Etowah Mounds, GA   Miamisburg Mound, OH   Oakville Indian Mound, AL   Ocmulgee Mounds, GA

  Pre-Historic Sites
Etowah Mounds, Cartersville, GA - March 8, 2012
During the past 35 years I have driven by this many times and in 2012 decided I needed to stop and see some of the sights in Georgia rather than seeing how fast I could get through it on my way to Florida or back home.  This is about a 30 minute drive off the interstate but is well worth the trip.  One is greeted by a very nice visitor center, several mounds and plenty of signage around the site to explain to the visitor what they are looking at.

The Museum at Etowah.

There are still three mounds visible at Etowah.  This shows their location in reference to the museum building.

Etowah has been occupied since 1000 AD with the defensive palisade built around 1325 AD.  

Looking right or west from at the ditch.  The wall would have been to the left of the ditch.

Looking east.

Looking south as we take the path to the first mound, known as Mound A.

This photo was taken from south east of the Mound A.  Note it is not uniform on the south side.

This family gives helps give a scale as to the size of Mound A.

Looking at it from the southwest.

From the top of Mound A we can see down onto Mound B, which is definitely smaller.  The Etowah River is in the background.

Looking at Mound B from ground level.

This is Mound C which is off the southwest corner of Mound A.

Mound C.

Mound C.

From the top of Mound C we can look down at replica canoes.

The center section would be both carved and burned out.

One can see the fish trap.  Coming downstream the fish get pushed to the side and upstream to the center.

Recreated Wattle and Daub House.

 


This shows the construction.

A model of what the village might have looked like looking east to west.  Mound A is the biggest with the plaza out in front.  The ruler would have lived on top of Mound A and he could have all of his subject gather for him in the plaza.  This shows how the palisade surrounded the village and some more huts.

This gives a overview of how Etowah was located in reference to other tribes and villages.

There are many displays inside the museum but this was the most interesting to me.  These two human figures were excavated from the site.  The one on the left was actually found broken and the next two photos show how it might have happened.  The figurine has been repaired and I was unable to see where the break lines were at.

This shows the persons putting the figurine in the resting hole losing control and dropping it, breaking off the right arm.

In another scenario the other figurine accidently falls on it.  One many things that could have happened to it.

A birds eye view painting of what Etowah may have looked like.

Etowah Mounds, GA   Miamisburg Mound, OH   Oakville Indian Mound, AL   Ocmulgee Mounds, GA