky	Also known as the Nolan Site, it is near Barlow, Kentucky. The site has two large flat-topped mounds built around a central open area.
Ware Mounds and Village Site	Illinois	Also known as the Running Lake Site, this village has four flat-topped mounds. It is located west of Ware, Illinois.
Welborn Village Archeological Site	Indiana	Also known as the Murphy's Landing Site, this is an archaeological site of the Caborn-Welborn culture.
Wickliffe Mounds	Kentucky	A chiefdom located on a bluff in the far western Kentucky town of Wickliffe, Kentucky.
Wilbanks Site	Georgia	A Late Mississippian single mound and village site in Cherokee County, Georgia. It was located on the Etowah River but is now covered by Lake Allatoona.
Winterville site	Mississippi	This site is important for understanding the Winterville phase of the Mississippian culture.

List of Mississippian sites facts for kids

See also