McMahan Mound Site, Native American burial mound in Sevierville, Tennessee.
McMahan Mound Site is a Mississippian-era earthwork in Sevierville that rises prominently where two river valleys meet. Excavations have exposed the remains of a large village with defensive walls, revealing the advanced construction techniques of this earlier culture.
The site developed during the Mississippian era when large communities thrived across the region. It lay abandoned long before Europeans arrived, but formal study began in 1881 when the Smithsonian Institution became involved.
The site served as a hub for Mississippian people and reflects how religious practices shaped community layout and daily life. The arrangement of structures reveals how residents organized themselves and expressed their beliefs through space and construction.
The location sits where two rivers meet, so visitors should expect changing ground conditions and damp terrain in certain areas. Sturdy footwear is advisable, and the terrain can be uneven in places.
Among the artifacts are European items like glass beads and brass pins, showing that this community traded with newcomers who had arrived in the region. These objects suggest that cultural contact happened gradually and involved exchange rather than sudden conflict.
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