Chucalissa

There were two place in Memphis that we intended to visit - the Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island and the Chucalissa Museum. When we called this morning (we're learning) we found that the Mississippi River Museum was closed for the season but that the Chucalissa Museum was open.

The C.H. Nash Museum at the Chucalissa Archaeological Site is located in Fuller State Park and operated by the University of Memphis. Chucalissa (Chuck-ah-lizza) is a Choctaw word for "abandoned house".

These snakes were a common motif on the Indian pottery.

The Museum had some great exhibits that told the story of the history of early Indians on the North American continent. Very early Paleo Indian life was centered around nomadic movement in the hunt for large animals, in particular mammoth and bison. This "Big Game Hunting Tradition" lasted in the eastern and southwestern U.S. until 8,000 BC. The gradual extinction of many large mammals, due to climatic change and possibly man, brought about a new life way, called the Archaic Period.

Archaic people were not nomadic. Small family bands occupied campsites in different parts of a territory to make better use of the seasonally changing food resources. Agriculture began in the archaic period. Perhaps archaic women when gathering wild seeds notices new plants sprung from seeds dropped on the ground. Eventually, someone thought to intentionally sow the seeds closer to home. Thus a little control over the food supply was gained.

The woodland period began as a transition from the Archaic stage. As the Woodland people progressed , the spear was replaced by the bow and arrow, their homes became more permanent, burial mounds became more elaborate and the richness of offerings placed in the graves reflected a developing religious cult. Trade with their neighbors was extensive and their culture grew for six to seven hundred years.

The Native Americans of the Mississippi Valley developed the highest culture known to exist in the Southeast. Their culture reached a peak from 1300 AD to 1600 AD. Predominant cultural characteristics were a religion based on sun worship, a distinctive art style seen in tools, ornaments, and pottery, but most familiar were the large earthen mounds originally built as foundations for temples, council houses, and dwellings of tribal leaders.

The people, skilled farmers who grew corn, beans, and squash, located their towns along river valleys to take advantage of the fertile soil and river resources. Their villages were flourishing agricultural and ceremonial centers when Europeans first saw them in the 16th century. This diorama is typical of many Mississippian period bluff top towns with outlying farming communities.

We met Robert Connolly, Director of the C.H. Nash Museum at Chucalissa. We had a great conversation with him and he provided us with information about other sites further down the river. He told us about some interesting findings he has made and was very excited about his work.

After eating our lunch we set off on the Chickasaw Bluff Nature Trail and to explore the mound complex just behind the Museum.

This Small Mound (on the left) predates the larger Platform Mound (to the right out of the picture) by about 100 years. Archaeologists determined that this earthwork once also served as a platform mound, but erosion has caused its current dome shape.

The large Platform Mound is supported by pink concrete to help stabilize it and prevent erosion. Temples as well as houses for chiefs, shamans, or priests were commonplace atop flat-topped rectangular mounds.

Archaeologists recorded evidence of several prehistoric houses at this location similar to this reconstructed house. An extended family of 10 or 15 individuals might occupy a single house. Houses were constructed from logs, sticks, and river cane with walls plastered on both sides with mud and clay.

We went on the Nature Trail and I notice that all my pictures of the places we saw tend to look alike because of all the fallen leaves. This particular spot  contained evidence of prehistoric households. 

A lot of the trees along the trail were labeled and we took notice of this tree named for our hometown - Box Elder, South Dakota.

This is the Plaza located between the mounds. This space was used for special religious, political and social events such as games (Chunky!) and celebrations.