Sauls' Mound

Sauls’ Mound, the largest Indian mound at Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park in Tennessee.

Obviously, this large mound of earth isn’t a natural feature on the otherwise flat land of this area. And it is hard to get a sense of scale here, but this mound is 73 feet high, making it among the highest Indian mounds that has been found. They think this one was built almost two thousand years ago.

On the opposite side of the mound, there are stairs leading up to an observation deck, which you can sort of see among the trees in this photo. Thankfully, there are also a couple of benches on the stairs so that you can stop and rest on your way up. Unless, of course, you prefer a heart attack. I chose the benches.

Oh, and if you are wondering who Saul is, he wasn’t the Saul of Tarsus that you read about from the Bible, although he was a contemporary of those who built this mound. And Saul wasn’t the name of the head of the Indian tribe, either. Rather, this mound was named for John Sauls, who owned the property before the state of Tennessee acquired it. That is why the mound is named Sauls’ Mound and not Saul’s Mound. Correct apostrophe location does make a difference, after all.

About the Photo

A single RAW exposure, processed in Adobe Lightroom. Read more about the photo software and gear I use at the camera gear page.
Camera: Canon EOS 60D
Lens: Sigma 10-20mm