War with the French forced the Natchez Indians to abandon the Grand Village and their other settlements. The war arose from disputes between the Indians and the French over debts and land ownership. In 1729, the Natchez abruptly switched their allegiance from the French to the English and attacked the neighboring French colony.In early 1730, the French and their Indian allies took over the Grand Village. Some of the Natchez Indians temporarily occupied two nearby forts and resisted the attackers. A French map of the area shows the two Natchez forts (upper left on either side of St. Catherine Creek) and a siege trench (center of map) dug by the French as an approach to the Natchez forts. The Grand Village mounds are shown at lower left.In an attempt to locate the French siege trench and other buried features at the site, archaeologists employ a variety of techniques that cause minimal disturbance. Soil conductivity, how an electrical charge travels below ground, can sometimes reveal traces of past activity. Studying the site's magnetic properties is another method used to find buried features. Drilling to remove small soil core samples can help confirm the conductivity and magnetic survey results.

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Show me all markers in:  Natchez, MS  |  Adams County  |  39120  |  Mississippi  |  United States of America

Historic Use of Ceremonial Mounds
Three Archaeological Excavations
Historical Archaeology - the Chief's House and Temple
Road to Fort Rosalie
Historic Plaza
Native Structures
St. Catherine Creek
Ceremonial Center
Abandoned Mound
Grand Village of the Natchez Indians

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