Ocmulgee National Monument
Ocmulgee National Monument is an archaeological site and a memorial of the type of a National Monument on the outskirts of Macon in the U.S. state of Georgia. It preserves earthworks of a prehistoric culture from the period 950-1150, which is attributed to the Mississippian culture. Moreover, in the area much earlier single finds from the era of the Paleo- Indians and the Archaic period were made. The area was inhabited later, around the year 1700 by the Muskogee or Creek Indians and Indians of British merchants, who built a reinforced with palisades trading post in present-day reserve.
The area was excavated 1933-1942 as part of the New Deal of several hundred workers under the direction of the Works Progress Administration and the so-called Earth Lodge in accordance with the then reconstructed assumptions. The end of 1936, the area was designated as a national monument, it is managed by the National Park Service.
Description
The area lies on the eastern outskirts of Macon on the Ocmulgee River eponymous in Bibb County. Little Walnut Creek runs through the reserve and opens at its border in the Ocmulgee River. On a high plateau called Macon Ridge few meters above the river at least eight were designated as Mounds artificial earthen mound and found that were created by prehistoric Indians of the Macon plateau phase 950-1150. The culture is attributed to the early Mississippian culture. This Ocmulgee is one of the most extensive known plants distributed over the entire eastern United States Mississippian culture.
Prehistory
Even before the Macon plateau phase, the area had been inhabited by humans. Already Paleo- Indians about 10,000 years ago and later, the hunters of the Archaic period 8000-3000 Before Present coated on the hunt at the Ocmulgee River and left behind in today reserve their typical spear points and other stone tools. From the following Woodland period, no structures were found in the area, but in the vicinity Mounds were identified in the form of grave mounds from this era.
Buildings
The Mounds of the typical locality for the Macon Plateau phase were ceremonial plants, the largest was almost square with an edge length of 91 m, and 15 m high. They are the type Temple Mound attributed and it is believed that stood on the platform on the hills each a hut, in which were held rituals. The mounds were probably not to a coordinated system, but were successively built, while older fell apart again. Also the distance of several hundred meters between the Mounds argues against a togetherness.
Despite the classification in the later Temple Mound type were at least two, possibly more used mounds as in previous eras as grave mound. The dead were stretched directly partly as cremation, in part or buried in a squatting position, partly as a secondary burial in the form of bone bundles after the body was first kept wrapped in animal skins due to improper season or other reasons, until the time was for a funeral. The graves were sometimes equipped with extensive grave goods, including jewelry and objects with ceremonial purposes.
The most prominent object in the Ocmulgee National Monument is the so-called Earth Lodge, a reconstructed roundhouse with 13 m inside diameter, which is completely covered except for a long narrow entrance of a mound of earth. She was found in the excavations of the 1930s and gave impetus to the protected status of the area.
Was found the mashed clay from which a 25 cm high platform arose in the form of a stylized bird, which lay opposite the entrance. In addition, the post-holes of the roof structure could be identified and the start of construction date back to 1015. Another clay and clods that matched sods left, suggests that the cottage was covered with a mound of earth. So it was reconstructed until 1941. In the following decades, it was found that in the moist climate of Central Georgia, the Erddach is so hard that the wooden structure can not carry it. Then the supports were supplemented with concrete beams. In addition, a climate develops inside the mushrooms favors that attack the wooden struts and pollute the air we breathe. The National Park Service built a air conditioner in the reconstructed hut. Since the 1990s, it is discussed whether the adoption of an earth-covered hut was faulty and how the Earth Lodge might have looked like as an alternative.
More round huts, which were adopted also covered as with earth, were in other parts of the terrain, but they are obtained only rudimentary.
Way of life
The inhabitants lived mainly from agriculture. In addition to their Mounds also a 16x18 m large Hügelbeet were excavated from several rib structures on which they grew corn, squash, pumpkin and beans, the Three Sisters ( three sisters) of Indian cultures. In addition, they built on a smaller scale in tobacco and cotton. In addition there was the hunting, fishing and gathering of some fruits and seeds of wild plants. They used stone tools, including characteristic arrow and spear points and had a wide range of ceramics. The ceramic differed significantly from the preceding types of Woodland period, it was undecorated, had for the first time real in the region Henkel and temper as for temperature compensation when burning crushed shells were first used. Other artifacts needles were made of bone, pieces of jewelry in the form of ceramic pendants, as well as some jewelry made of copper and shells.
Whether it was in the builders and residents of Ocmulgee immigrants from the valley to the north of the Tennessee River that brought the beginnings of the Mississippian culture in the present-day Georgia or whether the culture of the inhabitants of Ocmulgee from the previously popular culture in the area of late Woodland period emerged and took over elements such as the Temple Mounds from the north, is the subject of scientific debate.
Subsequent users
The National Monument also includes a 5 km south -located small additional area in which two other mounds were excavated. This so-called Lamar site was first settled around 1350 by a somewhat later culture, one of the Mounds is the only known which has a spiral ramp to the platform.
In 1700, the Muskogee Indians are tangible in the area. They lived permanently on the Ocmulgee River and developed here, one of their biggest villages around a trading post built in 1690 British colonists.
The National Monument today
The National Monument, with over 100,000 visitors a year to the most visited tourist destinations in Zentralgeogia. Visitors can reach the area on a spur road from Macon and see the visitor center, an exhibition and a short film about the prehistoric cultures in Ocmulgee, but also the Muskogee Indians in historic times. Near the visitor center is the reconstructed Earth Lodge, which can be visited. The small road and several hiking trails lead further into the terrain, on the trails or more parking places, the mounds in the south and the wetlands at Walnut Creek can easily be achieved.