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.
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