Salt Industry

Salt Industry. Prehistory. , Nearly 1000 years ago, the area around First Tennessee Park supported a thriving salt works site. Once the home of a large Mississippian metropolis, Native Americans procured salt from surrounding springs to help sustain their cultural community and to trade as a valuable resource.

Since the early 19th century, antiquarians and archaeologists have identified traces of salt production in the area. During excavations in 2014, archaeologists uncovered a series of artifacts and features used in manufacturing salt from brine, including fire pits, fragments of burned limestone, large pottery sherds, and caches of clay and mussel shells. During the process of extracting salt, brine was evaporated in large, thick, heavy ceramic pans that averaged three feet in diameter. Evidence suggests that the pans were likely placed on thin limestone slabs or directly on top of the fire pits. Coarse-ground mussel shell was used to prevent breakage of the earthenware ceramics. Pans discovered from the excavations exhibit impressions of recycled textiles that were used to lift the earthenware from molds prior to firing.

Like the salt, the textiles have long since disappeared. The impressions left behind show a wide range of styles that likely indicate this Mississippian salt town was diverse and cosmopolitan. Today, you can visit the Tennessee State Museum to view the archaeological remains of this ancient salt industry.