The McMahan Indian Mound

An archaeological site once occupied by Dallas Phase peoples of the South Appalachian region, the earthen mound you see today would have been much larger then and would have dominated the scene. Excavations by William H. Holmes in 1881, unearthed burials, arrow-points, a marble pipe, Mississippian culture pottery, and numerous engraved shell gorgets and columnella pendants. Several items of European manufacture were found in the excavation, including brass pins, and cylindrical glass beads, implying the mound site had been inhabited during the time of European contact in the American southeast. The mound is located on the Forks of the River Parkway in Sevierville, across from the Sevier County Public Library. The mound is largely undisturbed, but small sections have been removed due to construction of adjacent businesses. This Mississippian substructure, 16 feet high and 240 feet in circumference, built during the Dallas phase (1200-1500), was first excavated in 1881, with artifacts being sent to the Smithsonian. Later excavations exposed nearby villages of the Woodland Indian dating from 200 A.D. to the Cherokee who roamed this valley when pioneers settled in the late 1700s. Today, weary joggers and walkers from the nearby nature trail, can stop and enjoy this beautiful setting.