1. We arrived at the Spiro Mounds site in early afternoon. The weather was warm but slightly overcast and threatening rain. After parking our PT Cruiser, we gathered our cameras and headed for the Interpretive Center. The sun was beginning to peek out of the clouds so we hurried inside, gave the attendant our donation, and ran out the back door towards the mounds.

2. Our first view of the mounds. Craig Mound is the tallest one, about 34 feet high, and to the left. Over 1,000 men, women, and children, along with artifacts, were buried in Craig Mound from the year AD 800 and AD 1450. In 1933, the Pocola Mining Company began digging into the mounds. In two years, they not only sold large amounts of valuable artifacts to private collectors, museums, and universities all over the world, but they also destroyed hundreds of burials and thousands of sacred and unique artifacts.

3. The Spiro people lived in small settlements, one to ten miles from a ceremonial center. Each settlement was made up of six or seven small homes like the one below. The working class were farmers, hunters, warriors, traders, builders, and craftsmen.

4. The ruling kings and priests lived at the ceremonial center, apart from the working class. The most important leaders were buried within the mounds along with many artifacts. Dirt taken from a nearby pit was carried to the mound in a fabric bag.

5. The State of Oklahoma pᴀssed a law in 1935 which closed down the commercial digs. The remaining 600+ burials were excavated by trained archaeologists from the University of Oklahoma during the period 1936 to 1941. The remains are the cultural property of the descendants of the Spiro people (http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/fundamentals/who.html). This photo is of a stone earspool found at Craig Mound.

6. Much of what we know about the Spiro people is revealed in their shell etchings. We know that they worshipped the sun and earth. The serpent was considered by them to be a lesser god. Falcons and raccoons were also venerated. The Shell Gorget was worn by political-religious leaders. The engravings on the one below tell us a little about the warrior class.

7. Thousands of arrow points were found in the mound burial sites including the Sallisaw point, Morris point, and the rare “Tribute Point.”

8. Spiro Mounds Archaeological Park includes a visitor’s center with an introductory slide program and interpretive displays. You can also take a self-guided tour over one and one half miles of gravel trails throughout the complex. Artifacts include pottery like the ones below.

9. Engraved copper plates found at the Spiro site.

10. A human effigy pipe made of red clay.

11. Preserved specimens of baskets and cloth were found in abundance at the Spiro site. Baskets, like the one below, were woven of river cane and dyed with walnut hull dye. River cane was also used to make blowguns, flutes, and fuel for fires. The seed of the cane was used for food.

12. The Spiro people were part of a major trade route extending from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. Canoes like the one below were used to haul goods by water.

I hope you enjoyed your CRUISE of the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center. For more information about the moundbuilders, check out the following websites: