Oklahoma - Spiro Mounds
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
Craig Mound
A massive burial mound at Spiro,
the Craig Mound once contained
the remains of hundreds of high
status Native American leaders.
Reconstructed House
Among the exhibits at Spiro is
this reconstructed Native
American home. The site once
contained hundreds of similar
structures.
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center
Spiro, Oklahoma
|
Just southwest of Fort Smith in
Eastern Oklahoma is one of
America's most significant prehistoric
Native American sites. Spiro Mounds
is a 150-acre site, complete with 12
earthen mounds, that was occupied
by a highly sophisticated Native
American culture from roughly 850
A.D. to around 1450 A.D.
Considered one of the four most
important prehistoric Native American
sites east of the Rocky Mountains,
Spiro represents both the worst and
best of preservation.
During the early 20th Century, several
of the key mounds were gutted by
relic hunters and hundreds if not
thousands of highly important
ceremonial objects were sold to the
highest bidder. The looting so
outraged citizens and leaders in
Oklahoma, that the state became one
of the first in the nation to pass
stringent preservation laws. As a
result, the mounds today are part of
Oklahoma's only archaeological
center.
Just minutes from Fort Smith, Spiro is
a fascinating and educational
experience.
Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center is
located on Lock & Dam Road, 4 1/2 miles
north of Oklahoma Highway 9 in Spiro
(Highway 9 is the Oklahoma extension of
Interstate 540 in Fort Smith). The site is open
Wednesday through Saturday from 9 to 5 and
on Sundays from noon to 5.
To begin an in-depth exploration of this
significant site, please follow this link:
