The Tennessee Division of Archaeology maintains a database of all archaeological sites recorded within the state of Tennessee . As of January 1, 2009 this catalog contains more than 22,000 sites, including both prehistoric and historic resources. In Tennessee, Prehistoric is generally defined as the time between the appearance of the first people in the region (c. 12,000 BC) and the arrival of the first European explorers (c. 1540 AD). The Historic period begins after the arrival of those Europeans and continues to the present. Both these periods are further divided into subperiods and phases using established archaeological conventions for the region.[1]
The following list of archaeological sites in Tennessee encompasses sites that have either contributed substantially or have the potential to contribute substantially to research regarding people who have lived in what is now Tennessee. Note that a historical site is not necessarily an archaeological site. According to the Tennessee Division of Archaeology Site Survey Record, official site numbers are generally assigned to historic sites only if artifacts and/or historic documentation for that site support a pre–1933 date. Historical sites are included in the following list only if archeological field work has been conducted at the site.
The term cultural affiliation refers to the archaeological period when a site was created and/or occupied. Many sites were occupied during more than one archaeological period, and are therefore known as multicomponent. An example of a multicomponent site would be American Civil War earthworks constructed at the same location as a prehistoric Mississippian village. The cultural affiliation category in the list below refers only to periods in which the most significant occupation or event (e.g., a battle) took place at the site.
Archaeological sites recorded in Tennessee are assigned State Trinomials consisting of letter and number combinations that indicate the state and county where the site is found, and includes a sequential number identifying the specific site. For example, the trinomial 40DV11 designates the eleventh archaeological site recorded in Davidson County (DV) , Tennessee (40) .
Legend for cultural affiliations:
Paleoindian [2] — roughly 12,000 BC (and possibly earlier) to 8000 BC
Archaic — c. 8000 BC to 1000 BC
Woodland — c. 1000 BC - 1000 AD
Mississippian — c. 900 to 1600 AD
Cherokee — affiliated with proto-historic and historic Cherokee occupation (c. 1600-1800)
British colonial — affiliated with Euro-American expansion, pre-1776.
American — affiliated with Euro-American occupation or events post-1776
The sites are listed alphabetically by county.
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40AN20
Woodland, Mississippian
1960s
40AN74
Woodland
1990s
Cox Site
Mississippian
1934
40AN21
Woodland
1930s
40AN8
Woodland
1960s
40AN28
American pioneer
1977
DOE -owned
Freels Farm Mounds
40AN22
Woodland
1930s
40AN2
1960s
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40BN190
Paleo-Indian
1990s
Bridges Site[3]
40BN13
1941
Submerged
Cherry Site[3]
40BN74
1941
Danville Ferry Site[3]
40BN3
1940
Submerged
Earp Site[3]
40BN63
1941
Eva Site
40BN12
Archaic
1940
Submerged
Frazier Site[3]
64BN59
1941
Gatewood Site[3]
40BN47
1940
Harmon's Creek Site[3]
40BN8
1940
Submerged
Ledbetter Site
40BN25
1940
Lick Creek Site
40BN30
1940
Submerged
McDaniel Site
40BN77
1941
Odle Site
40BN23
1941
Stockdale Site
40BN32
1940
Sulphur Creek Site
40BN7
1940
Submerged
Thomas Site
40BN11
1940
Submerged
West Cuba Landing Site
40BN17
1941
Young's Landing Site
40BN60
1941
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40BT47
Woodland, Mississippian
c. 1990
Apple Barn Site
40BT90
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee
1999–2001
Peter Cable Complex
40BT34
American pioneer
national park
40BT133
Archaic, American pioneer
national park
Chilhowee
40BT7
Cherokee
1950s
Submerged
Gas Company Site
40BT94
Woodland
1999–2001
40BT141
Woodland, Mississippian
national park
Indian Grave Gap
40BT140
national park
Kinzel Springs Site
40BT89
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee
1999–2001
John Oliver Complex
40BT55
American pioneer
1980s
national park
Pony Ride Site
40BT91
Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee, American
1999–2001
Prater Site
40BT2
1942
40BT129
Archaic, Woodland
national park
Spence Field
40BT138
national park
Tallassee
40BT8
Cherokee
1955-1957
Submerged
Bradley County [ ]
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Candy Creek
40BY14
1937
Chatata
40BY13
Mississippian
1930s
40BY15
Mississippian
1937
Varnell
40BY40
1939
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40CP2
Mississippian
1930s
40CP9
Mississippian
1930s
40CP1
Woodland
1930s
40CP5
Mississippian
1930s
Saltpeter Cave
40CP3
Woodland
1930s
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Hoover-Beeson Rock
40CN4
1963
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Fudd-Campbell Site
40CR3
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Ashland Bridge Site
40CH73
1983-1984
Mound Bottom
40CH8
Mississippian
1970s
state archaeological site
Pack Site
40CH1
Mississippian
1930s
40CH87
American industry
state park
Woodard Mound
40CH3
1936
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40CS24a
Paleo-Indian
1970s
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40CE20
Mississippian
1930s
40CE28
Archaic, Woodland
40CE56
Woodland
40CE40
Archaic
40CE109
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40CY63-65
Archaic, Woodland
2001
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Bible Site
40CK11
1966
Del Rio
40CK7
40CK6
Woodland
1960
Swaggerty Blockhouse
40CK201
American pioneer/American agricultural
2001
private property
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40CF237
American industry
Old Stone Fort
40CF1
Woodland
1966
state park
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Buchi Site
40DV1
1936
Hermann SIAS #96
40DV2
1972
40DV4
Mississippian
1868, 1992
40DV5
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
1821, 1860s, 1880s, 1992, 2014
Mississippian features partially excavated during construction of First Tennessee Ball Park in 2014. Parts of the site are intact.
40DV9
Paleo-Indian, Archaic
Traveller's Rest
40DV11
Mississippian
West Site
40DV12
1964-1970
Prison Farm "B"
40DV35
Mississippian
1969
Brick Church Pike Site
40DV39
1970s
First American Cave, Regions Center (Nashville)
40DV40
Ice Age fauna, Woodland
1971
Brick Church Mound and Village Site
40DV39
Mississippian
1877, 1969, 1971-2001
Destroyed for residential development
The Hermitage
40DV100
American plantation
Museum
The Ensworth School
40DV184
Paleoindian, Archaic, Mississippian
2003
Destroyed
40DV392
Mississippian, American military
40DV447
Archaic, Woodland
40DV551
Archaic, Woodland
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Dickson County [ ]
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40FY436
Woodland
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Owl Hollow
40FR7
Submerged
Mason Site
40FR8
1966
Brickyard Site
40FR13
1966
Tucker Rock Shelter
40FR16
1966
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40GL54
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, American military (Civil War)
None
Private
40GL85
Woodland
40GL25
Mississippian
Grainger County [ ]
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40GN228
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
Davy Crockett Birthplace
40GN12
Woodland, American pioneer
1977
state park
40GN229
Archaic, Woodland
40GN257
American pioneer
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Hamblen County [ ]
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40HA84
Mississippian
owned by Audubon Society
Citico
40HA65
Mississippian
1915
threatened with housing development
40HA1
Woodland, Mississippian
1930s
Submerged
40HA301
Mississippian
2008
Destroyed for industrial development; location of material collected unknown
Davis Site
40HA2
1936
40HA146
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
part of Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District, part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
40HA3
Mississippian
1930s
40HA43
Mississippian
1940s, 1950s
40HA64
Archaic, Woodland
owned by Audubon Society
40HA147
Archaic, Woodland
part of Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District, part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Moccasin Bend
40HA63
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
1960s
National Archaeological District, part of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Sale Creek Site
40HA10
1937
40HA140
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
Woodland
on state property
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Shiloh Battlefield Site
40HR179
American military
national military park
Shiloh Indian Mounds
Woodland, Mississippian
National historic landmark
Swallow Bluff Island Mounds
40HR16
Mississippian
Private
The Holliston Mills site, a Mississippian town in Upper East Tennessee, is located on the north bank of the Holston River south of Kingsport in Hawkins County, Tennessee. The site was excavated by members of the Tennessee Archaeological Society between 1968 and 1972. It was excavated in ten-foot blocks using six-inch levels, revealing a large late prehistoric (and perhaps protohistoric) town represented by at least two palisades, more than 660 burials, a large public structure, and several smaller domestic structures. The excavators initially reported the recovery of what they believed to be Cobb Island pottery in the plow zone and much Dallas material from the level excavations, but they also noted that the site had been looted prior to their excavations. There is little, if any, Cobb Island pottery, but there are some Pisgah ceramics.
Hawkins County [ ]
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Big Sandy Site
40HY18
1940
Centerville Landing Site
40HY4
1939
Kays Landing Site
40HY13
1940
McAdoo Site
40HY10
1939
Obion Mounds
40HY14
Mississippian
1940
Thompson Village
40HY5
1939
Williams Site
40HY1
1939
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland
40HI133
Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland
40HI131
Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40HS168
American industry
American military
State park
40HS6
Mississippian
40HS60
Paleo-Indian
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Fort Blount
40JK125
American frontier, Middle Woodland
1989–1994
40JK129
Archaic
40JK145
Archaic
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40JE41-44
American military
Zimmerman's Island
40JE2
Mississippian
1940s
Submerged
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40JN159
Mississippian
1990s
national forest
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Bowling Site
40KN29
1961
Copper Ridge
40KN2
1961
Cruikshank Bend
40KN27
1961
Looney Island Village Midden
40KN4
1961
Marble Springs
40KN125
American pioneer
state historic site
40KN86
40KN39
Woodland
1961
Peak Site
40KN27
1961
40KN23
Mississippian
Submerged
Ramsey House
40KN120
American plantation
1995
Museum
40KN142
American military
U.T. Agriculture Farm Mound
40KN16
Woodland
William Blount Mansion
American pioneer
National Historic Landmark
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40LK54
American military
40LK10
Mississippian
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Fort Pillow
40LA50
American military
state park
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40LD35
Archaic
1976
Bat Creek Site
40LD24
Mississippian
1975
Partially submerged
Bussell Island
40LD17
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee
1970s
Location of Tellico Dam
Henry Site
40LD53
1981
40LD38
Archaic
1970s
40LD208
Mississippian
1989
Kittrell Mound
40LD183
1985
40LD211-212, etc.
American military
Mainland Village
40LD18
1980
Morganton
40LD105
American river town
1978
Submerged
40LD179
Woodland
40LD107
Cherokee
1970s
Submerged
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Bugtussle
40MC1
American military
1983
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Cochran Site
40MD23
Archaic, Woodland
1970s
Grouped with Pinson Mounds
Denmark Mound Group
40MD85
Mississippian
40MD3
Woodland
Pinson Mounds
40MD1
Woodland
1960s, 1970s, 1980s
state archaeological park
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Bible
40MI15
1965
Lay
40MI20
1965
Nickajack Cave
40MI108
1960s
Submerged
Pittman-Alder
40MI5
1964
Westmoreland
40MI11
1964
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Maury County [ ]
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40MN3
Woodland, Mississippian
1930s, 1980s
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Big Hill Pond Fortification
40MY95
American military
40MY111
American military
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Hiwassee Island
40MG31
Mississippian
1930s
state wildlife refuge
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40MR25
Archaic, Woodland
1960s, 1970s
submerged
Bell Rattle
40MR211
1981
40MR41
Archaic, Woodland
1970s
submerged
Chota
40MR2
Cherokee
1960s, 1970s
submerged; monument in raised area
Citico
40MR7
Mississippian, Cherokee
1970s
submerged
Fort Loudoun
40MR1
English colonial military
1930s, 1970s
original site raised with fill; fort reconstructed
Galyon Farm
Great Tellico /Chatuga
40MR12
Cherokee
40MR8
Cherokee
1970s
submerged
40MR21
Archaic, Woodland
1970s
submerged
Hodge Site
40MR46
1973
Howard Site
40MR66
1976
Icehouse Bottom
40MR23
Archaic, Woodland
1970s
submerged
John Carson Site
40MR24
1967, 1977
Jones Ferry Site
40MR76
1976, 1979
40MR20
Mississippian
1960s, 1970s
submerged
Mayfield I
40MR26
1967
Mayfield II
40MR27
1967
McGhee Cabin
40MR30
1967
Mialoquo
40MR3
Cherokee
1970s
submerged
Pate Mound
40MR16
1981
Patrick Site
40MR40
1972-1973, 1975
Patrick Quarry Site
40MR45
1979
Peery I Site
40MR67
1976
40MR44
Archaic, Woodland
1970s
submerged
Sloane Bridge Site
40MR226
1981
40MR32
Cherokee
1960s
Tanasi
40MR62
Cherokee
1960s, 1970s
submerged; marked by monument
Tellico Blockhouse
40MR50
American military
1970s
state park
Tomotley
40MR5
Cherokee
1970s
submerged
Toqua
40MR6
Mississippian, Cherokee
1970s
submerged
Tuskegee
40MR24, 40MR64
Cherokee
1960s, 1970s
submerged
40MR71
English colonial military
1970s
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Dunbar Cave
40MT43
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
state park
Fort Defiance /Fort Bruce
40MT287
American military
Riverview Mounds
40MT44
Mississippian
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40MO161
Woodland, Mississippian
part of Brushy Mountain prison complex
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Sanford Rock
40PY1
1936
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40PT38
American pioneer
40PT39
American pioneer
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40PK1
Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee
1930s
Hiwassee Old Town
40PK3
Woodland, Mississippian, Cherokee
1980s
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Rhea County [ ]
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Hampton Site
40RH41
1940
40RH35
American pioneer
Leuty Site
40RH6
1940
McDonald Site
40RH7
1940
Smith Site
40RH42
1940
Spivey Site
40RH39
1940
Watts Bar Waste Site
40RH64
1979
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Alford Site
40RE4
1940
Bell Site
40RE1
1935
40RE137
Mississippian
Dearmond Site
40RE12
1940
Elben Cave Site
40RE118
1964
Fort Southwest Point
40RE119
American military
1970s, 1980s
museum
Long Island Site
40RE17
40RE243
Woodland
Tarwater Site
40RE33
1941
Thief's Neck Site
40RE19
1942
Wilson Site
40RE6
1972
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40RD177
American military
National battlefield
40RD23
American plantation
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40SV51
40SV43
Mississippian
1980s
McMahan Mound Site
40SV1
Mississippian
1980s
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Chucalissa
40SY1
Mississippian
state park
40SY615
American plantation
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40SM134
American military
Beasley Mounds Site
40SM43
Mississippian culture
1895
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Wells Creek Crater[4]
40Sw73
Paleo Indian
1960s
Can drive through[5]
Eastman Rockshelter
Sullivan County, TN
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Cain/Wolford Site
40SL31
1975
Submerged
Linville Cave[6]
40SL24
Woodland
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Bledsoe's Station
40SU32
American pioneer
1990s
Public park
Camp Trousdale Site
40SU107
American military
Castalian Springs
40SU14
Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
40SU15
Mississippian
Wynnewood
40SU75
state historic site
Tipton County [ ]
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Island 35 Mastodon
40TP84
Pleistocene Faunal
1900
Destroyed
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Big Bone Cave
40VB103
Woodland, American
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40WR15
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
40WR5
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40WG17
Woodland, Mississippian
1976- Current
Active
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Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
40WH65
Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
40WH43
Woodland, Mississippian
40WH98
1980s
Williamson County [ ]
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Sellars Indian Mound
40WI1
Mississippian
Managed by Long Hunter State Park
Location not publicized [ ]
Site
Designation
Cultural affiliation(s)
Year(s) excavated
Status
Mississippian
1980s
See also [ ]
Tennessee Division of Archaeology
History of Tennessee
Notes [ ]
^ Site data on file, Tennessee Division of Archaeology Site Survey Record, Nashville
^ Although the Wikipedia entry for Paleoindian inserts a hyphen into the word, accepted scientific and archaeological nomenclature omits this punctuation; see links under Resources below for correct usage.
^ a b c d e f g Chapman, J. (2006). The Archaeological Collections at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture. Frank H. McClung Museum Occasional Papers , (7), 1–34. Retrieved from https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2019/05/ArchaeologyCollectionsGuide.pdf
^ Don W. Dragoo Archaeology of Eastern North America Vol. 1, No. 1 (SPRING 1973), pp. 1-56 Published by: Eastern States Archeological Federation Article Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/40914129
^ "Archived copy" . Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2012-08-05 .CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )
^ Franklin, Jay. "The Archaeology of Linville Cave (40SL24), Sullivan County, Tennessee" .
Resources [ ]