Spanish Fort Site (Holly Bluff, Mississippi) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Spanish Fort Site (22SH500)
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 Location in Mississippi
Location in the United States
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| Location | Spanish Fort Rd., south of Holly Bluff, Mississippi |
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| Area | 18 acres (7.3 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000234 |
| Added to NRHP | April 6, 1988 |
The Spanish Fort Site (also known as 22-SH-500) is an exciting archaeological site in the Mississippi Delta region of Mississippi. An archaeological site is a place where people find old things from the past. This site is one of three big earthwork sites in the southern part of the Yazoo River valley.
Earthworks are large shapes or mounds made from earth by ancient people. This site is important because it helps us learn about history. Even though it's called "Spanish Fort," it was not built by the Spanish. Its original purpose was likely for ceremonies, not for fighting or defense.
Contents
Exploring the Site and What We Found
The Spanish Fort Site is located along the Sunflower River, about 10 miles downstream from Holly Bluff. There are two other similar sites nearby: Leist A and Little Spanish Fort. All three are semicircular earthworks.
In 1988, experts thought the site was built by people from the Anderson Landing phase. This was because another Anderson Landing site was found close by.
Early Discoveries
The Spanish Fort Site was first written about in the early 1900s by an archaeologist named Clarence Bloomfield Moore. He dug a few small test pits at the site. Test pits are small holes dug to see what is underground. Moore reported that the site had a large earth wall and a group of mounds.
Eighteen years later, another study guessed that the enclosed area was about 45 acres. From 1949 to 1955, more teams collected artifacts from the surface. Artifacts are objects made by people in the past. They also dug more test pits.
Ancient Cultures at the Site
These digs found proof that different ancient cultures lived here. These included the Marksville (Issaquena phase), Coles Creek (Aden phase), and Baytown (Deasonville phase) cultures. This shows the site was used by many groups over a long time.
What We Learned About the Site
In 1993, an archaeologist studying the Little Spanish Fort site found it hard to give a single date for all three sites. This is because they found items from very old times, like the Archaic period, and also from more recent times, like the Mississippian period.
When Was It Built?
However, studies suggest that the main earth enclosure was built during the early part of the Middle Woodland period. They found pottery at the site. This pottery shows how the local culture was changing from the Tchefuncte style to the Marksville style.
Radiocarbon dating helps scientists find out how old things are. It showed that the Little Spanish Fort, which is similar, was built around 2110 years ago (about 160 BC). This means these earthworks were built long before any Spanish people came to this area.
Why Were They Built?
Archaeologists have different ideas about why the Spanish Fort and other nearby earthworks were built. Some think their circular or semicircular shape was a way for people to connect with the huge cosmos. Others believe that the act of building them was how people felt connected to the cosmos.
Most experts agree that the Spanish Fort Site and similar places were used for ceremonies. They were not built as forts for protection or fighting.
Protecting This Special Place
In 1988, about 18 acres of the Spanish Fort Site were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important places in the United States. It was added because of its great archaeological value.
The Spanish Fort is one of five sites in Sharkey County on this list. The others are Leist A, the Rolling Fork Mounds, the Savory Site, and the Cary Site. The Little Spanish Fort is not on the National Register.
- Moore, Clarence B. "Certain Mounds of Arkansas and Mississippi". Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 13 (1908): 480-605.
