Cornfield Mound and Prehistoric Trenches

During the excavation of the Cornfield Mound, archeologists discovered charred corncobs and a layer of rolling topsoil under the mound. The parallel rows indicated a cultivated field used by the Mississippians, who were master farmers growing corn, beans, squash, sunflowers, and tobacco. The cornfield may have been used for ceremonial purposes, because crops were usually grown near the river. Archeologists believe that the location was used for a field and later covered to create a mound. During the excavation, trenches were found near the cornfield mound. The trenches form two parallel interconnected depressions measuring 3 to 9 feet in depth and 15 to 25 feet wide. The trenches were found to be prehistoric, but their use is unknown. Archeologists believe that the trenches could have been used as a defensive barrier, or borrowing pits for mound building. After the excavation, the trenches were only partially back filled. Today, the trenches remain in sections of oval depressions in semicircular bands.

Macon-Bibb County, Georgia · United States