Greenville, Mississippi
Winterville Mounds
Last, but not least, on our tenth day of our tour, let's go to Winterville Mounds, a 42-acre site, featuring 11 prehistoric Native American mounds, two large plazas, and a museum. Most of the mounds at the Winterville site were constructed during the Mississippian period, between 1200 and 1250 A.D. Archeologists unearthed structural remains, burials, and many ceramic and stone artifacts, during their excavations at Winterville in 1967-1968. They reconstructed the history of Winterville Mounds from this evidence. |
Winterville Museum
The Winterville museum exhibits a large collection of archeological artifacts, including decorated pottery vessels, stone tools, and ornaments from Winterville and other regional sites. Of the 23 mounds originally present, four were destroyed and several others reduced to remnants by agriculture and excessive grazing prior to the site's acquisition as a state park. Nevertheless, this mound group remains one of the largest and best-preserved in the southeastern United States. In recognition of its outstanding significance, the Winterville site has been designated a National Historic Landmark. |