Great Temple Mound

earthwork structure, Georgia, United States

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 20, 2026

Quick Summary

The Great Temple Mound is an earthwork structure located in Georgia, United States, as part of the Ocmulgee National Monument. It was built by peoples of the Mississippian culture between approximately 900 and 1200 CE.1

This truncated, flat-topped mound, measuring 50 feet (15 meters) in height, is the largest on the site and is believed to have been used for religious ceremonies. The Ocmulgee National Monument preserves evidence of human habitation dating back much further, from 10,000 BCE to around 1715 CE. The Great Temple Mound is one of eight such mounds found at the site.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Ocmulgee National Monument
…used for religious ceremonies; the Great Temple Mound, measuring 50 feet (15 metres) in height, is the largest mound on the site. Artifacts such as copper and shell ornaments and evidence of more than 100 burials have been uncovered in the Funeral Mound. Both the Funeral Mound and the Lesser…
Read More
…used for religious ceremonies; the Great Temple Mound, measuring 50 feet (15 metres) in height, is the largest mound on the site. Artifacts such as copper and shell ornaments and evidence of more than 100 burials have been uncovered in the Funeral Mound. Both the Funeral Mound and the Lesser…
Read More