Chauga Mound

Chauga Mound is an earthen platform mound approximately 115 feet (35 meters) in diameter and 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall, located near the northern bank of the Tugaloo River in Oconee County. The structure features a flattened top and was built up in layers over time to create a ceremonial platform.

This mound was built in the 12th century by people of the South Appalachian Mississippian culture and saw four periods of occupation and use. After Hartwell Dam was completed in 1962, the site became submerged beneath Lake Hartwell.

This site served as a gathering place for the South Appalachian Mississippian people, where ceremonies took place and valuable items like copper plates were exchanged or displayed. The presence of shell ornaments and tools suggests connections between distant communities.

The site is now underwater as part of Lake Hartwell, making it inaccessible for direct visits or on-site exploration. Information about this place is available in regional museums and research institutions that hold artifacts from earlier excavations.

Researchers identified ten distinct construction phases of this mound, with each stage adding new layers that modified its shape and size. This pattern reveals that the site was continuously rebuilt and redesigned by successive generations of builders.