Mont Helena

Mont Helena Pictures

Mont Helena Historic Pictures

Mont Helena Virtual Model

The Mont Helena site consists of two mounds: mound A has a plantation house built on top of it, the base is 270 by 210 feet, summit is 168 by 150 feet, and was 25 feet high before being cut down to 10 feet for construction; mound B has suffered from heavy cultivation, though artifacts such as an arrowhead, black stone hatchet, and various ceramic sherds were found and sent to the Smithsonian (Phillips 1970, 470). During a visit to the site in 1950, mound B was reported to be about 55 meters in diameter and one meter high, and a very small collection of artifacts was collected; reports by Brown and Eames mention a possible third mound, but it was not located (LMS Archives Online, 21-M-2).

The ceramic assemblage, which includes Baytown plain and Coles Creek incised, indicates an Aden phase occupation of the early Coles Creek Period (Phillips 1970, 470). There is some discrepancy on the spelling of the site's name. Archaeological records typically spell Mount Helena, whereas the site owners who run it as a commercial historic destination spell it Mont Helena. The latter spelling is used here to avoid confusion due to the tourism aspect of the project.