NPS Website; Local Website
WHAT IS IT?Earthen mounds, presumably built about 1,000 years ago by the Mississippian Indian culture.
BEAUTY (6/10)
The Ocmulgee Mounds vary greatly in size, shape and function. The Earthlodge is small and conical with a wide base and a low ceiling reminiscent of the lodges we found in North Dakota at the Knife River Indian Villages NHS. The reconstructed interior utilizes the original clay floor, a perfect circle whose circumference is lined with comfy seat indentations which increase in size and elevation as they near the seat directly opposite the doorway.
The Great and Lesser Temple Mounds are massive trapezoidal structures. Their expansive roofs were once topped with rectangular wooden structures. In size, shape and scope they recall the Mayan temples we visited in Mexico and Guatemala. “Might there have been a connection?” we asked. “Of course,” the Ranger explained, “there is evidence of physical trade throughout the continents. Ideas, thought and even architectural style must have traveled as well.”
Six miles of nature trails wind through the many Mounds, into the woods and along the Walnut Creek. We ambled so peacefully on the trails that we lost track of time and had to rush back to the Museum before its 5 o’clock closure.
HISTORICAL INTEREST (7/10)
The Ocmulgee NM does a good job at emphasizing the knowns rather than the unknowns. The Site represents a southeastern outpost of the Mississippian people whose center was at Cahokia, near modern-day St. Louis, Missouri. Nearly 1,000 farming-based people lived at Ocmulgee. The various Mounds served different purposes and the Temple Mounds were built layer by layer over time.
The Visitor Center Museum displays a number of archeological objects found near or within the Mounds, the most impressive being a copper-plated puma jaw that sat on top of a ceremonial headdress. We continue to be surprised at the similarity between the objects we saw at Ocmulgee and those that we have seen in museums in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Mexico.
CROWDS (6/10)
A wide range of people was touring the mounds during our visits. Some were tourists fascinated by the structures while others while others were locals enjoying the warm winter day with their dogs.
EASE OF USE/ACCESS (4/5)
The Site is located along U.S. Route 80, a few miles from Interstate 16. The Macon, Georgia skyline is visible from the top of the Great Temple Mound, made accessible by a wooden boardwalk-type staircase.
CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
The bookstore is stuffed in a small-unmanned room adjacent to the Ranger desk. The poor book selection is balanced by a moderate choice of Native American handcrafted jewelry, dolls and arrowheads. The trinkets represent no particular people; in fact, a great number of disparate tribes are represented.
COSTS (4/5)
Absolutely free.
RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
Three Rangers staffed the Visitor Center and answered many of the questions about earth mounds that had lingered since our frustrating visit to the earth mounds at Hopewell Culture NHS seven months prior.
TOURS/CLASSES (7/10)The Visitor Center’s Archeological Museum and 30-minute introductory film were particularly helpful in framing our visit to the Mounds. We felt prepared with an understanding of the Mississippian cultures’ people, mound building motivation and life. The teaching tools neither cemented conclusions nor shrouded the Site in eternal mystery. We were not confused and were not overwhelmed.
The short audio program in the earthlodge points out the original clay floor’s many captivating idiosyncrasies. If you can fight off the claustrophobia, don’t forget to start the recording.
FUN (7/10)
We enjoyed our serene stay at Ocmulgee NM, so much so that what we imagined to be a short stop turned into a three-hour visit. This seems to be a recurring theme in our trip.
WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)
If you are driving south to Florida for vacation, there are only two Interstate routes, down 75 or 95. If Interstate 75 is your path, why not stop at Ocmulgee NM? It is less than five miles from 75 and is an enlightening and free stop. The kids can easily tire themselves out running up the Temple Mound staircase while you try to imagine the people who constructed these gigantic earthworks over 1,000 years ago.
TOTAL 55/80
www.usa-c2c.com
© 2004-06