Obion Mounds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Obion Mounds (40 HY 14)
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 Location in Tennessee
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| Location | Henry County, Tennessee |
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| Nearest city | Paris, Tennessee |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001790 |
| Added to NRHP | May 7, 1973 |
Obion Mounds (also known as the Work Farm Site) is a really old place where people used to live a long, long time ago. It's an archaeological site from the Mississippian culture, located near Paris, Tennessee in Henry County, Tennessee. This amazing site is the biggest Mississippian settlement found in western Tennessee.
Archaeologists believe people lived here between 1000 and 1100 CE. They left the site around 1300 CE.
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What Are the Obion Mounds?
The Obion Mounds site has seven large platform mounds. These mounds are like big, flat-topped hills made by people. They surround a large open space called a plaza. This plaza is about 200 feet (61 meters) wide and 900 feet (274 meters) long.
The Biggest Mound
The largest mound at Obion Mounds is truly impressive. It's about 500 feet (152 meters) wide and 30 feet (9 meters) tall. Imagine a hill as tall as a three-story building! This huge mound even had a ramp leading up to its top.
Protecting the Village
At one time, the mounds and plaza were surrounded by a wooden fence called a palisade. This palisade probably helped protect the village from enemies or wild animals.
Where Did the Dirt Come From?
Near the mounds, there are two large dips in the ground. These are thought to be "borrow pits." This means they were the places where the ancient people dug up the soil to build the big mounds.
The Mystery of the Stone Statue
In 1845, the owner of the land, Solomon Hartsfield, was digging in one of these borrow pits. He made an exciting discovery: a stone statue!
What Happened to the Statue?
Sadly, the statue was damaged in a house fire much later, in the late 1800s. Now, only its head remains. This statue is very special because it's the only one of its kind found at a Mississippian site in western Tennessee.
Similar Discoveries Elsewhere
Similar stone statues have been found at other important Mississippian sites. These include the Angel Mounds site near Evansville, Indiana, and the Ware Mounds site in Union County, Illinois. This shows a connection between these ancient cultures.
