Parkin Archeological State Park: Unearthing Mississippian Life

Parkin Archeological State Park offers a unique glimpse into the lives of the Mississippian people who inhabited this area from approximately 1000 to 1550 AD. The 17-acre site, a National Historic Landmark, preserves the village of Casqui, believed to have been visited by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in 1541. The park features a visitor center with a museum showcasing artifacts excavated from the site and other nearby locations. See the results of ongoing research at the Arkansas Archeological Survey research station located within the visitor center. Walk the ¾-mile fully paved Village Trail, which winds through the site, passing the Mississippian Indian mound and the restored Northern Ohio Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1910 for the children of African-American mill workers. Interpretive panels along the trail tell the stories of both the prehistoric village and the more recent history of the sawmill and town that once stood here. The trail also crosses sections of the moat that once protected the village. Parkin Archeological State Park provides a fascinating look into the past, blending Native American history with the more recent stories of the people who lived and worked on this land.