Middle Cumberland Archaeological Society’s first 2022 meeting will be a field trip to Castalian Springs Mounds State park at 10 am on SATURDAY, MARCH 5. Kevin E. Smith of Middle Tennessee State University will lead the tour at the mound site. Length of the tour will depend entirely on the temperature – probably plan on an hour.
Founded as a small village around 1100 ce, the native peoples of Castalian Springs embarked on massive-scale construction projects to transform the community into the largest mound center on the Cumberland River east of Nashville. By 1300 ce, the site was a center of religious revitalization and artistic renaissance dominating what is now Sumner County and known throughout the Mississippian world.
Over a decade of MTSU archaeological excavations have revealed a detailed picture of the community – along with evidence for the production of negative painted ceramics, marine shell gorgets, fluorite jewelry, and much more. Kevin Smith, who has led investigations of the site’s history and prehistory for nearly four decades, will guide the tour and provide the newest interpretations. After a hiatus of excavations due to the pandemic, Paul Eubanks (MTSU) plans to resume fieldwork this summer to examine the last remaining major earthworks at the site.
RSVP: If you plan to attend the tour, please email or leave a voicemail for Kevin Smith with your name, number in your party, and contact number/email: kevin.smith@mtsu.edu or 615-898-5958.
