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Ancient Mississippian Culture, pt. 3

There are three identifying periods (georgiaencyclopedia.org): 

Early Mississippian: (800-1000 A.D.) This was a time when chiefdoms were being established.

Middle Mississippian: (1100-1350 A.D.) During this period, chiefdoms were ruling over mound communities. 

Late Mississippian: (1350-1600 A.D.) Middle Mississippian chiefdoms broke off to form smaller communities. 

(Hathcock, R. Ancient Indian Pottery of the Mississippi's River Valley. Walsworth Publishing Company; Second Edition (January 1, 1988))

Check for upcoming posts to read about ancient American artifacts that support pre-Columbian Black presence during ancient N. American mound periods. 

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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More Evidence of Black Ohlone Mound Builders

The Muwekma are thought to live in the Bay Area, California for thousands of years. They were “enslaved” by the Spanish and “hunted”by the Americans. In 1920, they were thought to be “extinct” (paloaltoonline.com). They are not extinct. Muwekma still lives in California. 

The Muwekma are recorded living in San Francisco, Monterey, and Salinas. Their land was taken away first by the Spanish and then by the American administration. Their round housing structures and mounds were destroyed. They became silent in their native language for nearly seven decades. (muwekma.org) To date, Stanford University sits on Muwekma land (Stanforddaily.com).

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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Ancient Mississippian Culture, pt. 2

The Ancient Mississippian Culture was larger than the states’ current boundaries. 

It consisted of Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern territories. For example, it covers current areas such as Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Great Plains. The map below shows an expansive territory of Ancient Mississippian Culture. 

(Britannica.com)

There were many different types of societies sharing similar traditions that made up the Mississippian culture (EncyclopediaofAlabama.org). Here are a few defining cultural traits: mound shapes (e.g., rectangle, conical), pyramid shaped mounds, chiefdoms, pottery, and vast trading (Wikipedia.com and Britannica.com). The following are some groups identified in Wikipedia: Middle Mississippian, S. Appalachian Mississippian, Caddoan Mississippian, and Plaquemine Mississippian. 

(texasbeyondhistory.net)

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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Ancient Mississippian Culture, pt. 1

The Southeast United States is considered the origin of N. American mounds. The Mississippi Mound builders date from 1000 C.E. to 1700 C.E. There were three different Mississipian periods of mound building in the South. There was the Early Mississippian period, Middle Mississippian period, and the Late Mississippian period. During the Mississippian Culture period, many mounds were built (nps.gov).

(Wikipedia)

Cahokia Complex (beritagedaily.com)

Cahokia is considered a part of Mississippian Culture. Cahokia Mounds State Historical Site is located in western Illinois. It was fully occupied by Cahokia people around 1050 A.D. The Quebec missionaries named it “Cahokia” meaning “Wild Geese” in 1699. There is an upcoming post with an illustration of an native Africans in Illinois 

(Britannica.com).

Written By: Flora M. White-Cooper

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West Coast Ohlone Shell Mounds

Emeryville Shellmound Memorial is a small remnant of the monstrous original. Unfortunately, this mound has been demolished several times to build an amusement park, then a dance pavilion, and finally a shopping area. Today, there is a small area between shopping stores to represent the previous mountainous shape. Below, I am standing in front of the Emeryville Shellmound remnant. 

(personal photo, copyright, 2020)

Above, you can see work done to excavate the huge shell mound giant. In contrast, you see me standing above near present remnants of the Emeryville shellmound. As you can see, there is very little of the Emeryville shellmound. 

Interestingly, there was an estimate of 50 Ohlone groups located all along the West Coast from top to bottom and inland California (Cejce.berkeley.edu).

(Wikipedia, Ohlone people)

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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It is Hard to Find the Truth…

It is hard to find the truth about N. American mounds when they change mound names. Original indigenous language was disregarded to support European/Caucasian

Agendas. For instance, the Monks mound is named after the Euroamericans settled in the area. They were called “Trappist Monks” and name the largest mound in Cahokia site “Monks mound.” 

(Wikipedia.com)

Monk’s mound sits in Cahokia, Illinois. It is a part of Ancient Mississippian Culture. The period (800-1400). Paleo-Americans were the earliest human inhabitants of North and South America and were descendants from Africa. (See post on Paleoamericans) 

(dnrhistoric.illinois.gov)

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It is Hard to Find the Truth…

It is hard to find the truth about N. American mounds when they change mound names.

Etowah mound is located in Georgia. It is considered a part of Ancient Mississippian Culture. There is an inconsistency in the origin of its name. One story, the name is English for Etalwa (a Muscogee, Muskogee, or Muskoki place name). The word means “town” (Wikipedia.com). Another story states it replaces the word for “money” after needing a new word for a railroad station (etowahncheritage.org). 

This type of scenario adds to inadequate research. It also brings a challenge to finding accurate information related to ancient N. American mounds and African presence during their time. 

(Etowah, Etalwa, or Italwa mound)

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Nikwasi Mound in North Carolina Claimed by Locals

This is another incident of locals claiming historical sites. No one really knows the original people of this land area. It is suggested that either the Woodlands or Mississippians lived on these lands. 

Settlers took this mound through an 1817 treaty. The area around it was developed after World War II with gas stations and businesses around it on all sides. The mound is a lot smaller than its original size (BPR.org).

The Cherokee people purchased the land and claimed rights to it, although there is no substantial evidence of them having ancestral claim to it. During my visit, I saw that the mound is not respected very well. Anyone can climb on top or do whatever they wish on it. Also, the signs are weathered so it is hard to read the sign in front of it. Nikwasi is spelled differently depending on the source. This is another case of “up for grabs.” 

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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Using Available Resources to Keep Cultures Alive

Remnants of Shellmounds can be found in California, Mississippi, Oregon, Florida, and other coastal states. Be aware that their size today is a lot smaller than ancient times. Shellmounds got their name from being made of seashells, oysters, and shellfish since they are conveniently built near oceans. 

Shellmounds were constructed for ceremonies as well as burials. Due to the location being near the water, these mounds were built on top of the land for longevity and stability. They would get destroyed by the water below if built below the ground.

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Did Maroons Escape to the Mounds?

The San Miguel de Gualupe Slave revolt of 1526 is the earliest known slave revolt in North America. The San Miguel de Gualupe was founded by Luis Vazquez de Ayllon from Hispaniola. The exact location of the colony is debatable. It is possible the colony settled at Chesapeake Bay or near  present day Jamestown. It is clear the colony had several enslaved Africans but the exact number is unknown. The colony began to fall apart due to several factors,  diseases, suspicions of the local tribes and a lack of resources. Ayllon died and internal conflict broke out. During this time there was a slave revolt. The exact number of slaves is unknown and what exactly happen to them is not sure. They could have settled amongst the tribes of the region, becoming the first maroons in North America. The famous Herenado De Soto believed the slave became apart of the Cofitachiqui . Is it possible these first maroons saw the mounds of North America and settled near them?

Source:

https://thenewworld.us/san-miguel-de-gualdape/

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‘Catahoula/Marksville’ complex of mounds.

Barthelemy Lafon was a city planner and politican in the 1800’s. He wrote a letter to Willaim Dundar the head of the Ouacchita expedition. Dundar surveyed many sites along the Ouachcita river. Lafon letter spoke of the ‘Catahoula/Marksville’ complex of mounds. This complex was situated at the conjuction of the mississippi river and the black river. Lafon had some interested things to say about this site, which could be as old as the poerty point mound building site.

“the pyramid is remarkable for its height and indicates to me that the people who used to inhabit that country were more numerous and more powerful than those who inhabited the lower part of the mississippi river”

Lafon designed maps showing many mound sites along the Mississippi river It seems as if the sire size of Catahoula  demonstrated the dominance of the people who once inhabited the city. At Catahoula there are only  platform mounds coupled with conical burial mounds

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Another Mound Location with a Fictitious Name

Hopewell National Cultural Center is another mound site with an erroneous name. Hopewell is not an original name of people. This name comes from Mordecai C. Hopewell, an early archeologist that named the site (nps.gov).

These are remnants of ancient people building for burials and ceremonies. This mound site was a lot larger than today with man made built walls to encapsulate the mounds. This suggests that the ancient people tried to protect their area. During my visit, I could still see sections of the wall protecting the mounds.   

Written by: Flora M. White-Cooper

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Poverty Point

The mound site of Poverty Point appears some at least 1000 years after the Ouachita site. It is situated on a bluff facing the Ouachita river. It has an amphitheater and six concentric ridges half circle toped by mounds. It may have taken nearly 500 centuries to complete the task. Stonehenge was built round the same time and could fit inside the enclosure of poverty point 75 times. The central mound of poverty point is thought to be the effigy of a bird possibly a falcon.  It is worth to not that effigy are some of the oldest structures in North America. At poverty point we very elegant pendants and votive objects. Some of these pendants were in the form of falcons. It does not see, these mounds were used for burial. 

1491 by Charles C Mann page 292

Hidden Cities page 11, 14,262, 182 next page (illustration of poverty point)

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The Yamassee

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Ouachita/ Washita Mound

All rights held by the artist, Herb Roe© 2020

Ouachita (Washita)

The Ouachita mound site is the earliest known mound site. It is situated in the northeastern part of the state of Louisana at a place called Watson Brake. It dates back to 5400 years ago. It consist of 11 differently sized raized mounds configured into a semi-circle. It is raized high enough to overlook the Ouachite river. It is believed this sites dates back before the advent of agriculture in North America and there has yet to be any evidince the mounds were used as burial site or contain artifacts. It is possibly the design is purely for defence. During the famous Ouachita expedition led by William Dundar this site and others were passed by because the expedition did not venture far away from the Ouachita river 

Reference:

1491 BY Charles C Mann page 291,292

Hidden Cities by Roger Kennedy page 195, 196

Written by Michelle Evans

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Indigenous Health

In 1491 Charles A Mann notes “ In 1491, Americas were apparently free or almost free of cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s chorea, newborn anemia, schizophrenia, asthma and (possibly) juvenile diabatetes, all of which have some genetic component. Here a limited gene pool may have spared Indians great suffering” 117.

Instead of the absence of these diseases solely being the result of a limited gene is it possibly that the Indigenous people of the time had a lifestyle that contributed to their well being? Is it possible the lack of processed for and sedimentary lifestyle promoted healthy people. After all, the diseases mentioned are found in limited gene pools (confirm) Also these disease have a lifestyle component as well., A life style that could not be supported in North America prior to colonialism.

Written by Michelle Evans

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The Tobacco People