Grand Gulf Mound
Encyclopedia
The Grand Gulf Mound is an Early Marksville culture
archaeological site
located near Port Gibson
in Claiborne County, Mississippi
, on a bluff 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the Mississippi River
, 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the mouth of the Big Black River. The site has an extant burial mound, and may have possibly had two others in the past. The site is believed to have been occupied from 50 to 200 CE. Copper objects, Marksville culture ceramics and a stone platform pipe were found in excavations at the site. The site is believed to be the only site in the Natchez Bluffs region to have been actively involved in the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. It is one of four mounds in the area believed to date to the Early Marksville period, the other three being the Marskville Mound 4
and Crooks Mound
s A and B, all located in nearby Louisiana
. The mound itself was built in several stages over many years, very similar to the Crooks Mound A in La Salle Parish, Louisiana
. Unlike some other Hopewell sites, such as the Tremper Mound
in Scioto County, Ohio
, the site showed no evidence of a mortuary or communal structure previous to the construction of the mound. The beginning stage is believed to have been a rectangular earthen platform 0.5 foot (0.1524 m) in height, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide on its east-west axis and 3.5 feet (1.1 m) long on its north-south axis. After a period of use, this platform was covered with a mantle of earth 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in height and 26.5 feet (8.1 m) wide along its east-west axis, with an extremely hard cap of earth 0.2 foot (0.06096 m) covering the mound. During a third stage another mantle of earth was added to the mound, bringing it to a height of 10 feet (3 m) and to approximately 32 feet (9.8 m) in width on its east-west axis.
Marksville culture
The Marksville culture was an archaeological culture in the lower Lower Mississippi valley, Yazoo valley, and Tensas valley areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas and extended eastward along the Gulf Coast to the Mobile Bay area, from 100 BCE to 400 CE. This culture takes its name...
archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
located near Port Gibson
Port Gibson, Mississippi
Port Gibson is a city in Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,840 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Claiborne County.- History :...
in Claiborne County, Mississippi
Claiborne County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,831 people, 3,685 households, and 2,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 4,252 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
, on a bluff 1 miles (1.6 km) east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the mouth of the Big Black River. The site has an extant burial mound, and may have possibly had two others in the past. The site is believed to have been occupied from 50 to 200 CE. Copper objects, Marksville culture ceramics and a stone platform pipe were found in excavations at the site. The site is believed to be the only site in the Natchez Bluffs region to have been actively involved in the Hopewell Interaction Sphere. It is one of four mounds in the area believed to date to the Early Marksville period, the other three being the Marskville Mound 4
Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site
Marksville Prehistoric Indian Site, , also known as Marksville State Historic Site, is a Hopewell tradition earthworks archaeological site in Louisiana, one mile southeast of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish.-Description:...
and Crooks Mound
Crooks mound
Crooks Mound is a large Marksville culture mound site, located in La Salle Parish in south central Louisiana. It is a large, conical, burial mound that was part of at least six episodes of burials. It measured about and . It contained roughly 1,150 remains that were placed however they were able...
s A and B, all located in nearby Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The mound itself was built in several stages over many years, very similar to the Crooks Mound A in La Salle Parish, Louisiana
La Salle Parish, Louisiana
La Salle Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of 2000, the population was 14,282. The parish seat is Jena.-Geography:The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
. Unlike some other Hopewell sites, such as the Tremper Mound
Tremper Mound and Works
The Tremper Mound and Works are a Hopewell earthen enclosure and large, irregularly-shaped mound. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972...
in Scioto County, Ohio
Scioto County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 129 people per square mile . There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
, the site showed no evidence of a mortuary or communal structure previous to the construction of the mound. The beginning stage is believed to have been a rectangular earthen platform 0.5 foot (0.1524 m) in height, 20 feet (6.1 m) wide on its east-west axis and 3.5 feet (1.1 m) long on its north-south axis. After a period of use, this platform was covered with a mantle of earth 5.5 feet (1.7 m) in height and 26.5 feet (8.1 m) wide along its east-west axis, with an extremely hard cap of earth 0.2 foot (0.06096 m) covering the mound. During a third stage another mantle of earth was added to the mound, bringing it to a height of 10 feet (3 m) and to approximately 32 feet (9.8 m) in width on its east-west axis.