Near Alto in Cherokee County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Burial Mound

Photographed by James Hulse, September 1, 2023

1. Burial Mound Marker

Inscription. This burial mound was about 20 feet tall and 90 feet in diameter when the village was abandoned. A series of archeological excavations beginning in 1939 determined that it was built in successive stages over a period of about 700 years, ending around 1300 A.D. It contained around 90 bodies in about 30 burial pits. Burial here was reserved for community leaders, and evidence suggests that family members or servants may have been sacrificed and interred along with them. People brought food, water, fire, and tobacco to the grave for several days after the burial to help the deceased arrive safely at "the other house," or afterlife. Refined objects found in burials included stone and copper ornaments along with fine locally made ceramic vessels.

Images: Texas Beyond History, TARL, University of Texas at Austin, Texas Historical Commission Collection Akalong Suitsuit, Fotolia; Illustration: Howes Golson

Erected by Caddo Mounds State Historic Site.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.

Location. 31° 35.857′ N, 95° 9.08′ W. Marker is near Alto, Texas

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, in Cherokee County. It is at the intersection of State Highway 21 and Farm to Market Road 2907 on State Highway 21. The marker is located in the north central section of the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1649 TX-21, Alto TX 75925, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and in the Piney Woods.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Waystation for Travelers and Traders (within shouting distance of this marker); A Welcome Rest (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Travel Encounters (about 500 feet away); Zebulon Pike Campsite (about 500 feet away); El Camino Real de los Tejas (about 500 feet away); Famous and Infamous Journeys (about 600 feet away); Natural Spring (about 600 feet away); Low Platform Mound (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alto.

More about this marker. The marker is located in the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site and it does require a small entry fee to visit.

Also see . . . Caddo Mounds State Historic Site. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, one of the best known and intensively investigated Indian sites in Texas, is on State Highway 21 about six miles southwest of Alto in southern Cherokee County. It comprises much of what is known to archeologists as the George C. Davis
Photographed by James Hulse, September 1, 2023

2. The Burial Mound And Marker
Site, the southwesternmost ceremonial center of the Caddoan peoples who flourished on the western edge of the woodlands of eastern North America between 1000 B.C. and A.D. 1550. Caddo Mounds consists of three large earthen mounds, as well as a large portion of a prehistoric village.

(Submitted on September 8, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

The view of the Burial Mound and Marker from the hiking trail loop image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 1, 2023

3. The view of the Burial Mound and Marker from the hiking trail loop

Credits. This page was last revised on September 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 404 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 9, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.