Chota (Cherokee town)
|
Chota and Tanasi Cherokee Village Sites
|
|
Monument at the Chota site
|
|
| Location | Monroe County, Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Vonore |
| Coordinates | 35°33′18″N 84°7′52″W / 35.55500°N 84.13111°WCoordinates: 35°33′18″N 84°7′52″W / 35.55500°N 84.13111°W |
| Built | c. 1600-1745 A.D. |
| NRHP Reference # | 73001813 |
| Added to NRHP | 1973 |
Chota (also spelled Chote, Echota, Itsati, and other similar variations) is a historic Overhill Cherokee town site in Monroe County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Developing after nearby Tanasi, from the late 1740s until 1788 Chota was the most important of the Overhill towns, replacing Tanasi as the de facto capital of the Cherokee people.
A number of prominent Cherokee leaders were born or resided at Chota, among them Attakullakulla, Oconostota, Old Hop, Old Tassel, Hanging Maw, and Nancy Ward.
The former Chota and Tanasi sites are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places; Tanaxi also has an archaeological site designation (40MR62) in 1972. Since 1979, both sites have been mostly submerged by the Tellico Lake impoundment of the Little Tennessee River. Archeological excavations were conducted before the dam was completed.
The Chota townhouse site was found during the excavations. This area was raised above the reservoir's operating levels and connected via a causeway to the mainland. The Chota monument, situated directly above the ancient townhouse site, consists of eight pillars —one for each of the seven Cherokee clans, and one for the nation. The grave of the chief Oconostota, uncovered in the 1969 excavations, was re-interred next to the monument. This site is now managed by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.
The Little Tennessee River enters Tennessee from its source in the Appalachian Mountains and flows for just over 50 miles (80 km) through parts of Blount, Monroe, and Loudon counties before emptying into the Tennessee River near Lenoir City. Tellico Lake, created by the completion of Tellico Dam in 1979, spans the lower 33 miles (53 km) of the river. The Chota site is located approximately 27 miles (43 km) above the mouth of the river, opposite a sharp bend in the river known as Bacon's Bend.
...
Wikipedia