The Toltec Mound Site: An Ancient Wonder in Arkansas

​Have you ever wondered what life was like for Native Americans over 1,000 years ago? The Toltec Mound site in Arkansas gives us a glimpse into that ancient world. This fantastic place was home to a group of people we now call the Plum Bayou culture.

Toltec Mound Site Aerial Image

The Toltec Mound site is a large area with many earthen mounds. These mounds were built by hand, without any machines or modern tools. The site is located near Scott, Arkansas, near Little Rock. It's now protected as Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park.

The Plum Bayou people started building these mounds around 650 AD. They continued to use and add to the site for about 450 years until around 1050 AD. That's a long time - imagine a project lasting longer than the United States has existed.

The mounds had different uses. Some were platforms for essential buildings, others for special ceremonies, and a few might have been burial places for important people. The giant mound is called Mound A. It's 49 feet tall, about as high as a 4-story building.

The Plum Bayou people lived in small villages around the mounds. They were farmers who grew crops like corn, beans, and squash. They also hunted animals and gathered wild plants for food. The mound site was probably a special place where they came together for significant events and ceremonies.

We don't know exactly why, but the Plum Bayou people left the Toltec site around 1050 AD. They might have moved because of changes in the climate or problems with their food supply. The site was abandoned for hundreds of years until European settlers arrived.
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The Toltec Mound site helps us learn about the ancient people of Arkansas. It shows how skilled they were at building and how they lived their daily lives. The site is also important to many Native American tribes today, who see it as part of their heritage.
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Visiting the Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park is like stepping back in time. It reminds us of the rich history of Native Americans and the amazing things they accomplished long before modern technology.