REFLECTIONS ON THE CHEROKEE PROJECT AND THE COWEETA CREEK MOUND

During the 1960s and early 1970s, the Research Laboratories of Anthropology at the University of North Carolina focused research efforts on the origins and development of Cherokee culture. The Coweeta Creek site (31MA34), one of three sites excavated over seven field seasons, has never received the attention it deserves. This article provides an overview of the "Cherokee Project" and suggests that the Coweeta Creek site should occupy a more prominent place in the study of Cherokee culture during the late prehistoric and early historic periods.