Historic Sites - Chucalissa Prehistoric Indian Village
04 Chucalissa Prehistoric Indian Village
- Thatch-roofed structure at Chucalissa Prehistoric Indian Village.
Hundreds of years before Europeans came to America, Indians flourished along the eastern shore of the Mississippi River. These ancient peoples hunted, made tools of bone, stone and wood, were capable farmers, and lived in thatch-roofed homes. They built earthworks and worshipped the sun. Chucalissa is a working reconstruction of a 1,000-year-old Indian village that flourished here, with grass thatched huts, a temple, and a ceremonial burial ground. A museum at the site helps visitors understand its history. The name means "house abandoned" or "deserted town" and was chosen for the site by its rebuilders. The original peoples were encountered by DeSoto in 1541, but had deserted the town by 1673 when the French arrived. Today Choctaw Indians live on the site and demonstrate Indian crafts. The rebuilt village is operated by the University of Memphis.
Chucalissa Prehistoric Indian Village
1987 Indian Village Drive, T. O. Fuller State Park, Memphis, TN 38109
(901) 785-3160
