Rembert Mounds facts for kids
 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
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| Location | Elbert County, Georgia,  USA |
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| Region | Elbert County, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 33°59′45.6″N 82°35′9.6″W / 33.996000°N 82.586000°W |
| History | |
| Cultures | Mississippian culture |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | platform mound |
The Rembert Mounds (also known as 9EB1) are an old archaeological site in Elbert County, Georgia, USA. An archaeological site is a place where people lived a long time ago. We can find clues about their lives there. These mounds are now under the Clark Hill Reservoir, a large lake on the Savannah River. The mounds were built by people of the Mississippian culture. This culture lived in the southeastern United States from about 800 AD to 1600 AD.
Contents
Discovering the Rembert Mounds
People have known about the Rembert Mounds for a very long time.
Early Explorers and Descriptions
- In 1773, a person named William Bartram was the first to describe the mounds. He said there was one very large mound and several smaller ones. He also saw some flat, raised areas he called "terraces."
- By 1848, George White wrote that the smaller mounds were almost gone.
- Less than 10 years later, in 1886, John P. Rogan dug up part of the site. He found only the largest mound and one smaller mound still standing.
- A big flood in 1908 almost completely washed away the large mound.
The Last Big Dig
The last time archaeologists dug at the site was in 1948. This happened just before the area was flooded to create the Clark Hill Reservoir. Joe Caldwell and Carl F. Miller led this important dig. They worked for about three weeks.
What Archaeologists Found
Caldwell and Miller dug several test pits. Some pits were in the large mound itself. Others were in the nearby village area where people used to live.
Clues from the Ground
- They found animal bones, which tell us what people ate.
- They also found many pieces of broken pottery, called "pottery sherds."
- The digs showed different layers of soil, called "strata." These layers help archaeologists understand how the site changed over time.
Pottery Tells a Story
Most of the decorated pottery found was called Lamar Complicated Stamped Pottery. This type of pottery was made between 1450 AD and 1650 AD. This suggests that the mound and village were mostly used during this time. However, some other pottery pieces showed that people lived there sometimes even earlier. They also found Lamar Plain Pottery and Lamar Bold Incised Pottery. These were made around the same time. There was a lot more plain pottery at this site than at other similar sites from the same period.
How Big Were the Mounds?
The size of the mounds changed over time due to nature and human activity.
The Large Mound
- In 1773, William Bartram thought the large mound was very tall, about 40 or 50 feet high. He estimated its base was 200 or 300 yards around.
- By 1948, Joe Caldwell measured the large mound. He found it was 118 feet long, 35 feet wide, and only 4 feet high.
- Caldwell noted that the mound was close to the river. This made it easy for the river to wash away parts of its edges.
- Archaeologists agree that the large mound was round with a flat top.
The Smaller Mound and Village
- In 1886, during an earlier dig, a smaller mound was measured. It was 58 feet long, 41 feet wide, and 6 feet high.
- Archaeologists also believe that a good-sized village surrounded the Rembert Mounds. However, by 1948, there was not much evidence of the village left on the surface.
