Freewoods Area Survey - Homochitto NF - MS - PIT Blog - Passport in Time

Please join us on the Homochitto National Forest for the surveying of an area near the historic community of Freewoods! According to historic maps and other documentation, Freewoods was a diverse early 19th-century community in which Native Americans, African-Americans, and Whites intermarries, and lived together in peace. Slavery was not allowed in Freewoods, and there are documented accounts of the people of Freewoods fighting off the Ku Klux Klan. The community of Freewoods was similar to the "Free State of Jones" community in Jones County. The survey area is also adjacent to the Homochitto River and Zeigler Creek, which are both major sources of water in the region, and there are documented prehistoric sites in the area that include mounds and fish weirs. This season, we will be surveying and using shovel-testing and screens to try and locate new sites in this high probability area. Specifically, we'll be looking for traces of early 1800s homesteads and prehistoric occupation. Supplies and equipment will have to be packed in, but it will all be worth it! There will be one day scheduled for a guest speaker (retired archaeologist) and field trips to local archaeological sites (weather permitting) We hope to see you this fall for a unique, Homochitto National Forest PIT opportunity!