Lab #5 - Ocmulgee National Monument Park

This lab was one of my favorite so far - probably because I really love history and Archeology. While in the park, we spent the majority of the lab talking about the FALL LINE of this area. The fall line marks the area where the upland region of the Piedmont meets the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Many eastern coast cities lie along this fall line. People tend to settle along this line due to the abundance of water, hunting, wild-life, ability to grow food, etc. The fall line has supported humans for thousands of years. The Ocmulgee Park has evidence of Paleo Indians in this area (pre-historic - 9000BC). It's amazing that life has been here in the Macon area for such a long period of time! What a great bit of history I learned this week!

The monument also has very historic lands. The EARTH LODGE and the GREAT TEMPLE MOUND, and the FUNERAL/BURIAL MOUND are all within the monument park. We were able to go inside the EARTH LODGE, but couldn't stay long because there was no air conditioner on! This lodge was really extraordinary. I went online and learned a lot about the lodge. Here is a picture of the outside of the Earth Lodge, a shot of the inside of the lodge, and last a picture of my daughter, Jessi and her friend, Lauren, sitting in the replica of the lodge (which was in the visitor's center). We visited the Center after lab and stayed about 45 minutes. There was a lot of great historical information about the Monument, about the history of the Indians and the area, as well information on the historical mounds. There was a nice display of historical artifacts that have been found on the site over the decades. Below the pictures, I have copied a brief description of what the Lodge (from http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/ocmulgeemounds1.html)

Dating from the Mississippian era, the site reached its height between 900 and 1100 years ago. During
that time, Ocmulgee was the center of a major ceremonial complex overlooking the Ocmulgee River, as well as a political center that featured a remarkable earth lodge capable of seating 50 high status leaders. Each had an assigned seat (Jessi and Lauren were guest leaders!) while the three top leaders viewed the assembly from an elevated platform formed in the shape of a giant bird (photo above). Excavations have revealed that Ocmulgee was the home to an estimated 1,000 Native Americans who farmed corn, squash, pumpkins, beans and even tobacco in the rich bottom lands of the Ocmulgee River. The inhabitants of the town traded with towns hundreds of miles away and created pottery vessels adorned with unique effigies of humans and animals.

Many of the pottery and spear points were on display inside the visitor center. It is certainly worth going and visiting!

The following information is from the official site is from the National Park Service (nps.gov):
For over 17,000 years this particular bluff overlooking the Ocmulgee River, now part of the Ocmulgee National Monument, has been occupied by Native Americans for living, hunting, and growing crops to support their families.

Projectile points from the Paleolithic era to the time of the first European explorers have been found here. But the most visible evidence of these ancient people’s presence here are the huge earthworks which dominate the scenery of this mysterious and historical setting.

The builders of these ancient earthworks, which includes a 50 ft. temple mound, a partially destroyed funerary mound, and many other burial and earthen council lodges, are still being discussed by many historians and archaeologists concerning where they came from and where they went after abandoning this site.

GREAT MOUND
We climbed on top of the Great Mound, which was about 1/2 mile from the Earth Lodge. You could see a bit of the campus from up there, as well as much of the park, including the "Funeral Mound", and the "Lesser Mound." The Great Mound was a large foundational mound where upon the Indians built a temple for ceremonial worship. Here is a picture of the Great Mound we climbed on top :)