Warning - this page contains illustrations of burial
objects
Culture Periods Represented: Archaic, Woodland, Mississippian
The Ganier Site is located to the
southeast of the Cleeces Ferry parking lot on Cleeces Ferry Drive. During the 1960's, excavations were done here to collect information
about the site before it was destroyed by the house construction. This work revealed that
Native Americans lived here during the Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian Periods.
The
Ganier Site Today
(Click for larger image)
During the Archaic and Woodland Periods, the People had small campsites here that were probably occupied seasonally. They made temporary camps at good hunting or fishing places, and to gather certain plants at different times of the year. This allowed the People to make the best use of the area's natural resources.
During the Mississippian Period, the Ganier site was a small farming
village of 15 to 20 houses. About 100 people 
The Mississippian people also fished
and harvested river mussels here. If the weather is good when you visit you'll probably
see local people fishing along the river bank, or launching their bass boats and canoes
from the landing. Some things never change.
Indians In Dugout Canoe
(from a painting by John White in the British
Museum)
(Click for larger image)
Radio-carbon dates suggest the Ganier site was occupied from around 1200 A.D. to 1450 A.D. The Mississippian settlement at Gordontown, another site included in this guide, was occupied about the same time. People from the Ganier village might have had friends at Gordontown, which is only a few miles away. Maybe they got together to fish or hunt, just like the people you see down there on the river bank do today.
Two stone-box grave cemetery areas were discovered during the salvage excavations. Some artifacts found in the graves are shown below. These burial offerings were placed in the grave by the friends and relatives of the deceased. The Noel Cemetery site description goes into more detail about the burial customs of the Mississippian Indians.
Burial Goods From
The Ganier Site
(Click for larger image)
The river's powerful presence still dominates the scene here, as it has for
thousands of years. Southeastern Indians liked to have their towns close to rivers,
creeks, and streams. It was convenient to have a constant source of fresh drinking water
nearby, and the mussels and fish taken from the rivers and streams were an important part
of the People's diet.
The river systems also provided other advantages. They were Native American
"interstate highways." They linked towns and settlements together on the trade
routes that stretched across both continents. Through this network, ideas as well as trade
goods moved from town to town, spreading political, religious, and artistic concepts
across wide areas. The map at left shows the major river systems in North America.
(Click for larger image)
Mindscape U.S. Atlas
Flowing water also played an important part in southeastern religious ceremonies. In historic times, for most tribes the day began at sunrise with everyone "going to water," bathing in the nearest stream or river. Personal hygiene was only one reason for this custom - it was also a ritual of giving thanks and purification. The People did this every day, rain or shine. In winter, when the water was frozen, they broke the ice and went in. Other ceremonies preceding important activities often included going to water, like those held in preparation for war or before the ball game. Early explorers considered all this bathing to be a sign of the Indian’s ignorance. At the time, European medical experts believed daily baths were unhealthy.
Nashville still depends on the river, just like the People of the Ganier and Clee's
Ferry sites did. Today we still get our drinking water from the Cumberland, although it runs through miles of
pipes after a lengthy filtering process. While you're at this site you might see a tug
pushing a huge barge loaded with bulk materials,
churning past Bell's Bend, symbolizing
the age-old link the river provides to distant places. And we continue the practice of
"going to water" every day, though we now carry out the ritual under a shower
head instead of on the river bank.
Barge Passing Clee's Ferry
(Click for larger image)
The Cherokee sometimes used the term "Long Man" when referring to a river. They realized that rivers are alive and deserve our respect. We depend on them for our survival. They are a part of us. The Long Man's blood - the river's water - flows through our veins just as it flowed through the veins of our ancestors, and as it will flow in the blood of our children. The river connects us to the past, to the future, and to one another.
Cumberland River at the Ganier Site
(Click for larger image)
So while you're here, pay your respects to the river, and don't forget to say goodbye to the Long Man when you leave.
Ganier
Site Map
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