Songen Tang Period 6 12/11/2023

Songen Tang

Period 6

12/11/2023

Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper

During June of this year, Western Carolina University conducted a non-invasive archaeological dig of Watauga mounds in Macon County. This has contributed to discoveries about Cherokee history and culture. The tradition of mound building exists in many indigenous North American cultures including the Cherokee, Creek, Fox, Osage, Seminole, and Shawnee. The mounds were used for burial, religious, and defensive purposes but these specific Cherokee mounds also had connections to astronomy. 

Since many of the mounds were used as burial sites, they have been the subject of many 

excavations. For instance, the Valentine brothers conducted excavations of several mounds in Western North Carolina in the late 19th century in search of artifacts. Thankfully, not all of the mounds were found in this time period, so there are still examples to be studied today. Because of the destructive nature of these excavations, modern archeologists try to use non-invasive methods involving magnetometry and gradiometry instead. Preserving the mounds ensures that these important pieces of the history and culture of the Cherokee people are not lost. 

The Watauga mounds are significant because, along with the Kawi, Watauga, and Noquisiyi mounds, they create astronomical orientations that relate to the stars and solstices. For example, three of the mounds line up to create Orion’s Belt. Also, many important traditions were tied to the solstices so they were valuable days to keep track of. All of this suggests that the mounds may have been used as a calendar, which was not one of the uses that were previously known, making this an important discovery. 

In our group’s presentation on the Cherokee culture’s creation myth, we emphasized the connection the Cherokee people have with their environment and I think the practice of mound building is another example of that. The way that the Earth was created in that story was through the shaping of mud by a water beetle and buzzard into mountains and valleys. It's possible that the tradition of creating mounds was a result of people wanting to emulate this by creating their own mountains. Celestial objects also have a large part in the creation myth. The sky is described as being an arch overlooking the earth and above it is Gälûñ'lätï which is where all of the animals lived. The sun starts out as being too close to the Earth until medicine men raise it up. The Earth is tethered to the arch in the four cardinal directions. All of this demonstrates the importance of astronomy to the Cherokee, and the new discoveries about the Watauga mounds show one of their methods of tracking the stars and seasons. 

Sources

Admin. “Mainspring Conserves Cherokee Mound.” Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain News, 12 Aug. 2020, smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/29609-mainspring-conserves-cherokee-mound.

“NCpedia: NCpedia.” Link to NCpedia Main Page, www.ncpedia.org/anchor/cherokees-world-origin-story. Accessed 14 Dec. 2023.

Stone, Jessi. “Protecting the Past: Mounds Hold Key to Understanding Cherokee History.” Smoky Mountain News, Smoky Mountain News, 3 Aug. 2016, smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/18153-protecting-the-past-mounds-hold-key-to-understanding-cherokee-history.

WCU Stories                                                          July 25, 2023. “A Third Summer of Field School at Watauga Unearths New Discoveries.” Western Carolina University - A Third Summer of Field School at Watauga Unearths New Discoveries, 25 July 2023, www.wcu.edu/stories/posts/News/2023/07/a-third-summer-of-field-school-at-watauga-unearths-new-discoveries.aspx.

WCU Stories                                                          June 8, 2023. “Conference on Interdisciplinary Cherokee Language and Culture Revitalization Held at WCU.” Western Carolina University - Conference on Interdisciplinary Cherokee Language and Culture Revitalization Held at WCU, 8 June 2023, www.wcu.edu/stories/posts/News/2023/06/conference-on-interdisciplinary-cherokee-language-and-culture-revitalization-held-at-wcu.aspx.