The
ethnologist Cyrus Thomas (1825-1910) had a particular interest in mound building and discredited the prevailing theory of his time, that mounds were constructed by a race that prececded the Indians. His Catalogue of
Prehistoric Works East of the Rocky Mountains,
(1891) is a lengthy list of mounds, earthworks, petroglyphs, kjokkenmodding,
and various aboriginal stone constructions.
After
studying the Catalogue, I pared down the list, limiting the geographic coverage
to North Georgia, Western North Carolina, Northwestern South Carolina and East
Tennessee. Further, I’ve removed
listings for almost all the mounds within that territory. My specific interest at the moment involves
rock cairns, stone walls and similar stone structures.
A later
post will discuss some of these, particularly the abundance of sites identified
in Habersham County and the rest of North Georgia. But for now, here’s an abridged list from
Cyrus Thomas’ Catalogue:
Georgia
Bartow
County
"Indian
Fort," or inclosure on the summit of a rocky hill which overlooks the
Etowah River towards Rome, 2 1/2 miles northwest of the great Etowah Mounds.
Figure and description by Charles Whittlesey, Smithsonian Report, 1881, pp. 627,628.
Described also in the Atlanta Constitution, April 13, 1886.
Two
rock graves, 2 1/2 miles west of Cartersville, on land of Miles Dobbins.
Reported by John P. Rogan.
A
mound encircled by a stone wall, at Adairsville. Reported by James D.
Middleton.
Vault
on William Burgess’s farm, 2 miles from Stilesborough, on Raccoon Creek. Copper
specimen and stone image found. Reported
by J. P. Rogan.
Rock
mound, near where the railway from Cartersville to Cedarville crosses Petit's
Creek. Briefly described by Charles Whittlesey, Sm. Rep., 1881, p. 628.
Reported by John P. Rogan.
Two
rock graves 6 miles west of Cartersville.
De
Kalb County
Remains
of a rock wall about half way up Stone Mountain. Described by C. C. Jones,
Antiquities of the Southern Indians., pp. 207-208.
Douglas
County
Stone
cairn on road from Campbellton to Marietta, on ridge between Anawaka and
Sweetwater Creeks. Reported by James Mooney.
Ancient
fortifications on the western bank of the Chattahoochee River opposite the
village of Campbellton. Mentioned in White's Historical Collections of Georgia, p. 293.
Elbert
County
Ancient
tumuli on the Savannah River visited by William Bartram in 1776, situated on
the west bank of the Savannah, about 4 miles north of the mouth of Broad River.
Bartram's Travels (1791), pp. 324, 325. Description chiefly from Bartram and
figure by C. C. Jones, Sm. Rep., 1877, pp. 283-286. Explored by John P. Rogan.
Described and figured in Report.
Floyd
County
Two
concentric stone circles inclosing an area of about 2 acres with walls 2 feet
high on branch of
Silver Creek, about 7 miles south of Borne.
Stone
cairn on a hill near the preceding.
Stone
cairn with two concentric stone circles, formerly stood on north bank of Etowah
River just below mouth of Dyke's Creek.
Stone
inclosure with walls about 3 1/2 feet high, area one-fourth of an acre,
formerly on west side of
Silver Creek, 7 1/2miles south of Rome. Reported by James Mooney.
Gilmer
County
Old
mining excavations at Whitepath.
Circular
earthwork near east bank of Ellijay River on Dillingham farm 2 miles above
Ellijay.
Stone
cairn on Parks farm on west bank of Ellijay River, 3 miles below Ellijay. Reported by James Mooney.
Greene
County
Stone
mound on the form of Robert M. Grimes, near the southeast line of the county;
also an earth mound to the west of the stone mound. Mentioned by Benj. W. Kent.
Sm. Rep., 1882, p. 771.
Habersham
County
Stone
structure, horseshoe shape, 2 to 4 feet high, at Soquee post-office.
Circular
earthwork about 30 feet in diameter, just east of last.
Several
stone cairns along the road, just south of Soquee post-office.
Stone
cairn on Tray Mountain.
Stone
circle formerly on the hill above Glade Creek, on the road from Clarkesville to
Tallulah Falls, 5 miles from Clarkesville.
Stone
cairn on a ridge between Rabun and Habersham Counties, 2 miles west of Tallulah
Falls.
Stone
cairns on Soapstone Mountain, 5 miles southeast of Ayersville.
Large
mound on east side of Soquee River, 1 mile above Deep Creek.
Stone
wall nearly obliterated, on the east bank of Soquee River, about 4 miles above
Clarkesville.
Stone
cairn on north side of Toccoa Creek, 4 miles above its month.
Mound
on the east bank of Soquee River, one-half mile above Clarkesville on the
Wilson farm.
Stone
cairn on the Ryan farm, 1 mile northeast of Clarkesville.
Stone
cairns on the road, 1 mile north of Soquee post-office.
Stone
cairn on the west bank of Soquee River, 2 miles below Clarkesville.
Stone
circle 85 feet in diameter, with walls originally 4 feet high, on Aleck
Mountain, 7 miles northwest of Clarkesville. Reported by James Mooney.
Hancock
County
Stone
mound on a ridge 3 miles from Sparta, in a direction opposite to the circular
work mentioned in the next item. Mentioned
by C. C. Jones, Antiq. So. Inds., p. 148.
Circular
earthwork on the headwaters of the Great Ogeechee River, 5 miles from Sparta. Brief description by C. C. Jones, Antiq. So.
lnds., p. 148.
Murray
County
Large
stone and earthen circular work, walls formerly 12 feet high and inclosing an
area of 8 or 10 acres, on Fort Mountain.
Putnam
County
Bird-shaped
mound of white quartz rock, inclosed by a stone circle, about 1 1/2 miles from
Lawrence's ferry on the Oconee River.
Rock
mounds containing graves, near Eatonton. Bones and a pipe shaped like an
eagle's head, found in them. Described
and figured by C. C. Jones, 8m. Rep., 1877, pp. 278-282. Mentioned also by
Benj. W. Kent, Sm. Rep., 1882, p. 770.
Stone
tumuli, near Little River, below Pierson's Mill on the opposite side of the
stream. Mentioned by Benj. W. Kent, 8m.
Rep., 1882, p. 771.
Rabun
County
Stone
cairns in Rabun Gap.
Stone
cairns on the north side of Tuckaleegee Creek, a small branch of War Woman
Creek.
Wall of
large, dressed, uncemented stones, at Smith's Gold Mine, on the north side of
Dick's Creek, 1 1/2 miles west of Burton post-office. Discovered by gold washers.
Stone
cairn, known as the ''Indian Grave," near Glassy Mountain, on the head of
Tiger Creek.
Stone cairn
on the ridge east of Tiger Creek and southeast of Glassy Mountain. Reported by James Mooney.
A talc mine
and stone implements on Piney Mountain. Mentioned in Science, vol. 9 (1887), p.
10.
Union
County
Pictographs
on large boulders in Track Rock Gap, 4 miles east of Blairsville. Reported by
J. M. Spainhour.
Stone
cairns at same gap. Reported by J. M.
Spainhour.
Stone
cairns on east bank of Nottely River, midway between Arkuqua and Town Creeks.
Largest, originally 15 feet high.
Stone cairn
1 mile west of Blairsville in “Wimpey Field."
White
County
Stone
cairns on ridge, 1 mile west of Tray Mountain.
Mound on
east side of Sautee Creek, 1 mile above Chickamauga Creek. Reported by James Mooney.
Subterranean
or buried village "on Duke's Creek, 4 miles from Nacoochee Valley. Described in
White's Hist. Coll. Ga., pp.
487, 488; and Jones' Ant. So. Inds., p. 48.
“Rock walls
on Mount Yonah." Noticed by Jones,
Ant. So. Inds., p. 208. (** Probably the large stone circle on Aleck Mountain
in Habersham County, a few miles to the east.'' James Mooney.)
Wilkes
County
Ancient
remains consisting of inclosures, mounds, and excavations, some miles above
Wrightsborough, on the north side of Little River. Mentioned by Bartram, Travels, pp. 37,38; C.
C. Jones, Antiq. So. Inds., p. 123.
North
Carolina
Caldwell
County
Cairn at
Indian Grave Gap on Green Mountain, 4 1/2 miles due north of Lenoir, in the
trail. No burial.
Cairn on
Brushy Mountain, near a probable Indian trail, 1 1/2 miles north of Cedar
Valley. No burial.
Cairn 6 1/2
miles southwest of Lenoir, between Lenoir and Icard Station (on Richmond and
Danville road, above Hickory). No burial.
Cairn on
Brushy Mountain, about three-fourths of a mile east of the one noted above. No
burial.
Group of
small cairns on the ridge west of John's River, extending for about a mile
along the ridge, from 5 to 6 miles northwest of Collettsville. Unexplored. Reported by J. M. Spainhour.
Catawba
County
A rock shelter 7 miles from Catawba. Reported by J. P. Rogan.
Cherokee
County
Stone
cairns on Whittaker farm, near mound at Valley River bridge.
Numerous
stone cairns along trail from Tatham Bay south to Valley River, between Valley
Town and Robbinsville.
Clay County
Cairns on
the ridge north of Shooting Creek, near its head. Cairns on ridge about 1 mile
south of Shooting Creek and 3 miles east of Hiwassee River. Two mounds, one of
stone, adjacent to last. Reported by J.
W. Emmert.
Graham County
Numerous
stone cairns along trail down south side of Chilhowee and Tennessee Rivers,
extending about 6 miles from Santeetleh Creek into Tennessee.
Stone cairn
on north bank of Chilhowee River, about 1 mile below Yellow Creek. Reported by James Mooney.
Stone
graves 3 miles below Robbinsville on a ridge near Chilhowee River. Reported by J. W. Emmert.
Haywood
County
Stone
cairns 1 mile east of Waynesville.
Stone
cairns (" mounds ") on Rathbone's land, on south side of Hurricane
Creek. Unexplored. Reported by J. W. Emmert.
Stone
cairns on east fork of Pigeon River. Location not definitely given. Reported by James Mooney.
Macon
County
Stone
cairns (six) on southwest side of Cullasaja Creek nearly opposite mouth of
Ellijay Creek.
Stone
cairns on Howard farm on west bank of Tennessee River, 2 miles above Tesenta
Creek.
Mound on
west bank of Nantahela River, 2 miles below Jarretts.
Mound on
east bank of Nantahela River opposite mouth of Cowe Creek.
Stone
cairns on Cartooyaja Creek near mouth of Wayah Creek, about 7 miles west of
Franklin.
Madison
County
Cairn at
Indian Grave Gap, in Walnut Mountain, at head of Brush and Walnut Creeks, on
south side of road from Marshall to Burnsville. Reported by James Mooney.
Swain
County
Stone cairn
on ridge between Indian Creek and Cooper's Creek, about 3 miles northeast of
Bryson City.
Stone
cairns about 3 miles southeast of Bryson City, on trail crossing ridge between
Tuckasegee River and Alarka Creek.
Wilkes
County
Cairn at
Boone's Gap on Boone's Fork of Warrior's Creek. Unexplored. Reported by Dr. J. M. Spainhour.
Cairn
formerly 1 ½ miles north of cemetery mentioned above. Not a burial pile.
Explored by
J. M. Spainhour.
South
Carolina
Oconee
County
Circular
earthwork about 10 feet high on natural hill at Fort Hill, on east bank of
Keowee River, about 4 miles below Twelve Mile Creek. Reported by James Mooney.
Spartanburg
County
Stone
cairns formerly existed on the top of Gilkey’s Knob, near Limestone
Springs. Mentioned by
Logan, Hist. S. C.
(1859), p. 217.
Tennessee
Blount
County.
Cemetery on
the southeast bank of Ellejoy Creek, just below old Fort McTeer and about 7
miles east of Maryville. Reported by J. W. Enmert.
Three stone
graves 3 miles from Chilhowee post-office, on the top of Chilhowee Mountain.
Reported by
J. W. Emmert. Identical with the
"several rock graves or tombs near" two mounds (below) in Chilhowee
Valley, mentioned by Dunnirig, Sm. Rep., 1870, pp. 376-380, and description
partly quoted by Prof. Cyrus Thomas, Burial Mounds of the Northern Section
(1888), pp. 78, 79.
Two cairns
at the lower end of Chilhowee Mountain, about 2 miles northeast of Chilhowee
post-office, and on the west side of the road in Montvale Springs. Reported by J. W. Emmert.
Two cairns
at Indian Grave Gap, near the north bank of Little Tennessee River, on the road
from Chilhowee to North Carolina, above Chilhowee Valley. E. O. Dunning, Sm.
Rep. (1870), pp. 376-380, and quoted in part by Cyrus Thomas, in Burial Mounds
of the Northern Section (1888), pp. 78, 79.
Twenty-five
cairns 4 miles southeast of Indian Grave Gap, mentioned above, on the west side
of the same road. Described by Dunning
and quoted by Cyrus Thomas as above.
Cairns on
both sides of the trail from Wear's Cove (on Cove Creek in Sevier County) to
Tuckaleechee Cove (at Bricky Branch in Blonnt County) on the county line and
extending into Sevier County. Reported
by James Mooney.
Carter
County
Several
cairns at Indian Grave Gap, where the road crosses north of Watauga River and
about 1 mile north of Elizabethton.
Knox County
"Chimneys,"
ten or fifteen in number, like stone chimneys open at the top, washed out about
1882 in bottom on west bank of Tennessee (Holston) River just below the mouth
of the French Broad. Reported by James
Mooney.
Monroe
County
Cairns in
the gap on the State line at the Slick Rock trail on the south side of the
Little Tennessee River.
Stone
graves (cists) about one hundred in number on Slick Rock Creek on the south
side of Little Tennessee River.
Several
stone graves on the east side of Citico Creek 5 miles from Little Tennessee
River at Good Fields.
Sullivan
County
Three stone
graves on a bluff on the north bank of Holston River 4 miles southeast of
Kingsport.
Three stone
graves similar to the above on the north bank of the Holston 2 miles higher up.
Explored and described by J. W. Emmert in Report.
Mound
containing stone graves about 2 miles directly nortb of Kingsport and not far
from the North Fork of Holston. Reported
by Cyrus Thomas. Described and illustrated in Burial Mounds of the Northern
Section, pp. 75-77.
Cairns on
the south side of the South Fork of Holston River 1/4 of a mile above Sharp's
Creek, near Minnick's Ford.
Two stone
graves on a bluff on the north side of the South Port of Holston River at
Minnick's Ford. Reported by J. W. Emmert.
Sumner
County
Group of
mounds, with cemetery of stone graves and earthworks at Castalian (sulphur)
Springs; on Bledsoe's Lick, and 8 miles northeast of Gallatin and 2 miles from
Cragfont. Described by Haywood, Nat. and
Ab. Hist. Tenn. (1823), 121-1-26; noticed by Jones, Antiq. Tenn., p. 104.
Unicoi
County
Grave
cairns at Indian Grave Gap on the top of the Unaka Mountains on the State line
about 4 miles southeast of Erwin.
Washington
County
Cairns on
the south side of Watauga River, 1 mile above Roan's Creek. Reported by James Mooney.
White
County
Cemetery
and earthworks on Caney Fork, about 4 miles southwest of Sparta. Described by Haywood, Nat. and Ab. Hist. Tenn.
(1823), p. 173.
Cemetery
near Sparta. Explored. Described by
Haywood, Nat. and Ab. Hist. Tenn. (1823), pp. 200-209; mentioned by Jones,
Antiq. Tenn., p. 8; brief notice by H. C. Williams, Sm. Rep. (1870), p. 368. He
refers to the Sparta Review (newspaper) as containing a descriptive notice.
Featherstonaugh describes the small stone graves of this locality in Excursion
through Slave States, pp. 48-49.
Conical
mound about 10 miles from Sparta. Haywood,
Nat. and Ab. Hist. Tenn., pp. 193-197.
Cemetery of
stone coffins on Calf Killer Creek, 4 miles above Sparta. Reported by James D. Middleton. One of them
noted by Haywood Nat. and Ab. Hist. Tenn. (1823), p. 194.
"Old
fortification," 5 or 6 miles from Sparta. Described by Haywood, Nat. and
Ab. Hist. Tenn. (1823), p. 209.