In 1883 the Smithsonian Institution excavated the South Charleston or Criel Mound. Thirteen skeletons were found, most of them in a large log tomb at the base of the mound, along with a few grave offerings. The mound was built by the Adena Culture, about A.D. 1. It is the second largest in the State of West Virginia and the last of many mounds and earthworks that once were found in the Charleston area.