McMahan Mound in Sevierville

McMahan Indian Mound - Sevierville, Tennessee  McMahan Indian Mound – Sevierville, Tennessee The McMahan Mound sits just above the Little Pigeon River, nestled between a Shoney’s and a hotel. At first glance, it might seem like nothing more than a simple mound of manmade landscaping, placed to obscure the hotel guests’ view of the road. But according to the archaeological record, this mound is officially designated as site 40SV1 and measures 240 feet wide and 16 feet high. When I visited, however, it didn’t appear any taller than me at 6'2". Upon arrival you will notice a historical marker that reads: This Mississippian substructure, sixteen feet high and 240 feet in circumference, built during the Dallas phase between 1200 and 1500, was first excavated in 1881 with artifacts being sent to the Smithsonian. Later excavations exposed nearby villages of the Woodland Indian dating from 200 A.D. to the Cherokee who roamed this valley when pioneers settled in the late 1700s. Origina...