The Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is where thousands of Native Americans lived from 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D.  This is the “most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeast.”

Today, 54-acres have been preserved and restored to help us understand how these people lived in ancient times.  When you visit you will see six earthen mounds, a plaza, village site, borrow pits and a defensive ditch.

The Etowah Indian Mounds museum displays artifacts that show how natives decorated themselves with shell beads, paint, complicated hairdos, feathers and copper ear ornaments.  Hand-carved stone effigies weighing 125 pounds still bear some original pigments.  Objects made of wood, seashells and stone are also on view.

Make the most of your time by walking along the nature trail adjacent to the Etowah River that highlights how early civilizations used native trees for food and medicine.  You’ll see a v-shaped fish trap — a brilliant machine used to catch fish.

Although only a fraction of this precious resource has been excavated, much has been revealed at Mound C about the people who made their home here.  They were a society steeped in ritual.

Towering over the community, the 63-foot earthen knoll was likely used as a platform for the home of the priest-chief.  In another mound, nobility were buried in elaborate costumes accompanied by items they believed they would need in their after-lives.

The Etowah Indian Mounds Historic Site is open Tuesdays — Saturdays from 9 AM until 5 PM.   Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.  A leisurely tour might take an hour or two.

Amenities

• Six Earthen Mounds
• Museum with Film
• Gift Shop
• Bus Parking
• 20 Picnic Tables
• Riverside Benches
• Special presentations monthly
• Wi-Fi is available in the museum

You will find this exceptional historic site at 813 Indian Mounds Rd., S.W., Cartersville, GA, 30120.

Etowah Indian Mounds Webpage