The Largest Pyramid in the US - Kolomoki

Greetings all, this being my 1st post thought I would start with something local to my region that many people do not seem to be aware of. Very briefly, I have always heard about these "indian mounds" about an hour from where I live. People told me they were no big deal and I had been to them as a young kid, etc. but then I found out they had canoo'ing so a friend and I planned a day to go check it out.

So, the night before the trip I go researching the burial mounds. To be frank, I'm not near as much interested in my regional Native-American remnants and myths so much as I am those of Central and South America. That said, I am familiar enough with the local pottery patterns of the regional natives, enough so to which I can notice when something is out of place. When looking at some of the examples of the pottery I thought
immediately "That looks Mayan", turns out that it probably is.

The official story is that the Weedin Island tribe more than likely migrated from Central Amerca over the Gulf to the Weedin Islands just West of Tampa and then North 300 miles to Southwest Georgia. This would not be an easy journey and unless 1000's of fleeing Mayans were involved they would have more than likely suffered severe casualties along the way. The time-line from when the Weedin Island culture being established is 250 ce - 500 ce. If you go to Kolomoki thats the timeline they give for when the "indian mounds" and "temple" were being constructed! (alongside the help of the Swift Creek local tribes)

Let me get to the point before this becomes tl'dr, I got there and mound A is not a burial mound nor a Swift Creek temple. I climbed it, its a pyramid/ziggurat and we dont have those around here. It stands debateably 53 feet high and has never (publically) been deeply excavated. Only a portion of the base and the top have been exacavated and that was fairly recent. Another thing worth mentioning is that as part of the museum tour you watch a 10 minute film on what they believe the Swift Creek/Weedin civilization was like, they show a layout of the complex and stuff but something stood out to me and I asked the "tour guide", I noticed the hierarchy in this civilization wore seashell necklaces to show they're higher status? Why is that? I've never seen any other North American Native-Americans use seashells to show high status? She didn't know. I asked if perhaps it was something the Weedins had brought along as a symbol of them having conquered crossing the ocean maybe? She smiled and nodded her head to the side and replied "Maybe?". I'm not good at embedding videos and showing pictures but know you guys can investigate it yourselves if you have never heard of it.

Its interesting to say the least, so what do you guys think? Alot of people think the Mayans put they're pyramids and settlements in certain locations for certain reasons? "Indian mound"s B & C are astrologically aligned with the main pyramid so that on the longest day of the year the sign rises directly in the center of the two. Thanks for reading, hope you all find it worth checking out.

Good post!

Of course, the ancients were not bound, or even aware of, modern constraints on where they could or should have lived or migrated to. We need to follow the evidence, not the theory.

reply to post by 1/2 Nephilim

Thanks for letting us know about this, OP. I had never heard of this place. I saw a photo on Google earth and it is intriguing as to why they built it there.

Thanks guys but I've been researching this afternoon and now feel my OP is ignorant in ALOT of ways. I am going to be studying this over the next couple of days and aim to put together a much better post. There are things that aren't adding up all around this.. I just feel like I'm onto something and I want to get to the bottom of it. Namely the Letchworth mounds, and the Ocmulgee mounds being considered Mississippiian when there is evidence that the Weedens had made it as far north as Atlanta long before Ocmulgee was supposedly constructed. To give credit though if in fact Ocmulgee did not start thriving until 900 CE that correlates perfectly with the time period textbooks say Letchworth saw its unexplained abandonment. Just that kinda stuff, never realized I might actually live in a place that is surrounded by amazing archeological sites, always considered by town to be sortof a s*** hole, lol..

1st - They are mounds. Not pyramids.

Do not try to sensationalise a topic by putting in words like Pyramids and largest etc.

The Kolomoki Mounds are not Pyramids. They are Mounds.
None of the Kolomoki Mounds are the largest in United States.
But theKolomoki Moundss are one of the largest mound complexes found in South Eastern United States.

Being one of the "largest Mound complexes" and being the "largest Mound" are entirely two different aspects.
The temple mound or the Mound A is the oldest of the mounds and is only 57 feet high. but being 57 Feet doesn't make it the largest mound. it may be the tallest mound, but not the largest.


The largest Earthwork mound in pre-Columbian United states is the Monks Mound which is part of the Cahokia Mounds.

Monks Mound (pictured above, right) is the largest structure and central focus of the city: a massive platform mound with four terraces, 10 stories tall, and the largest man-made earthen mound north of Mexico. Facing south, it is 100 ft (30 m) high, 951 ft (290 m) long, 836 ft (255 m) wide and covers 13.8 acres (5.6 ha).[10] It also contains about 814,000 cu yd (622,000 m3) of earth.[11] The mound grew in stature over the course of several centuries through as many as ten separate construction episodes, as the mound was made ever higher and the terraces and apron were added.[10]

Grave Creeks Mound located at Moundsville in West Virgina is the largest Conical Mound built in the United States. it was built by the Adena Culture.

In 1838, road engineers measured its height at 69 feet (21 m) and its base as 295 feet (90 m). Originally a moat of about 40 feet (12 m) in width and five feet in depth, with one causeway across it, encircled the mound.

Once again -
A Mound is not a Pyramid.
The temple Mound of the Kolomoki mound complex is not the largest Mound, but the Monks Mound of the Cahokia Mound complex.

reply to post by coredrill


Why is it not a pyramid? The lack of a pinnacle? This is the definition of a pyramid I'm speaking of exactly: Any of various similar constructions, especially a four-sided Mesoamerican temple having stepped sides and a flat top surmounted by chambers.

My thinking now is that not only Kolomoki's original builders but those of a few other sites were indeed relocated Mesoamericans, namely the Weeden's. Looking around last night I did see that Monk's Mound though and must admit, VERY cool, I'm just sticking to these anamolies local to my area for the time being though. Think I read its base diameter is the same as the Giza Pyramid/Pyramid of the Sun? Could be wrong, would have to go back and check but I think thats the one?

Edit: Oh yeah, I read it was 57 ft some places, 60ft on other sites, at Kolomoki State Park though they claim its only 53 ft high.

Originally posted by 1/2 Nephilim
reply to post by coredrill

 

Any of various similar constructions, especially a four-sided Mesoamerican temple having stepped sides and a flat top surmounted by chambers.

What in the whooe world are you talking about??
What chambers?
Pyramids arwe made up of blocks,. stones, etc. not of soil.
Mounds are made up of soil.

When you heap soil up, pat it down , it doesnt make a pyramid.
Temple mound doesnt have a Pinnacle, but a flat surface on top.
Temple mound doesnt have chambers on top or in tis sides or any other sort of construction into it, just that it is stepped in formation.


Ok tell me - on what basis do you call the temple mound a pyramid?

Originally posted by coredrill

What chambers?
Pyramids arwe made up of blocks,. stones, etc. not of soil.
Mounds are made up of soil.

When you heap soil up, pat it down , it doesnt make a pyramid.
Temple mound doesnt have a Pinnacle, but a flat surface on top.
Temple mound doesnt have chambers on top or in tis sides or any other sort of construction into it, just that it is stepped in formation.

Ok tell me - on what basis do you call the temple mound a pyramid?

Good point and I agree with you that no pyramid made of soil/wood would withstand the weathering of 1500 years without its shape being drastically altered. That said, no deep excavations have been conducted on Kolomoki temple mound A., at least not in the history books. While I do make the claim that it is indeed a pyramid I do not (yet) have evidence of chambers however I certainly do no rule out the probability thereof. The unwavered shape is what makes me think it is a true, Mayan influenced pyramid.

As I said in my second post this has turned into some really enjoyable research for me and I'm getting back at it today. I'd like to point out to you though something particularly. This is a tidbit from the wiki on Monks Mound: " Unlike Egyptian pyramids which were built of stone, the platform mound was constructed almost entirely of layers of basket-transported soil and clay. Because of this construction and its flattened top, over the years, it has retained rainwater within the structure. This has caused "slumping", the avalanche-like sliding of large sections of the sides at the highest part of the mound. Its designed dimensions would have been significantly smaller than its present extent, but recent excavations have revealed that slumping was a problem even while the mound was being made."

At Kolomoki we do not see this slumping, nor at Letchworth-Love mounds nor at the Ocmulgee temple mound. Yesterday I was lucky enough to get on the phone with someone who oversee's ALOT at the Letchworth-Love Park. I explained I was independently researching the expansion of the Weeden Island culture and was wondering what they assumed the mounds consisted of, mineral-wise. The last and only archeological undertaking at Letchworth was almost 40 years ago to his knowledge... so its not easy to determine.

Then he emailed me the unit management plan for the park... not only that but directed me to a certain page detailing what minerals are in the area. (page 11 under Resource Management Component) and here is what we find in the Letchworth area, "This area is underlain by thick limestone, dolomites, sands,
and clays in the northern half of the county." Page 12 shows that the entire mound is covered with sand and the amount of sloping you see at different areas from an aerial point of view of the illustrated mound.

So basically, all I can tell you is this.. Considering the minerals that were readily available, sand and limestone.. One must assume Letchworth-Love are not 1500 year old sand castles.

bump cuz i just read this

The archaeologist who recently studied the site noted in his book, Kolomoki: Settlement, Ceremony & Status in the Deep South, that Kolomoki was the most populated settlement north of Mexico during its time period. The large pyramid at Kolomoki has a base larger than a football field and rises 57 feet high.

cool site, lots of good stuff.

www.mayainamerica.com...

a reply to: 1/2 Nephilim

Update???