Sellars Indian Mound

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Sellars Indian Mound
Sellars Indian Mound.jpg
The main mound at the site
USA Tennessee location map.svg
Archaeological site icon (red).svg
Shown within Tennessee
Location Lebanon, Tennessee,  Wilson County, Tennessee, Flag of the United States.svg  USA
Region Wilson County, Tennessee
Coordinates 36°10′12.1″N86°14′26.37″W / 36.170028°N 86.2406583°W / 36.170028; -86.2406583
History
Founded1000 CE
Abandoned1300 CE
Cultures Mississippian culture
Site notes
Architecture
Architectural styles platform mound
Architectural detailsNumber of temples: 1
Sellars Indian Mound
USA Tennessee location map.svg
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Usa edcp location map.svg
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NRHP reference # 72001256 [1]
Responsible body: State of Tennessee

Sellars Indian Mound is a Mississippian culture archaeological site located in Wilson County, Tennessee near Lebanon. The platform mound was the site of a settlement from about 1000 to 1300 CE. Today, the site is a satellite unit of Long Hunter State Park. The non-profit Friends of the Sellars Farm State Archaeological Area organization conducts tours and upkeep of the site. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1972. [1]

Mississippian culture Mound-building Native American culture in Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States

The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American civilization that flourished in what is now the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 800 to 1600, varying regionally. It was composed of a series of urban settlements and satellite villages (suburbs) linked together by loose trading networks. The largest city was Cahokia, believed to be a major religious center.

Archaeological site Place in which evidence of past activity is preserved

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. Sites may range from those with few or no remains visible above ground, to buildings and other structures still in use.

Wilson County, Tennessee County in the United States

Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, the population was 113,993. Its county seat is Lebanon. The largest city is Mt. Juliet.

Contents

Numerous sandstone figurines have been unearthed on the site. [2] One of these statues, known as "Sandy," was featured on a United States postage stamp. [3] and is the official State Artifact of Tennessee [4]

Mississippian stone statuary

The Mississippian stone statuary are artifacts of polished stone in the shape of human figurines made by members of the Mississippian culture and found in archaeological sites in the American Midwest and Southeast. Two distinct styles exist; the first is a style of carved flint clay found over a wide geographical area but believed to be from the American Bottom area and manufactured at the Cahokia site specifically; the second is a variety of carved and polished locally available stone primarily found in the Tennessee-Cumberland region and northern Georgia. Early European explorers reported seeing stone and wooden statues in native temples, but the first documented modern discovery was made in 1790 in Kentucky, and given as a gift to Thomas Jefferson.

Postage stamps and postal history of the United States

The history of postal service of the United States began with the delivery of stampless letters, whose cost was borne by the receiving person, later also encompassed pre-paid letters carried by private mail carriers and provisional post offices, and culminated in a system of universal prepayment that required all letters to bear nationally issued adhesive postage stamps.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places" . Retrieved 2012-11-21.
  2. Kevin E. Smith; James V. Miller (2009). Speaking with the Ancestors-Mississippian Stone Statuary of the Tennessee-Cumberland region. University of Alabama Press. ISBN   978-0-8173-5465-7.
  3. "Art of the American Indians Stamps" . Retrieved 2010-07-05.
  4. "Sandy, Tennessee's State Artifact" . Retrieved 2015-06-24.

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