Preface
In presenting this reconstruction, based in a large measure upon interpretations which took their origins from the work conducted at Ocmulgee, the National Park Service would like to acknowledge the debt of archeology to three gentlemen of Macon, Ga. Charles C. Harrold, Walter A. Harris, and Linton M. Solomon were aware of the importance of the large mound and village site close to their community and deeply interested in its thorough study and ultimate preservation. It was through their devoted efforts that the large-scale excavations were undertaken, and the site of this important work preserved as Ocmulgee National Monument.
Contents
Page [THE AMERICAN INDIAN] 2 [MAN COMES TO GEORGIA] 7 [FOOD FROM THE WATERS] 12 [POTMAKING BECOMES AN ART] 19 [TEMPLE MOUNDS AND AGRICULTURE] 28 [EARLY CREEKS] 40 [OCMULGEE OLD FIELDS] 48 [GUIDE TO THE AREA] 55 [HOW TO REACH THE MONUMENT] 57 [ABOUT YOUR VISIT] 58 [ADMINISTRATION] 58 [SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING] 58
Ancient Life at Ocmulgee. Artist’s conception of temple mound village of about A. D. 1000, seen from the riverside.
From the middle of the 18th century until 1934 the Indian mounds near the present city of Macon, Ga., had been a subject for speculation to all who saw them. A ranger journeying with Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia Colony, mentions “three Mounts raised by the Indians over three of their Great Kings who were killed in the Wars.” A more discerning traveler in the same century could learn that contemporary Indians and generations of their ancestors knew nothing of the origin of these mounds, where ghostly singing was said to mark the early morning hours. As late as 1930, however, even specialists could only add that the large pyramidal mound showed connections with the cultures of the Mississippi Valley and that a second mound had served as a burial mound.
In 1933, it was possible, with labor furnished by the Civil Works Administration, to begin a systematic exploration of the Ocmulgee mounds and adjoining sites. This work continued until 1941, most of it being performed by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1933, also, the citizens of Macon purchased the land and gave it to the Nation. Ocmulgee National Monument was authorized by Congress in June 1934 and established by Presidential proclamation in December 1936.