Natural Spring -- Caddo Mounds SHS, SH 21 W of Alto, TX
N 31° 35.805 W 095° 08.976
15R E 296053 N 3497745
A sign of history at the Natural Spring, Caddo Mounds SHS, SH 21 W of Alto, TX
Waymark Code: WMXK72
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2018
Views: 1
This sign is located near a Natural Spring at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site which was used by the prehistoric people who built mounds here.
The sign reads as follows:
"NATURAL SPRING
The natural spring located near the village site feeds into the Neches River and is likely the primary reason the Caddo settled here. It provided a continuous supply of fresh water for the local residents. Village women collected the water from the spring and large ceramic jars and carried it back to their homes for drinking, washing, and food preparation.
A Living Tradition
The Caddo created a rich variety of durable ceramics in a range of sizes and styles. In fact, the Caddo produced some of the finest pottery in North America. Few other Native American groups that made pottery could equal the Caddo in terms of variety, quality, and artistic expression in their pottery.
All Caddo vessels began as long coils of clay that were stacked and smoothed into a finished shape. The pot was fired inside a burning pile of branches and sticks, and then designs are engraved or carved into its surface. The resulting pottery ranged in color from light orange to chocolate or dark gray. Today, Caddo artisans continue the practices of their ancestors by creating beautiful pottery according to traditional methods."
Group that erected the marker: Texas Historical Commission
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
1649 SH 21 W
Alto, TX
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