The Kolomoki Mounds located in SouthWest Georgia are found within the largest region of Georgia, the coastal plain region (specifically the upper coastal plain). Formed from the retreat of previously higher sea levels from warmer times in the planet’s history, the area around the Kolomoki mounds has been known to have limestone and sandstone deposits, as well as some phosphate deposits. Most of the trees that dominate the area around the Kolomoki mounds are pines, as is common in this region. Going into more specificity, weathering and erosion have led to the alteration in appearance of the mounds, as well as bioturbation. Wind, rain, and plants have acted upon these mounds over the last several hundred years, loosening the soils around and on top, flattening edges of these mounds, and almost disguising them into the landscape. Some trees have even established themselves on top of these mounds, adding to this changing appearance that is actively happening right now.
In terms of the cultural landscape, remnants of the civilization that created these mounds can be found throughout this area. Pottery, tools, weapons, and other items have been discovered; these items have indicated that these mounds were made by the Swift Creek Native Americans, the dominant group of people in this region. There are nine visible mounds in the area, with a major “plaza” area where researchers estimate around 1500-2000 Native Americans lived. There is one really large “Temple Mound” with other smaller burial and ceremonial mounds in the region; some of these mounds are thought to align with astronomical events like the spring equinox and the summer solstice. With this large amount of human activity, it is safe to assume that there was heavy human influence on the region through hunting, gathering, farming, and other land management practices. This site is part of a series of sites which are arranged in an almost perfect line running from the Gulf of Mexico to the Etowah mounds also found in Georgia. This perfect alignment challenges preconceived notions of the intelligence of the culture which built these mounds, suggesting they may have had more knowledge of the world than what was originally thought.
Sources
A. (2019, June 30). The Dirty Little Secrets of . . . Kolomoki Mounds. The Americas Revealed. https://apalacheresearch.com/2019/06/30/the-dirty-little-secrets-of-kolomoki-mounds/
Cox, D. (2014, November 20). Kolomoki Mounds State Park – Blakely, Georgia. Explore Southern History. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/kolomoki1.html
Kolomoki Mounds State Park | Department Of Natural Resources Division. (2021, January 1). GA State Parks. Retrieved December 3, 2021, from https://gastateparks.org/KolomokiMounds
This post written by Jack Hudson, an undergraduate environmental science student at Emory University.