Native Americans have played an important role in the history of our state. Not only were they the first dwellers of what would become Arkansas, but their history and culture still have an impact.
Many of our towns, communities and bodies of water have Native American names. The name Arkansas comes from the Algonquin Indian's name for the Quapaw Indians who once lived in what is now Arkansas. The Quapaw were known as the Arkansea, which meant “downstream people” or “southwind people.”
Three major tribes inhabited early Arkansas: the Quapaw (who lived in central and eastern Arkansas), the Osage (who lived in the northwest portion of our state) and the Caddo (who lived in southwestern region of Arkansas). As a result, Indian mounds are found all over the Natural State. But there are none more famous that the Plum Bayou Mounds (formerly known as the Toltec Mounds) outside of Scott (Lonoke County).
It is believed the Plum Bayou Mounds were built by Native Americans who had a distinct culture from the other natives who inhabited the lower Mississippi Valley. The sites built by these people have been found throughout the White River and Arkansas River floodplains of central and eastern Arkansas and can also found as far west as the eastern Ozark Mountain range.
The Plum Bayou Mounds settlement had a small population consisting primarily of political and religious leaders of the community and their families. The center was occupied from the 7th to the 11th century.
The mounds were built on the banks of an oxbow lake. On the other side of the mounds was a lake, which is now known as Mound Pond. Most archaeologists and historians believe that 18 mounds were built in this area.
The Plum Bayou Mounds were built along the edges of two open plazas and used for political, religious and social events attended by people from the vicinity. At least two mounds were used for feasting, as indicated by the finding of discarded food remains. Most of the mounds were flat-topped platform mounds with buildings on them. Evidence has shown that other Native Americans lived on the Plum Bayou site as late as the 15th century, but they did not build any mounds.
The Plum Bayou Mounds were once known as the Toltec Mounds, as it was once believed that the Toltec Indians of Mexico made their way to the area and built the mounds. The Knapp Family owned the land where the mounds stood from 1849 to 1905.
The mound site was relatively unprotected between 1849-1975. The land was privately owned and used mainly as farmland. The mounds were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the state of Arkansas began trying to acquire the property. Eventually, the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism purchased the property with state and federal money in 1975. The site was made a National Historic Landmark in 1978. What was known then as Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park opened in 1980.
The name Plum Bayou is actually borrowed from a nearby waterway and was eventually applied to the distinctive culture of the site. After extensive discussions between the Department of Parks & Tourism, the Arkansas Archaeological Society and the Quapaw Nation, the park was officially renamed Plum Bayou Archaeological State Park in November 2022.
The park’s visitor center consists of exhibits that interpret the history of the Plum Bayou people and mounds, as well as an extensive collection of ancient artifacts found on the site. Guided and self-guided tours of the mounds are available. The park also hosts numerous special events throughout the year. For more information, contact the park’s office at (501) 961-9442.
If Arkansas history, particularly its Native American heritage, interests you, then Plum Bayou Archaeological State Park is a fascinating place to visit. And as I wrote in last week’s column, while you’re in the Scott area, there are a lot of other interesting places to see and visit that are worth the drive to the small community outside North Little Rock.
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