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Forum: Stones Forum
Moderated by : Andy B , TimPrevett , coldrum , Klingon , MickM , TheCaptain , bat400 , davidmorgan , Runemage , SolarMegalith , sem
Respond to: N.O. - B.R.
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Elijah
Joined:
21-03-2012
Messages: 86
from Spain
 OFF-Line
|  New Message Posted!2012-08-12 13:15
Sorry if this reply is off-topic
The mention of this sites data-base caught my attention as I have a question in this area...
Is it possible to list, for arguments sake, let's say all the stone circles in Ireland, with details of any archaeological digs or otherwise, including details of any discoveries? I'm particularly interested in human cremations.
Audrey Burl's Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain Ireland, and Brittany does carry these details,and I was intrigued to learn that of the 390 sites he lists, of the limited number excavated, 110 were found to contain cremated human remains? A statistic that perhaps suggests a more specific role for these sites?
John
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bat400
Joined:
10-04-2006
Messages: 1349
from South Central Indiana, US
 ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-08-10 06:04
Actually, the sites are all earthen or shell mounds and earthworks. (There are very few examples of stone sites in this part of the south.)
The only problem with mound sites in North America is that for every large, impressive, and publically accessible site, there are a dozen or more sites that lie on private land, without access, or have been so degraded by agriculture and development, that they are only worth visiting for the die-hard.
For instance the Tchefuncte Site has one mound that was completely excavated and all traces removed. There was originally another mound, and although it doesn't sound like it has been destroyed, I can't find any information telling what it looks like now.
You could potentially stay right near New Orleans and possibly find the sites of several middens and shell mounds remaining in parks around the city: Tchefuncte at Fontainebleau State Park, Big Oak and Little Oak Island at Bayou Segnette State Park , and the Barataria Preserve at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park . At the first two of these you may not be able to find the mound sites. They may be off trail, or possibly in a restricted area of the park. At the last one, a village site and some mounds will have interpretation along a trail, but nothing may be very spectacular.
(On the other hand, you'll possibly be able to do some bird watching or enjoy the parks in other ways, and head back to the city for great food.)
Baton Rouge, with the Louisiana University Campus mounds and the State Museum is just up the road about an hour and a half away.
However, if you want to see something that is sure to be accessible and impressive. I suggest a road trip.
New Orleans to Baton Rouge and its sites, 1.5 hour drive.
Baton Rouge to Marksville, Louisiana, 2.5 hour drive. The "hopewell" like Marksville culture site and the museum at the park. Mounds and circular earthworks.
Marksville to Natchez, Mississippi, 2 hour drive. Visit the Grand Village of the Natchez and the small museum there. This was one of the remaining Mississippian ceremonial sites. When LaSalle encountered them in the 1680's their culture had already been disrupted by the diseases introduced by the DeSoto expedition in the 1540'2, but the ethnographic information collected by the French form one of the primary ways the prehistoric Mississippian cultures have been interpretted.
Just outside of Natchez, along the Natchez Trace and its parkway, is Emerald Mound, the 2nd largest prehistoric mound structure in the United states.
After leaving Natchez, you are a 3 hour drive back to New Orleans.
So, theoretically, you could spend 2-3 days outside of New Orleans, visiting these sites leasurely. If you were to add more sites in north east Louisiana or Mississippi, your easy road trip might become a bombing run, and I'm not sure how much you'd enjoy it.
Here are some more resources for Mississippi and Louisiana. Some of the sites in these guides are also site listings on the Portal, where you can search for them using map functions or the search by browsing on "United States" and "The South" and then by state. Other sites are not yet on the portal, but remember that many of these sites may only be "accessible" by a distant gaze from the closest road. The largest and most impressive sites (like Poverty Point are public, but be careful of the distances, they may be longer than you're used to driving, although most of the roads are quite good.
Once you know what sites you are interested in, its sometimes possible to find excavation records on line. The older projects sometimes show up in google books, and some universities have publications on line.
[ This message was edited by: bat400 on 2012-08-10 06:15 ]
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MichaelJachan
Joined:
04-07-2012
Messages: 4
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-08-09 08:32
Bat400, i booked the flight. My holdidays are from 23.9. evening to 28.9. evening, staring and ending in New Orleans
If these sites in ne LA and sw MS are "more interesting" than Mounds, i could consider to go there and to cancel/shorten Baton Rouge. Plz tell me about these sites!
BRM
BTW, i might also go to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tchefuncte_Site
Can anybody tell me about it?
[ This message was edited by: MichaelJachan on 2012-08-09 08:35 ]
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bat400
Joined:
10-04-2006
Messages: 1349
from South Central Indiana, US
ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-08-08 17:15
Micheal- How much time do you have In total? There are numerous
Sites (relatively close together) in ne LA and sw MS. (some of which I am still adding.)
( I'll point out that the percentage of US members (compared to Europeans) is still quite small and the country, large. For the active membership the option of frequent travel outside their regions is not necessarily easy for all of we few. The minor sites are numerous, but because of industrial farming here, very few people are going travel to try to see mere crop marks on inaccessible private land.
And believe me, most of you, As a group, are going to las Vegas or Disney world.)
[ This message was edited by: bat400 on 2012-08-08 19:55 ]
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Andy B
Joined:
13-02-2001
Messages: 7049
from Surrey, UK
ON-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-08-07 09:16
Hello Michael, the date system won't be ready until the autumn (fall) but for now the date can be included in the text about the site or added as a comment.
Most useful would be if you can gather information on sites that we don't have listed, including approx long/lat location. Or to find and take some photos of sites that we have listed as text only - these are shown in green on the map. All site photos are welcome though.
Have a good trip. Many thanks. If you sign up as a paid member you can also use the 'site visit' log system to store private comments about sites you are planning to visit.
I wish we could get some more American residents out enjoying the sites as visitors do!
[ This message was edited by: Andy B on 2012-08-07 09:18 ]
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MichaelJachan
Joined:
04-07-2012
Messages: 4
OFF-Line
| New Message Posted!2012-08-07 07:29
Thanks for your suggestions! I will process them and plan a route. But i think that i have decided alreadily to stay 3-5 days in Baton Rouge. Wiki tells me about indigenous habitation by 8000 BCE. Does anybody of you know excavations sites, ruins etc around B.R.?
PS: I am in connection to Andy B on a "project" about incorporating temporal data to the database. I am still not a paying member but i have ordered a credit card today THUS, as i would like to see dating-information in megalithic.co.uk i am willing to gather some data from the field and enter it. If you tell me which sites around B.R. are of particular interest for the community i can try to find out about them. I am accepting your suggestions!
PPS: I am a technician, not an archeologer. And i am doing this kinda stuff for the first time
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