Replica Burial Urn Donated to MUW

COLUMBUS, Miss. — A replica of a Chickasaw burial urn that was unearthed during the construction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has been donated to Mississippi University for Women to be displayed at the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center.

“The urn means a lot to Plymouth Bluff as it adds to our museum. It is another part of the story of Plymouth Bluff, the people and cultures that have lived here and each artifact or replica aids in telling that story,” said Dave Haffly, director of the Plymouth Bluff Center and outsourced enterprises.

Uncovered in Clay County, urns, such as the one discovered, were used for the burial of children of several tribes.  The urn was uncovered by the Corps of Engineers while bulldozing the Tennessee- Tombigbee Waterway in the early 1980s. The bones in the burial urn indicated the age of the child encased to be between 2 and 3 years of age. Due to the condition of the remains, identifying the sex was impossible.

After the discovery, the urn remained in the possession of Bill Yarbrough, landowner of the property where the urn was uncovered. James Denney, grandson of Bill Yarbrough, can remember his grandfather being respectful and protective of the urn, not allowing anybody to go near it.

After the passing of Yarbrough, Denney sought to have the urn returned to the Chickasaw Nation and honor the nation by having a replica displayed at the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center.

“We decided to give it back to the Chickasaw Nation so they could repatriate it and bury it on their lands,” he said.

After talks among Denney’s family, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Chickasaw Nation, the urn was returned to the nation in Oklahoma. In return, the Nation provided Denny’s family with two replicas of the burial urn.

One of the urns will remain with Denny’s family while the other will be on display at the Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center.

“Our museum has displays which break down the history of Plymouth Bluff and the surrounding area in distinct historical periods. The burial urn will be displayed in the period dedicated to the Mound Builders or Mississippians which covers a period of 100 BC to 1540 AD which is a time when only Native Americans occupied this area,” stated Haffly.

Located in a secluded area high above the old Tombigbee River Channel near Columbus, the Plymouth Bluff Center is a 190-acre educational and recreational facility. The center offers facilities for training, education and recreation for a variety of groups.