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Trade and Travel at Parkin

 

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Archeologists and historians have long been interested in the route of the Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto, who traveled through the southern United States for four years in the 1500s. After landing in Florida with a force of over 600 soldiers, the expedition traveled over a large area in the southern states, eventually reaching Arkansas in 1541.

However, very little evidence of the De Soto expedition has been found in Arkansas. The most convincing evidence so far has been found at the Parkin site on the St. Francis River. A small bead made of several layers of glass was found at the site, and we know from archeological work on other De Soto contact sites that this type of bead was carried by the expedition for giving or trading to the Indians. This photograph from the University of Arkansas Museum shows the glass bead found at the Parkin site. In addition, a brass bell was also found at the site. Bells of this distinctive style were also carried by the expedition.

 

 

But can these two small artifacts demonstrate that the De Soto expedition actually visited the Parkin site? By themselves, the answer is no, because the artifacts could have been brought to the site by Indian traders. But when we combine the artifacts with information in the expedition accounts, it may be possible to identify the Parkin site as one of the Indian towns mentioned by the writers. According to the accounts, the expedition passed through an Indian province called Aquixo. The residents of this region told De Soto of a great chief named Casqui, who lived in a town three days' journey from there. The expedition traveled to Casqui's town, passing many smaller towns that were ruled by him.

 

Archeologists believe that the Parkin archeological site is the main town of the Casqui province, where the chief resided. The native towns in the area are described in the chronicles as being surrounded by moats and log palisade walls.

 

An artist's reconstruction of how the Parkin site may have looked about A.D. 1500 is shown here (courtesy Arkansas Archeological Survey).

 

 

 

 

The Parkin site is surrounded by a moat or ditch, which is still visible today. This photo shows the moat filled with water after heavy rain. The site is located on the east bank of the St. Francis River, and a large earthen mound is situated near the river. All of these features of the site agree with the descriptions of Casqui in the expedition accounts. The glass bead and bell mentioned earlier support the identification of the Parkin site as the Indian town of Casqui. An ongoing program of archeological research is being conducted at the Parkin site by the Arkansas Archeological Survey, and visitors can see the results of careful excavations as we learn more about the original residents of this part of Arkansas.

 

The information on this page was taken from an article written by Dr. Jeffrey Mitchem, entitled The Parkin Site: Hernando De Soto in Cross County, Arkansas. For more information about De Soto and the Parkin site, click here for a list of references.