Building my mansion in 1926, we brought an architect from Wisconsin who brought the workers from there as well as stone from Etowah, Georgia. The Archaic people used shell to build up their architecture; the most impressive example is a 5,000 year old mound at Historic Spanish Point.
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ABOUT SHELL MIDDENS
During the Archaic Period, people progressively built middens for habitation and possibly the earliest forms of ceremonial mounds. Many of these are ring-shaped or open u-shaped structures, like Hill Cottage Midden (see image at the right) at Historic Spanish Point.
Middens are raised ground that holds the material remains of ancient peoples. A midden contains shells, pottery, charcoal, animal bones, stone tool fragments, and much more from the daily life of Native peoples. Many shell middens contain remains from fire pits, architecture (seen as post molds by archaeologists), house floors, and even burials. Some shell middens are architectural, including being used as elevated ground where Native peoples could enjoy breezes, see farther into the distance, and escape some insects and even floods. Archaeologists use the location of shell middens to figure out the patterns of where and how ancient people lived in the region. For instance, the placement of middens near the shores of rivers and bays indicate the close connection between the people of those centuries and the maritime ecology. Shell middens are important sources of information on past ways of life.
