during the late 1960s and 1970s, the tennessee valley authority funded a series of excavations at the fort loudoun site (designated 40mr1) and other sites in the vicinity as part of mitigation efforts in areas to be flooded by the tellico reservoir. the most extensive excavations were conducted from may 1975 through august 1976, and were led by carl kuttruff of the tennessee division of archaeology. approximately 93% of the fort's interior was investigated by hand excavation during this period. researchers also investigated the area south of the fort, uncovering artifacts from the archaic, woodland, and mississippian periods, as well as items related to the cherokee village of tuskegee, which developed south of the fort in the late 1750s.