Natchez Indians

We seem to go in themes.  Much of the lower Florida and Alabama area was devoted to military bases and forts.  Birmingham Alabama was devoted to the metallurgical theme. Vicksburg was Civil War. Of course the Florida beaches were devoted to beaches.  This area seems to have 3 themes: Natchez Indians were the tribe living in the area between 700-1700 AD, while the Natchez Trace is a road that was an important early route in the United States, and finally the town of Natchez peaked in importance near the time of the Civil War.

I’m going to start with the Native American tribe. In the 1400’s, a mound was built now called Emerald Mound.  It is immense.  I thought the largest Kolomoki Mound in Georgia was big, but this one is larger, especially in length.  The eight acre mound is big enough that it has 2 smaller mounds on top of it.  Until this RV trip, I really had no idea how many and how large the mounds are in the United States.

The Natchez Indians built a Grand Village as a ceremonial center near what is now the town of Natchez between 1682 and 1729.  They built a mound as a place where their leader lived and another where leaders were buried.  These mounds were much smaller, but still cool!  The picture is a reconstruction of one of their homes.

With all the mounds we’ve seen, it has been interesting to think about the archeological studies involved.  Over time, the things they can observe has improved and the thought processes change.  Scientists look at pollen or small details to understand what they ate or who they traded with.  Digging up a major portion of a mound was normal in 1960.  Now, more sonic readings are taken and the ground is less disturbed.