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<< Our Photo Pages >> Castalian Springs Mounds - Artificial Mound in United States in The South

Submitted by bat400 on Wednesday, 01 July 2009  Page Views: 18290

Pre-ColumbianSite Name: Castalian Springs Mounds Alternative Name: Bledsoe's Lick Mound
Country: United States Region: The South Type: Artificial Mound
Nearest Town: Gallatin, Tennessee  Nearest Village: Castalian Springs, T
Latitude: 36.398600N  Longitude: 86.3135W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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bat400 visited on 1st Jul 2006 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 4 I visited in 2006 while the Middle Tennessee University was conducting a dig, not of the mound itself, but of the footprint of several buildings which were visible from the traces of postholes and (to less evidence, walls.) Very interesting. Meet Dr. Smith, who was very gracious with his time and explanations.

Bledsoe's Lick Mound
Bledsoe's Lick Mound submitted by bat400 : The Mississippian platform mound at Castalian Springs, Sumner County, TN (formerly Bledsoe's Lick.) The conical mound with a flattened top was built on the west end of a broad rectangular platform. The structure is much reduced by plowing over the years. However, the ground has been undisturbed for a number of years. The property is now owned and protected by the state. Photo by bat400, Ju... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Artificial Mound in Sumner County, Tennessee. The focal point of a Mississippian village complex is an unusual mound and earthwork. Today's site is a truncated conical mound at the west end of a broad, low, rectangular earthwork, aligned in an east-west direction. The other mounds at the site, as well as the principal mound and earthwork have been plowed down - the field has been in pasture for the last twenty or more years.

The examination of the site by R.E.W. Earl in 1820 (as reported in 1834) described a circular low earthen wall enclosing about 16 acres, with raised earthen "towers" along the wall. On excavation this was revealed to be the location of a palisade. The principal mound inside the enclosure was described as being a rectangular platform of 600 feet long by 20 feet wide and 13 to 15 feet high. At the west end of this platform was a conical mound with a flattened top, 18 to 20 feet high. Since then the area has been plowed down to the point that only this platform mound (and slight raised impressions of a few others) are still visible.

The site was purchased by the State of Tennessee and is designated a State Archaeological Area. Modern excavation by Middle Tennessee State University was conducted in the village areas surrounding the mound from 2005 through 2008. The site is not yet open to the public, but can be easily viewed through the pasture fence and gate at all hours. Visitors can carefully park near the gate where Governor Hall Road meets State Highway 25 in the village of Castalian Springs or across the highway at the post office. The site is managed by the nearby Bledsoe Creek State Park.

[Information from Middle Cumberland Archeological Society Newsletter, May/June 2006, and The Tennessee Gazetteer, Eastlin Morris, 1834.]


Note: Web Diary describes 2009 Dig Season at Tennessee mineral springs Ancient Village.
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Castalian Springs Mounds
Castalian Springs Mounds submitted by AKFisher : Archaeological reconstruction of Bledsoe's Fort (aka Castalian Mounds) in Tennessee from the mound encyclopedia. More than 9 mounds were once at this site best known for the shell gorgets found there. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016).  (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Flickr
Hawthorn Hill
Hunley Cabin - Bledsoe Fort Historic Park
Capt. Horace Lawson Hunley & Submarine monument
Nathaniel Parker Cabin - Bledsoe's Fort Historical Park

The above images may not be of the site on this page, but were taken nearby. They are loaded from Flickr so please click on them for image credits.


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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 26.2km SSE 166° Sellars Farm* Ancient Village or Settlement
 49.4km WSW 238° Tennessee State Museum* Museum
 53.8km S 187° Black Cat Cave Cave or Rock Shelter
 57.5km ENE 57° Skeleton Mountain Snake Effigy Site* Stone Row / Alignment
 63.5km SW 221° Fewkes* Artificial Mound
 68.2km SW 235° Old Town (Franklin) Ancient Village or Settlement
 71.7km SW 231° Old Town (Williamson)* Ancient Village or Settlement
 76.0km SW 227° Glass Mounds (Tennessee)* Artificial Mound
 76.1km WSW 248° Mound Bottom* Ancient Village or Settlement
 78.4km W 267° Copena Mound Site* Artificial Mound
 83.2km NW 321° Page Site, Kentucky* Artificial Mound
 90.1km NNE 12° Mammoth Cave Kentucky* Cave or Rock Shelter
 98.2km ESE 106° Monterey Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir)
 103.5km S 170° Old Stone Fort* Hillfort
 112.2km NNW 329° Indian Knoll* Barrow Cemetery
 161.3km SE 132° Hiwassee Island Mounds* Artificial Mound
 164.4km SSE 164° Russell Cave Mound* Artificial Mound
 164.4km SSE 164° Russell Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter
 173.8km SSE 147° Roxbury Indian Mound* Artificial Mound
 183.3km SE 135° Candies Creek Village Archaeological Preserve* Ancient Village or Settlement
 185.2km W 271° Obion Mounds* Artificial Mound
 199.2km NNW 330° Angel Mounds - Mound A* Artificial Mound
 199.2km NNW 330° Angel Mounds Museum* Museum
 199.2km NNW 330° Angel Mounds - Mound F* Pyramid / Mastaba
 199.4km NNW 330° Angel Mounds* Ancient Village or Settlement
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"Castalian Springs Mounds" | Login/Create an Account | 5 News and Comments
  
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Re: Bledsoe's Lick Mound by AKFisher on Wednesday, 09 August 2023
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Also known as Bledsoe's Lick Mound and Cheskiki Mound.
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2010 Field Season at Castalian Springs Village Starts 7 June by bat400 on Thursday, 06 May 2010
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The sixth year of excavations at the Castalian Springs Mound and Village site will begin on June 7th and run through July 9th. Professor Kevin Smith will once again lead the summer field school and he plans to keep his fascinating web diary throughout the dig season. Previous years' entries are linked at the same website. [April 2017 - The web diaries for the old field schools 2008-2010, can be found at the revised link, above - "web diary".]
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2009 Field Season at Castalian Springs Town and Mound Site Closes by bat400 on Wednesday, 01 July 2009
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Prof. Kevin Smith's summer field season at the Mississippian Era village at Castalian Springs, Tennessee, is coming to a close. His web diary describes this season's finds.
Smith's day to day descriptions give an excellent view of the type of activities performed during an excavation.
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Summer 2008 Castalian Springs Tennessee Dig by bat400 on Thursday, 19 June 2008
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Once again Middle Tennessee State University is conducting its field school dig at the Castalian Springs Mississippian village and mound site. Dr. Kevin Smith's web diary describes the finds of the dig day by day. This year's field school will continue through July 3rd.
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Re: Bledsoe's Lick Mound by Anonymous on Monday, 11 June 2007
Dr. Kevin Smith of Middle Tennessee State University is once again leading a dig of the village that surrounded this mound. His "Dig Diary" can be found here with a day by day account of the work. The web site includes links to previous dig seasons. This year's efforts takes off where last year ended - in the study of a large building and an effort to find the original pallisade wall that surrounded the village.
The original 2006 Megalithic Portal article concerning the site and last season's dig can be found here.
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