in anticipation of the inundation of the lower little tennessee valley by the creation of tellico lake, the university of tennessee department of anthropology (under contract with the national park service) surveyed the area in 1967. test excavations were conducted at the tomotley site that same year in an attempt to locate the historical village. as the tellico dam project stalled, more extensive excavations were conducted in 1973, 1974, and 1976. the excavations located 19 cherokee and pre-cherokee structures, including tomotley's councilhouse, 18 human burials, and several thousand ceramic, stone, and bone artifacts.