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Ka-Do-Ha Indians

Since we missed the Star Party, and the San Jacinto Battlefield was flooded and all sorts of other things not panning out, we decided to take an impromptu visit to the Diamond Mines in Musfreesboro, Arkansas.  We arrived early evening on Friday and decided it was too late to start digging for diamonds and we needed to visit the local RV dealers for light bulbs - inside and out - for the trailer

While exiting the RV store, we saw a sign for the Ka-Do-Ha Indian Mounds and decided it might be worth a short look.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't only founds, there are excavations of several mounds, a nice walking trail, and a place to dig for arrowheads. 




This was the top of one of the mounds where a "temple" area was recreated on the top of the mound.  We learned from the museum and from the placards that the Caddo's, probably including the ones that settled into TX, built their temples on the mounds.  When their current chief died, he was buried and his temple burned.  Then, the area was covered with dirt for the next chief's temple.  One of the mounds we saw had 3 different burial areas, each in their own separate location and at different depths within the mound.  Very interesting excavation!

The Buffalo Kill Site was interesting too - we saw many many skulls of buffalo's and the burn marks from where it appears the remains that couldn't be used where burned.


 


 We didn't find any arrow heads in the digging area.  N had fun playing in the loose soil and the girls and I found a few small Quartz Crystals.  When we left, the museum director graciously gave the kids their own arrowheads since they didn't find any.

Looking down into the dig sites was a little nerve racking for someone afraid of heights.  The camera was even a little afraid too.

With the flash, we were able to get a few shots of the plaster bones (the originals were molded and then buried in a proper cemetery) and artifacts found within the mound excavations.
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