Archaeological surveys and excavations Pinson Mounds

the mound 14 sector

at request of jackson archaeological society , national park service, in december 1961 university of tennessee archaeologists fred fisher , charles mcnutt carried out first major excavation of pinson mounds. in mound 14 sector, fisher , mcnutt discovered remains of 21 18 feet (6.4 m × 5.5 m) house surrounded posthole-lined wall-trench , containing central hearth , storage pits. based on vast amount of pre-mississippian culture debris found @ site , radiocarbon dating of charcoal, fisher , mcnutt concluded pinson mounds built during middle woodland period, c. 1-500 ad.

mound 12

excavations dan morse , richard polhemus in 1963 uncovered believed oval-shaped house, large hearth, , various refuse pits. morse , polhemus agreed mounds built during middle woodland period. state purchased prehistoric property in 1965 williams , saul families. added national register of historic places same year.

in 1970s, john broster of tennessee division of archaeology carried out extensive investigations of site s western section , mound 12 sector. broster uncovered human cremation pit , evidence of woodland-period habitation @ mound 12. broster s team found number of exotic artifacts @ cochran area. suggested pinson mounds may have been manufacture area grave goods, or regional trade center.

in 1980s, robert mainfort discovered 6 tombs in twin mounds, 1 of contained remains of 8 young women wearing headdresses copper adornments. tomb had 4 older men, 1 of whom had been buried 2 round rattles bearing abstract designs. mainfort uncovered single burial in mound 31 , evidence of food offerings @ base of mounds.

excavations carried out prior construction of park facilities uncovered possible habitation area @ mound 11 , large number of 19th-century artifacts. in late 1990s, 4 additional mounds verified prehistoric, bringing total 17.