Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park facts for kids
Artist's conception of the archaeological site
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 Location in North America
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| Alternative name | Toltec Mounds |
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| Location | Lonoke County, Arkansas, US |
| Region | Central Arkansas |
| Coordinates | 34°38′49″N 92°3′55″W / 34.64694°N 92.06528°W |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | 7th century |
| Abandoned | 11th century |
| Cultures | Plum Bayou culture |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Government of Arkansas |
| Management | Arkansas State Parks |
| Public access | Yes |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | platform mounds, burial mounds, plazas |
| Architectural details | Number of monuments: |
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Plum Bayou Mounds Site
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| NRHP reference No. | 73000382 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | June 2, 1978 |
| Responsible body: State | |
The Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park (also known as Toltec Mounds) is an amazing ancient site in Arkansas. It protects 18 large mounds built long ago. These are the tallest surviving prehistoric mounds in Arkansas.
The site is located next to Mound Lake. This lake is an "oxbow lake," which means it's a U-shaped lake formed when a bend in a river is cut off from the main flow. People lived here from the 7th to the 11th century. Today, the Plum Bayou Mounds are recognized as a National Historic Landmark. This means they are very important to the history of the United States.
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Discovering the Mounds: What's in a Name?
When the mounds were first discovered in the 1800s, people thought they were built by the Toltec people from Mexico. This idea was a misunderstanding. It was later proven that Native American groups who lived in this area built these mounds.
Mary Knapp was a co-owner of the land where the mounds are located. She owned the land from 1849 to 1905. Mary was very interested in archaeology, which is the study of human history through digging up old sites. She talked about the "Toltec Mounds" in letters with Dr. William Barry. He was also interested in Native American artifacts.
Dr. Barry shared Mary's letters with the Smithsonian Institution. This is a famous group of museums and research centers. Mary then started writing directly to the Smithsonian. She even sent them artifacts she found at the site.
In 1883, an archaeologist named Edward Palmer from the Smithsonian studied the site. His work, and the work of others, showed that the mounds were built by the ancestors of Native Americans who lived in the region. These groups were part of "mound building cultures." They built earthwork mounds for important religious, political, and ceremonial events. These mounds were connected to their beliefs about the world.
The name "Plum Bayou" comes from a nearby waterway. This name was given to the unique culture of the people who built the mounds. In November 2022, the site was officially renamed Plum Bayou Mounds. This happened after talking with the Quapaw Nation and the Arkansas Archaeological Survey.
The Plum Bayou Culture: Who Were They?
The people who built the Plum Bayou Mounds had a special culture. It was different from other Native American groups living in the Mississippi River Valley at that time. You can find Plum Bayou sites across central and eastern Arkansas. Some are even as far west as the eastern Ozark Mountains. The Plum Bayou Mounds site is the largest one from this culture.
Scientists are still learning about how the Plum Bayou people related to nearby cultures. These include the Coles Creek culture to the south and the Fourche Maline culture to the southwest. The Plum Bayou people lived in permanent villages and smaller settlements. They built strong houses. They also farmed, gathered wild plants, fished, and hunted for food.
Plum Bayou Mounds Site: A Community Hub
Large groups of mounds, like the Plum Bayou Mounds, were important centers. They were places for religious and social gatherings for people living nearby. The Plum Bayou Mounds site itself had a small population. It was mainly home to the community's leaders and their families. This important center was used from the 7th to the 11th century.
The archaeological site is located on the banks of an oxbow lake, now called Mound Pond. It once had a tall earthen wall and a ditch on three sides. This wall was about 8 to 10 feet high and over a mile long. The lake protected the fourth side.
Inside the wall, 18 mounds were built. Two of these mounds were originally very tall, about 38 and 49 feet high. The mounds were placed around two open areas called plazas. These plazas were used for important political, religious, and social activities. People from all around would come to these events.
Archaeologists have found evidence that at least two mounds were used for feasting. This is shown by the discarded food remains found there. Deer was a very popular food. The locations of the mounds seem to have been carefully planned. They were likely aligned with important positions of the sun. They also used standard units of measurement. Most of the mounds were flat-topped "platform mounds." Buildings were built on top of these mounds.
Later, in the 15th century, other Native Americans lived at the site. However, they did not build the mounds. The site was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1978.
Images for kids
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Two mounds at the site
