Biltmore Mound

History

Long before the Biltmore Mound was built, people lived in the area as early as 8,000 BC. The mound itself was raised over a settlement that existed around AD 300, with the first phase of construction starting sometime between AD 400 and 550. It is one of the oldest mounds in the Appalachian Summit, alongside the nearby Garden Creek Mound, both located in the French Broad River watershed. The final construction phase took place between AD 580 and 600, and a large ditch was dug around the mound near the end of that period.

Archaeologists have identified nine separate phases of occupation and use. The site is linked to the Connestee people, ancestors of the Cherokee, and remains important in Cherokee historical memory. It is considered part of the Hopewell tradition, a broad network of Native American cultures. Evidence of long-distance trade includes copper possibly from the Ohio River Valley and mica possibly from Macon County.

The mound was used heavily for ceremonies and communal feasting, as shown by artifacts like pottery, seashells, quartz crystals, minerals, and metal items, as well as large deposits of seeds and animal remains.

Description

The Biltmore Mound is a platform mound that originally stood 2 meters tall and 30 meters in diameter. It contains 62 postholes where ritual posts were once placed; these posts were removed and the holes filled with sediment before abandonment. The mound served as a substructure for wooden buildings used as civic or religious sites, possibly including an earthen Great House about 25 meters in diameter. The site is very well preserved and was encircled by a large village that has also been excavated.

Did You Know?

• The first modern archaeologist to report the site was David Warren, who performed an archaeological survey of the Biltmore Estate in 1984.
• Archaeologists from Appalachian State University began excavating the site in 2000.