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<< Our Photo Pages >> Old Stone Fort - Hillfort in United States in The South

Submitted by partlow on Sunday, 20 September 2015  Page Views: 19010

Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Old Stone Fort Alternative Name: Old Stone Fort State Archeological Park
Country: United States Region: The South Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Manchester Tennessee
Latitude: 35.483000N  Longitude: 86.107W
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
3 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.
5 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
5

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Old Stone Fort
Old Stone Fort submitted by bat400 : Entrance to "Old Stone Fort." Twin earthen mounds flanked a rectangular earth and stone work enclosure. This enclosure opened into the interior of the "Fort" to the left at the far end. You can see the back wall of the entry "room." These enclosure walls were much higher when first built. Portions of the ground were paved as for a walkway. Stitched Photo by bat400, 13 Jul 2006. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The prehistoric earthwork of Old Stone Fort is on a plateau just a couple of miles to the west of Manchester, which is to the northwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a State Archaeological Park.

The area is at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau in the southeastern United States.

As one approaches the entrance to the complex from the east, the earth & rock mounds terminating the perimeter walls on either side of the entrance are clearly prominent. Beyond these mounds which flank the entrance, is a 4 foot deep trench which was originally 8 feet deep when the complex was used. Beyond this are the walls of the rectangular structure which run parallel approximately 90 feet and are about 5 feet high now. The entrance ends of these walls turn inward to form a passage narrower than the corridor. At the end of this construction the wall to the north (or right) turns at a right angle to the south, herding you out facing the south. The corridor is aligned so that the summer solstice sunrise shines through the entrance and down the corridor against the wall at the western end of the structure.

If you were to continue on this course around the immense oval shaped ceremonial area of 50 acres which is elongated on an East/West orientation, you would be traveling diocel along the stone wall that runs the perimeter from the southern mound of the entrance structure to the cliff that completes it to at the opposite end of the ceremonial field. A large grove of trees blocks any view of this. At the base of the southern stone wall, descends a very steep incline down to the Little Duck River. A cave can be seen on the other side of this river. On the other end of the cliff, the wall begins again, running northwest and then northeast to the bluff of Big Falls on the Big Duck River. This wall is surrounded on the outside by a mote dug into the old riverbed. The wall begins again from the other end of the bluff and ends at the north mound of the entrance structure.

The construction itself is found to be 2,000 years old by the archaeological record; but by the same studies, was found to be under development since 7,000 years BP. The Woodland culture, to which the stone construction is connected, is said to have used the site for 500 years. There has been no evidence found of any occupation, which leads to the conclusion that this site was strictly for ceremonial purposes. The walls are of stone inner and outer cores that run parallel throughout. The trench in between the two walls is floored with shale slabs, then filled and capped with earth and rubble. Due to wear and weathering, the walls have diminished and the earth has spilled over to hide any appearance of the stone.

This site is said to be near a capital of the native “province of Chlaca “ recorded by DeSoto’s chronicler during the late Mississippian period in 1540. It is said by some to have not been unique at one time, but is now the only one known due to development over the course of the historic period. There are also stories of the site being haunted, built by Atlanteans, Lemurians, Nightgoers, Mayans, Prince Madoc’s men, and the DeSoto expedition. Though it does resemble a British hill fort in some respects, there is no doubt from the archaeological record that it was used by Native Americans from the Archaic on through the Middle Woodland periods.

Note: Old Stone Fort Knap-In and Atlatl event, October 2nd-5th
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Old Stone Fort
Old Stone Fort submitted by AKFisher : Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016). Mounds at the entrance to the "Old Stone Fort" near Manchester, Tennessee in 1985 photo. It is a 54-acre Hilltop Fort with stone & earth walls running along the steep ridges on the hillside. It is dated to AD 1 and was abandoned around 400 AD. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Old Stone Fort
Old Stone Fort submitted by durhamnature : Old plan drawing from "Mound Builders..." via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)

Old Stone Fort
Old Stone Fort submitted by bat400 : Southwest wall of the "Old Stone Fort." A 1.5 mile trail leads you around the base of the walls enclosing the 50 acres of space within the "Fort." These are walls of earth capping and surrounding a double stone wall. Given erosion the walls varied from a few feet to 12 feet high when new depending on the lay of the land. Photo by bat400, 13 Jul 2006. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Old Stone Fort
Old Stone Fort submitted by bat400 : Interior of the "Old Stone Fort." The flat expanse enclosed by the earth and stone walls and cliffs dropping down to the Duck River shows no evidence of settlement. Was this a gathering place for government or religion? Was it a place where all those of the society periodically went for celebration or instruction, or a ritual area where a chosen few might commune with the spirit world? ... (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Flickr
Little Falls in Tennessee
Peaceful Tennessee Waterfall
Coffee County, Tennessee Courthouse
Small Town Tennessee Church
Manchester Sunroom Contractor
Water Falling

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 54.5km NNW 333° Black Cat Cave Cave or Rock Shelter
 62.3km SSE 154° Russell Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter
 62.3km SSE 154° Russell Cave Mound* Artificial Mound
 77.3km N 351° Sellars Farm* Ancient Village or Settlement
 81.0km NW 312° Fewkes* Artificial Mound
 88.3km ESE 119° Roxbury Indian Mound* Artificial Mound
 90.1km NW 304° Glass Mounds (Tennessee)* Artificial Mound
 94.0km NW 307° Old Town (Williamson)* Ancient Village or Settlement
 96.9km NW 310° Old Town (Franklin) Ancient Village or Settlement
 97.2km NW 321° Tennessee State Museum* Museum
 101.5km E 93° Hiwassee Island Mounds* Artificial Mound
 103.5km N 350° Castalian Springs Mounds* Artificial Mound
 105.7km NE 46° Monterey Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir)
 114.0km ESE 105° Candies Creek Village Archaeological Preserve* Ancient Village or Settlement
 115.5km NW 309° Mound Bottom* Ancient Village or Settlement
 136.1km NNE 13° Skeleton Mountain Snake Effigy Site* Stone Row / Alignment
 137.2km S 171° Collinsville Indian Mound* Artificial Mound
 137.3km NW 315° Copena Mound Site* Artificial Mound
 145.4km SSE 161° Coker Ford Site* Ancient Village or Settlement
 151.1km ESE 122° Fort Mountain Stone Enclosure* Cairn
 151.4km SW 220° Oakville Mounds* Artificial Mound
 161.7km WSW 242° Florence Mound* Artificial Mound
 180.9km NNW 337° Page Site, Kentucky* Artificial Mound
 189.6km SE 141° Arborrigg* Modern Stone Circle etc
 189.9km N 0° Mammoth Cave Kentucky* Cave or Rock Shelter
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Old Stone Fort Knap-In and Atlatl event, October 2nd-5th 2015 by Andy B on Sunday, 20 September 2015
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Old Stone Fort Knap-In and Atlatl event
Fri, October 2, 12am – Mon, October 5, 12am

Old Stone Fort State Park, 732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN 37355, United States

This event will include a presentation by Dr. Ryan Parish on the Chert Resources in Tennessee, Sat Oct. 3rd, at 1pm.

For more info please contact Ranger Jamie Hambrock at jamie.hambrock@tn.gov or call park office at (931) 723-5073. Flyer for the event can be found here: https://goo.gl/jBavyX
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Old Stone Fort Archaeological Society, second Thursday of each month by Andy B on Sunday, 20 September 2015
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Thursday, 8 October 2015, 18:30
Old Stone Fort Archaeological Society
When: Thu, 8 October, 18:30 – 19:30
Where: Old Stone Fort State Park, 732 Stone Fort Drive, Manchester, TN 37355, United States (map)
Description; The purpose of the Old Stone Fort Archaeological Society is to learn more about prehistoric Native American cultures and the early historic period of Tennessee. Meetings are scheduled for the second Thursday of each month and are free and open to the public.

For more information: mark.norton@tn.gov
http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/old-stone-fort
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Old Stone Fort is one of the most beautiful Native American archaeological sites by Andy B on Saturday, 22 May 2010
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There are several surviving enigmatic sites in the northern Georgia and western North Carolina that consist of dozens or hundreds of fieldstone cairns. The two largest are located in the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield in Cobb County, GA and in Ball Ground, GA near the Etowah River. When in the path of suburban development, some of these cairns have been studied by archaeologists. Artifacts found in the vicinity of the cairns suggest a Late Archaic or Early Woodland construction date (1600 BC – 800 BC.) No human skeletons have been discovered. However, the damp, acidic soil of northern Georgia can completely consume skeletal remains in little over a century.

The best preserved and documented stone enclosure is located in Manchester, TN. Known as the Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park; it is on a breathtakingly beautiful terrace between two branches of the Duck River. The Duck River Gorge and numerous waterfalls make this site also a wonderful place to visit for the natural scenery. The stone masonry is far less impressive than at Fort Mountain (see article on Fort Mountain, GA) but there are other architectural features, which make the site equally interesting. Some evidence of houses has been found. If continuous, the stone wall and earthen embankments would have been 4000 feet in circumference, but the earthen or stone walls were only built where the banks of the river were not steep. It is now theorized by Tennessee archaeologists that the site was an observatory and ceremonial site. The wide opening at one end of the enclosure faces the sunset on the Winter Solstice.

More at
http://www.examiner.com/x-40598-Architecture--Design-Examiner~y2010m3d13-Americas-architectural-heritage-the-Old-Stone-Fort--Manchester-Tennessee
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Old Stone Fort - Celebration of Archaeoskills. Sept 22 - 24, 2006. by bat400 on Sunday, 13 August 2006
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Celebration of Archaeoskills. Sept 22 - 24, 2006.

At the Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park and Museum, Manchester, Tennessee, there will be a "KNAP-IN" demonstrating and teaching Native American and international knapping techniques. There will also be demonstrations of aboriginal technologies including an atlatl competition.

For additional information contact:
Old Stone Fort Archaeological Park
732 Stone Fort Drive
Manchester, Tennessee 37355
telephone: 931-723-5073
email: ward.weems@state.tn.us

Camping within the park. Motels and hotels in the town of Manchester and at Interstate highway I-24 exits to the town.
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Old Stone Fort: Long and Lat and google sat. pics by bat400 on Tuesday, 18 July 2006
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The sat pic is great and really shows off how this hill fort was sited to enclose the spit of land between the two rivers and the older "moat" of the former bed of one of the rivers. There are waterfalls on both of the rivers. Its a beautiful location.
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Old Stone Fort visit July 13, 2006 by bat400 on Monday, 17 July 2006
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I visited the site for the first time last week. It struck me as being very similar to Fort Hill in Ohio. The main difference being the elaborate entry way created by earthworks at Old Stone Fort. Fort Hill lacks such a structure, perhaps because the entire site in Ohio is an isolated area where a creek cut through the neck of land connecting the area to a larger "plateau."

A small museum adjoins the site. You can camp and picnic on grounds across the Duck River from the hill fort and mounds.
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Re: Old Stone Fort by Partlow on Monday, 29 August 2005
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I must admit a mistake in writing that Old Stone Fort is Southeast of Manchester. I correct this to be West of Manchester with sincere apologies to all. As for it being on the Highland Rim, it is. Anonymous is right in saying that the site is "on" the edge of the Highland Rim but bear in mind that it's location is, as I said before, "at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau" which of course is at the eastern edge of the Highland Rim at that location (seperated by approx. 10 miles of a narrow valley called the Barrens). There are countless websites listing Coffee County as a Cumberland Plateau county as well as a Highland Rim county. Some references I used are:
Manchester area by Terraserver

Landforms diagram from meteorological paper

Physiographic description of the larger area
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Re: Old Stone Fort by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 June 2005
Northwest of Manchester - not southeast
on U.S. 41 and within one and one half mile of I 24 at exit 110

Edge of the plateau of the Highland Rim - not the Cumberland Plateau
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    Re: Old Stone Fort by Partlow on Sunday, 28 August 2005
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    Even though I don't respond to Anonymous comments (they usually, but not always, being "crank" ravings by those ashamed of their behavior), I must admit a mistake in writing that Old Stone Fort is Southeast of Manchester. I correct this to be Southwest of Manchester with sincere apologies to all. As for it being on the Highland Rim, it is. But to mention this as a correction of my mentioning Cumberland Plateau is absurd. I did not say it was on the Cumberland Plateau but only that it was "at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau" which of course is at the eastern edge of the Highland Rim at that location(seperated by approx. 10 miles by a narrow valley called the Barrens). There are countless websites listing Coffee County as a Cumberland Plateau county as well as a Highland Rim county. Some references I used are:
    Manchester area by Terraserver

    Landforms diagram from meteorological paper

    Physiographic description of the larger area
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Old Stone Fort by Partlow on Thursday, 24 March 2005
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One good link for a map of the site's location:

Map
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