Georgia's mountains conceal ruins of ancient people
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Georgia's mountains conceal ruins of ancient people
adapted from an article by Richard Thornton, Examiner.com, May 21, 2012
While we have no written record of the history of Mesoamerican peoples after the Book of Mormon account ends in 425 AD, many legends and newly found archaeological artifacts indicate a more or less constant migration northward. We know there was a lot of northward migration during Book of Mormon times, and it would appear to have continued for many hundreds of years. Evidence of probable Mesoamerican migratory groups is being found from the Hopi in the Southwest to the Kashita in Georgia.
The rugged terrain and thick vegetation in the gold-bearing mountains of northern Georgia contain a little known architectural heritage of Native American stone structures, mounds and town sites, plus many abandoned mines of unknown ages.
It is only when the collective number of village sites along the Upper Etowah River are counted that the scale of the Upper Etowah Valley’s Native population is appreciated. Native American artifacts appear out of the earth after plowing or heavy rains throughout the region. The concentrations of stone weapons, soapstone bowls, copper objects and pottery are from many eras, spanning 10,000 years. However, the greatest number of artifacts can be dated to a period between around 800 AD and 1250 AD. It is obvious that during that golden era, many thousands of people lived in the region.
In 1735 a delegation of the top leaders of the Creek Confederacy presented a painted vellum to the colonial leaders of Georgia, which in the red and black characters of the Creek writing system, described “The Migration Legend of the Kashita People.” The Creeks had a sophisticated writing system long before Sequoyah’s Cherokee Syllabary. The English translation of this vellum requires eight printed pages. The legend states:
“The Kashita dwelled with the Kusa for awhile, whose huge capital was located on the Coosawattee River in northwest Georgia. They then traveled north to the Talasi River (Little Tennessee) then crossed two rivers before coming to a powerful people who lived in a mountainous province. The Kashita called the highest mountain“Moterel,”because it made a rumbling sound like a drum. The Kashita first arrived at a recently abandoned town on the White Path that led to a river. The Kashita sent two scouts to the capital of the province, which was a town on the side of Mount Moterel. Its occupants had flattened foreheads. They refused to provide the Kashita with food. Therefore, the Kashita attacked the city on the mountain, and killed all but two people and a white dog. The Kashita then left Moteral and befriended the Palache who then lived in the lower mountains.“
This clearing is one of many sites around the Etowah Valley
that was densely occupied by Native Americans.
Section of a 6 foot high retaining wall or dam near an Apalachee village site.
Pottery found around the site dated to over 1,000 years ago.