2016 MAA Winterville Archaeological Dig

MAA members were invited to Winterville Mounds to help with the University of Southern Mississippi's Archaeological Field School. 

Winterville Museum with Dig in the Background

Unit Profile

Units and Excavated Post Holes

Dr. Ed Jackson Lead Archaeologist

Excavated Post Hole Features

Corn Being Removed

The link to the Winterville Site Webpage: http://www.mdah.ms.gov/new/visit/winterville-mounds/

Link to Mississippi Mound Trail Winterville Site Page: http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/mmt/winterville/index.html

2016 MAA Dig

at Camp Shelby 

Members of the Mississippi Archaeological Association (MAA) were invited to a dig at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, on April 23rd and 24th. Rita McCarty, cultural resources manager archaeologist with the Mississippi Army National Guard, was in charge of the dig. The people attending were MAA members, a church group, a school group, other guests and up to 7 professional archaeologist. Everyone seemed to have a good time! The weather was perfect and there were no serious injuries. Thanks to Rita and all those who attended. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. If you would like to join the MAA and participate in future digs their page is http://www.msarchaeology.org. 

Indian Mound Tour in the lower Mississippi Delta

I recently went on a mound tour of the southern Mississippi Delta presented by my good friend Sam Brookes. Sam is a well know and respected Mississippi archaeologist. Many of those on the tour were MAA local chapter members. We visited several Native American mound sites near the Delta National Forest. Many were mound groups with more than one mound at the site. Everyone had a great day and it was an informative trip. I also got to eat some fried alligator and catfish at a country restaurant with a view of the Grace mounds.

Our group at Lake George Mound

Sam shows a replica of the Issaquena disc found at the Grace Mounds

Carter Site Mound A near Rolling Fork

Grace Site Mound A near Grace Mississippi

Lake George Site Mound A is around 55 feet high.

 It was temple mound and dates between 150 BC - AD 1500

Lake George Site Mound B with house

Haynes Bluff Site Mound A on Hwy 3

Pocahontas Site Mound A on Hwy 49 between Jackson and Yazoo City. 

This site also has a museum.

Mont Helena Mound Site with house near Hwy 61

Jackson Area Chapter of the MAA

I would like to invite you to the April meeting of the Jackson Area Chapter of the Mississippi Archaeological Association (MAA). Mr. Sam Brookes is the guest speaker and will give a talk about Mississippi archaeology. I hope you can make plans to attend.

The meeting will be held at the Madison, Mississippi, Public Library conference room at 5 PM on Monday April 7th (Rebecca Baine Rigby Library on the front). There will be light refreshments served.  The library address is 994 Madison Avenue which is just off Highway 51 in Madison. If you take the Madison exit off of Interstate 55 go toward Madison and turn right when you get to HWY 51, then at the second light take a left on Madison Avenue. The library is a short distance on the left.

The business portion of the meeting will begin around 5:30 and last until 6:30 PM. It will include brief introductions and updates, a discussion of the goals of the chapter and upcoming activities such as mound tours, local digs and MAA summer digs. There will also be a time for area collectors, who brought artifacts, to display them and have them identified and possibly dated. 

If you have any questions please call or email.

Tony Payne

MAA Jackson Area Chapter President

phone: 601-672-7955

Online Local Archaeology Resources:

http://www.msarchaeology.org                                                                                  MAA Website

http://mdah.state.ms.us/new/                                                                                    MS. Dept of Archives and History

http://mdah.state.ms.us/new/learn/publications/archaeological-report-archive/        MDAH Archaeological Reports Archive

http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/mounds.htm                                                                       MDAH MS.Archaeological Trails

http://mapams.org/member_directory/                                                                       Membership directory of the MS. Assoc. of Professional Archaeologist

http://www.amec.msstate.edu                                                                                    MSU Department of Anthropology

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/01workshop/nonarch.htm                  NPS Archaeology for the Non-Archaeologist 

http://www.cr.nps.gov/NR/travel/mounds/textonly.htm#byn                                        NPS Indian Mounds of Mississippi

http://www.archaeoexplorer.com/media/                                                                     Mark of the Mississippians (videos)