All 150 coins have been claimed for 2026. The caches are still in place but the 2026 challenge has ended. Thank you for coming out and enjoying LBL Heritage.
This Geocache is part of an annual Geocache Challenge put on by the Heritage Program at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area as part of our outreach to the public, to get people to explore their forest and their history, and to share the unique heritage of the families from Between the Rivers.
This Geocache is part of the “2026 Land Between the Lakes Heritage Geocache Challenge: Mississippian Indians”. There are 6 geocaches placed across Land Between the Lakes related to the history of the Mississippian Indians (A.D. 1000 – 1500) along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. If you locate each geocache, and collect a numbered aluminum tree tag from each cache, you can turn them in at the Golden Pond Visitor Center for one of 150 Challenge Coins created for this event.
The Geocache is a 6” x 6” orange watertight plastic box marked “Heritage Geocache” on the top. The geocache is placed among some cypress knees.
Jonathan Creek Village Geocache
The Jonathan Creek Site was a Mississippian-era (AD 1000-1500) village with six earthen mounds surrounding a plaza situated on the west bank of the Tennessee River, now located underneath the waters of Kentucky Lake. The site was first mapped in 1888 by Geologist Robert Loughridge.
The Site was later explored by archaeologist C.B. Moore in 1914-1915. Moore traveled the southeastern waterways in his steamboat called the “Gopher” excavating hundreds of prehistoric sites.
The next research into Jonathan Creek Village was conducted by University of Kentucky archaeologists William S. Webb and Willam D. Funkhouser. Starting in 1940, in preparation for the creation of Kentucky Lake, members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), working through the University of Kentucky, excavated one quarter of the village before 1942 when the crew was drafted into World War II.
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Crew who excavated the Jonathan Creek Site from 1940-1942.
Findings: Community Structure
Native peoples lived at the Jonathan Creek Community from around AD 1200-1300. They laid out their town similar to other Mississippian Mound Towns. Buildings were arranged around an open central plaza that was flanked by earthen mounds which often had structures on top and burials inside them. The community was enclosed by a palisade (a tall fence of wooden stakes) that was fortified with bastions. As the town grew over time, houses were rebuilt and the palisade was expanded to encompass the larger population.
Findings: Houses
The majority of houses were rectangular and around 15 to 20 feet square. The entrance was often at the corner. The walls were made of wooden posts that were then covered over with wattle and daub. The remnants of 89 structures were uncovered during the excavation.
Two types of house construction were observed. Placing Single-Set posts in the ground, which is an earlier construction technique.
And digging Wall-Trenches to place the wall posts into. This is a later construction technique and may represent a construction innovation.
Findings: Pottery
The people of Jonathan Creek made and used a variety of ceramic pottery. Their shapes included Jars, Bowls, Bottles, Hooded Bottles, Pans, and Plates. They came in colors of plain, red, brown, black, and red designs painted over black. Some pottery was polished shiny, some was impressed with cordage, and some was imprinted with fabric.
By studying the fabric impressed pottery, archaeologists can learn how the people wove their fabrics.
