The Parkin Mound

The temple mound at Parkin is located in the center of the western edge of the site, on the east bank of the St. Francis River. Several large trees are present on the western side of the mound. This is a typical Mississippian flat-topped pyramidal mound, which functioned as the foundation for either a temple or a chief's residence. The 1.5 meter high apron or extension on the southern end of the temple mound also probably supported one or several structures. Other smaller mounds that have been partly leveled by farming were observed at the site. Six such mounds, measuring from a half meter to a meter in height, were mapped in 1940 by Philip Phillips, James Ford and James B. Griffin. These may have been house mounds supporting residences of important persons. Five of the small mounds are located near the large temple mound and were probably on the edge of a plaza area where ceremonies and games took place.

(Parkin plan view,courtesy Arkansas Archeological Survey).

No modern professional excavation was undertaken at the Parkin site until 1965. At that time, the University of Arkansas Museum held a nine-day training session for 50 members of the Arkansas Archeological Society at the site.

This photograph, provided by the University of Arkansas Museum, shows Society members taking part in the excavation at Parkin. The major objective of this excavation was to discern whether years of previous unprofessional digging had completely destroyed all aboriginal features. The artifacts uncovered during the training session included pottery sherds, Nodena points, small thumb nail scrapers, worked bone awls, needles and fishhooks.

In the summer of 1966, a University of Arkansas archeological field school was held at the Parkin site. A series of 1 by 2 m pits were excavated at the site, principally in the mound apron area. Several potholes on the top of the mound itself were squared off and cleaned out to observe whether there was any discernible stratigraphy.

This photograph from the University of Arkansas Museum shows a member of the field school cleaning out potholes on top of the mound with a southwest view of the village area in the background.

The information contained on this page was taken primarily from Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 13, by Phyllis A. Morse. Click here to see further references on the Parkin site.

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