It’s National Archaeology Month, and those who love to look back at the past and the people that walked before them will have a chance to do so on Saturday, Oct. 11, in Ingomar.
The community in Union County will be hosting its annual Ingomar Mound Archeology Expo from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Ingomar Mound – as its widely referred to but has a total of at least 12 excavated mounds, some of which were temple mounds and other for burials – is one of the largest of its kind in the Southeast and is an official Mississippi landmark.
The expo will include mound tours, demonstration of weapons, identification of artifacts, and the chance to eat from a Native American food truck. Other offerings include watching the migrating monarch butterflies, learning about native plants, and trekking the one-mile walking path around the site.
Admission is free with attendees encouraged to wear bug spray and bring any artifacts they want archaeologists on site to identify and discuss with them.
“We are excited to partner with the Mississippi Archaeological Association and the Archaeological Conservancy for this celebration of the annual Archaeology Month in October,” said Jill Smith with the Union County Heritage Museum.
Ingomar Mound, which covers approximately 63 acres, first drew researchers’ interest in the 1880s when the Smithsonian Institution studied it. Later research by Mississippi State University’s Cobb Institute found that the largest mound was built over 2,500 years ago.
A portion of the site was the victim of agriculture with some smaller mounds being destroyed. However, to help protect what remained, the Archaeological Conservancy purchased it in 2004. With the help of the Union County Heritage Museum and local elected officials and volunteers, signage, a parking lot, the walking trail, an outdoor classroom, and new steps up to the top of the largest mound have been built. Now, the site welcomes thousands of visitors each year from across the world.
“Imagine life here in this area, really before the development of agriculture,” Smith said when explaining why people should come to the expo. “These Woodland Cultures coming together to build a monument this size. The quadrangular mound is more than an acre in size and was quite an undertaking for prehistoric culture.”
Any questions about the Ingomar Mound Archaeology Expo can be directed to the Union County Heritage Museum at (662) 538-0014. The physical address for Ingomar Mound is 1113 CR 96.
