Sauls Mound

Sauls Mound, the largest Middle Woodland mound in the United States, stands 72 feet tall and is the most visually impressive earthwork at Pinson Mounds. Named for a previous owner of the site, it was built in a series of construction stages beginning about 2000 years ago by dumping and compacting basket load after basket load of soil. Its base is rectangular, with each corner aligned with a cardinal direction, and it is aligned with Mound 28 in the northeastern corner of the complex along the line of the summer solstice sunrise. Its construction required tremendous effort and thousands of person hours of labor, and its great height may have been achieved by workers whose dedication came from strong belief.

Tennessee · United States