Funk Heritage Center: Hall of Ancients

The Funk Heritage Center is located on the Reinhardt University campus in Waleska, Georgia.

The carvings on the rock appear to be from the Mississippian period of time, 1000 - 1550 AD.

The designs on Reinhardt's petroglyph are identical to those found on boulders along the Atlantic Coast of Ireland which date from the Early Bronze Age. The Irish petroglyphs were carved by non-Celts at least 1,500 to 500 years before the use of a unique form of Celtic writing. Irish researchers are not certain of the original meaning of the concentric circles, but many of the Petroglyphs seem associated with graves.

The Life Along the Etowah exhitit explains how the Southeastern Indians depended on the environment for survival. People have lived in the Etowah River Valley for thousands of years, a valley where three great geographic regions meet to create a rich and diverse environment.  These Native Americans respected the land and protected it because it provided for all of their basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, tools, weapons and transportation.           

A small area in the Hall of the Ancients is designed for young children. 

 Photos by Jan Riser.