Site · United States
Spiro Mounds
Caddo, Mississippian, 900–1450 CE
Spiro is a Caddoan Mississippian ceremonial centre of twelve mounds on the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma, occupied from about 900 to 1450. The 1930s looting of Craig Mound led to the first state antiquities law in the United States.
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State / province | Oklahoma |
| Dates | 900–1450 CE |
| Status | State Archaeological Site |
| Managed by | Oklahoma Historical Society |
| Access | Open to the public with an interpretive centre and trails |
| Coordinates | 35.311, -94.568 (public site) |
What was found
The Craig Mound Great Mortuary held engraved shell cups and gorgets, copper plates, textiles, basketry, effigy pipes, cedar masks and pearls, much of it dispersed by commercial looters in 1933 to 1935 before excavation. It is the largest assemblage of Southeastern Ceremonial Complex art.
Rules
Nothing may be collected, dug, moved or removed at Spiro Mounds; it is a protected archaeological site managed by Oklahoma Historical Society, and taking artifacts, stones or samples is an offence. Federal, state and tribal law, including ARPA and NAGPRA where applicable, protect the site and its burials. Objects looted from Craig Mound remain contested and the Caddo and Wichita nations are affiliated tribes. This article is for study and context only and is not a collecting locality.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Spiro Mounds" (Site). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/study/sites/spiro-mounds. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-spiro-mounds,
title = {Spiro Mounds},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/sites/spiro-mounds}},
year = {2026},
note = {Site article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, wikidata, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.