Ocmulgee's Earth Lodge - America's Oldest Ceremonial Lodge

Ocmulgee's Earth Lodge - America's Oldest Ceremonial Lodge. Ocmulgee National Monument. , Ocmulgee's Earth Lodge - America's Oldest Ceremonial Lodge , This extraordinary piece of Mississippian architecture, the ceremonial Earth Lodge, remained buried at Ocmulgee Old Fields for 800 years until it was discovered during major excavations by Dr. A.R. Kelly in 1934. The intact original clay floor was exposed by workers of the Civil Works and Work Projects Administration under the direction of James A. Ford. Distinct features of the floor were the bird of prey platform with three seats, a depressed fire pit, and forty-seven 'raised bench’ seats that extended around the circular wall and dropped in elevation as they neared the entrance suggesting that the closer a person sat to the platform, the higher his status in the society. The Mississippians had burned the building, possibly as some kind of cleansing ritual, or for other reasons. Fragments of clay, charred timber and cane from the ceiling/roof lay in a 'spoked wheel' pattern on top of the floor and were carbon dated to 1015. A large pottery vessel was the only artifact found in the lodge. , The Ocmulgee Earth Lodge was reconstructed within a concrete shell to preserve and protect the clay floor. In the reconstruction, workers used the same species of trees and cane as used in the original lodge. The entrance passage was rebuilt higher than necessary for easier visitor access. The original entrance height is unknown. Although the original roof was not sodded, the reconstructed roof was sodded for preservation purposes. The Earth Lodge was opened to the public in November, 1937. , The Earth Lodge was a Mississippian Council House - a public building much like our Senate Chambers. The fifty seats in the lodge create images of the men gathering for political and ceremonial (religious) meetings. The clay pot that was found in the excavated lodge suggests that members of the meetings-drank 'black tea' made from the highly caffeinated leaves of the Yaupon Holly bush., Captions , The Earth Lodge Before Excavations , Excavated Earth Lodge floor plan showing charred timber "spoked wheel" pattern. , Yaupon Holly leaves