Nacoochee Indian Mound was the Center of the Ancient Cherokee town of Gauxule, visited by DeSoto in 1540 in his search for gold, according to legend. On this ceremonial mound, 190 feet long, 150 feet wide and 20 feet high, stood the Town House, where a sacred fire burned unceasingly. Ceremonial dances were performed in and around the Town House. Residents of the town lived on the flat land surrounding the mound. The findings of Heye Foundation archaeologists who explored the mound in 1915 indicate the advanced cultural development of the builders.
The following is from "The Nacoochee Mound" phamplet citing:
'These Gentle Hills'
'The Fata Tryst' by Mervin Fried
'The Nacoochee Mound in Georgia' by Heye, Hodge and Pepper
Historical Records at northeast Georgia Regional Library, Clarksville, Georgia
[not edited for grammer or punctuation]
"A legend relates that Indian lovers from opposing tribes are buried in the Nacoochee Mound that stands at the junction of Highways 17 and 75. Sautee, a brave of the Chickasaw Tribe, and Nacoochee, daughter of a Cherokee Chief fell immediately and hopelessly in love when a Chickasaw band stopped in Cherokee territory at a desugnated resting place. The two lovers met in the night and ran away to nearby Yonah Mountain to spend a few idyllic days together. When they later confronted Nacoochee's father, Chief Wahoo ordered Sautee thrown from the high cliffs of Yonah Mountain while Nacoochee was forced to watch. Almost immediately Nacoochee broke away from her father's restraining hands and leaped from the cliff to join her lover. At the foot of the cliff the lovers dragged their broken bodies together and locked in a final embrace and died there. The Chief, overcome with remorse realized the greatness of love and buried the lovers, still locked in death, near the banks of the Chattahoochee River is a burial mound.
In reality, the Nacoochee Mound is a burial site, the graves in most probability having been placed there long before the Cherokee Tribe inhabited the area. Excavation between May and October in 1915 by a joint expedition of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, and the Bureau of American Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution unearthed 75 burials. The graves were discovered at varying levels, showing that the burials took place over a number of years. The differences in artifacts found indicate a slight change in culture, due possibly to the influence of civilization. Fire-pits were also found throughout the Mound, showing use at varying levels. In the Mound none of the remains were in a state of preservation to enable measurement, all of them being decayed as to be beyond recovery. Many years later the Cherokee Tribe used the mound as a site for their townhouse and ceremonial rites, ignorant as to the original purpose of the artificial hill. The dwellings of the village proper (some reports state 300 houses) were erected in the surrounding flatlands near the river.
Of the 75 skeletons unearthed, 56 were adults, 7 of adolescents, 4 of children, and 8 were unidentifiable as to age. With respect to orientation, the dead were interred with head directed in varying compass direction, one was buried in a sitting position, two were buried in a face down position. In regard to age, the direction of burial bears no special significance. Flexion of the body, especially of the legs was quite common. Of the determined burials, 47 were flexed in varying degrees (6 being flexed backward), while only 4 were buried extended full length. Artifacts were found with only 27 of the burials, the others had no accompaniments of any description.
The Nacoochee Mound is located in White County, Georgia two mile south of Helen on property belonging to the L.C. Hardman Estate. Dr. Hardman was a former Governor of the State of Georgia. During the summer of 1980 Nacoochee Valley, in which the mound is located, was placed on the National Regiater of Historical Places as a historical district."
