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Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Three previously unknown archaeological sites in the homeland of the Muscogee Creek Nation will be destroyed by a mine the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is prepared to approve.

The Corps has issued a report concluding there will be "no adverse effect" on the Ocmulgee Old Fields in Georgia. The area is known as the cradle of Muscogee civilization.

Cherokee Brick and Tile Co. is proposing to mine for clay in the Old Fields. A total of nine sites are located on land the company owns. Seven of the sites were deemed eligible or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The three sites that will be destroyed by the mine are the oldest and date back thousands of years. The company says it will pay for excavation.

The Ocmulgee Old Fields were placed on the 2003 endangered list by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma are opposing a highway development that would run through the area.

Get the Story:
American Indians object to report (The Macon Telegraph 11/5)
Sites of ancient culture could be destroyed in company expansion (The Macon Telegraph 11/5)

National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2003 Most Endangered List:
Ocmulgee Old Fields |

List highlights threats to sacred and historic sites (05/30)

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