Maps and Overview
Background Information
The prehistoric mound sites are located in the southern portion of the Delta region of Mississippi in six counties from Vicksburg north to Greenville. A majority of the sites are easily accessible from major state and US highways. Several of the sites are located directly on the highways, including Winterville (MS 1), Rolling Fork (US 61), Jaketown (MS 7), Arcola (US 61), and Dornbusch (MS 3). Most other sites are less than a mile from a major highway, including Grace (MS 1), Cary (US 61), and Mont Helena (US 61 or MS 16). The Lake George site is easily accessible because Satartia Road runs through the middle of it, but it is a few miles from the nearest highway, and there are no other mound sites in its vicinity, so the site may not be a practical addition to the main MMT route, but it is definitely worth keeping on the brochure. The Jaketown and Belzoni sites are the only sites in this set that are located off US Highway 49, though they are both easily accessible, and Jaketown Museum is located in the town of Belzoni. The Winterville mounds site is a state park and includes a museum as well.
The sites are in varying conditions and have varying numbers of mounds and phases of occupation. Some of the sites are on public lands and have been protected in more recent years, and many of the sites are on private lands and have been altered or destroyed by farming and building activity over the past few centuries. None of the sites in this set are located in or near Native American lands. So far, one of the sites, Leland, is not being officially included in the MMT project because the property owner has not given permission. The Linden site contains one small conical mound with a large tree growing in the middle in it; pictures were able to be taken of it, but the site is absent in the digital elevation model (DEM), presumably because the mound could have been lost during initial data processing where points from tree canopies are eliminated. See individual site pages for more details on the backgrounds of each mound site.
Locations of Prehistoric Mound Sites. All of the sites are included in the region of the Delta or Lower Mississippi Valley. The Haynes Bluff and Dornbusch sites are located in the northern edge of the Natchez Bluffs. The majority of the sites are on Deer Creek, with others on Yazoo River or oxbow lakes (not shown) of old river paths.
Sites, Major Cities, Highways. The mound sites in context with the major cities and highways in the region. Most sites are easily accessible from the highways, including US 61, US 49, MS 1, MS 3, and MS 16.
Sites, Parks and Public Places, Cities by Population. Most of the sites are not near major cities, though they are still easily accessible by road. State parks are not shown on this map, though some sites are located on state lands.