Oxford in Calhoun County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Choccolocco Creek Archaeological Complex
Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail
Photographed By Mark Hilton, January 26, 2020
1. The Choccolocco Creek Archaeological Complex Marker
Inscription.
The Choccolocco Creek Archaeological Complex. Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail. Centered around Boiling Spring, the Choccolocco Creek Archaeological Complex once consisted of at least three earthen mounds, a large stone mound, and a large snake effigy (representation) also made of stone. The largest earthen mound once stood high above the Choccolocco Creek floodplain. The earliest mound construction began during the Middle Woodland period (ca. 100 BC to AD 250) when the site became a regionally important ritual center associated with peoples from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley. Mound construction appears to have resumed around AD 1100 when the inhabitants of this area were closely connected with the people of the Etowah site near Cartersville, Georgia.
Prior to the 1830s, this site was the location of the ceremonial ground of the Abihkas, one of the most ancient tribal towns within the modern Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Ethnographic research conducted by the Smithsonian Institution indicates that the stone constructions are associated with oral histories that tell of a town "lost in the water." The large stone mound is thought to be the result of "burden" stones carried by the Abihka in remembrance of those lost in a great flood.
This site is very important to numerous Southeastern indigenous tribes who assert an ancestral connection with those who built and occupied Alabama's ancient mounds. The earthwork landscapes and the objects and information recovered from them reveal a rich cultural tradition that still thrives today among these tribes. Our indigenous mound sites represent a heritage for all Alabamians to cherish, and it is important that we protect and preserve them for future generations.
How do you celebrate your ancestors?
Centered around Boiling Spring, the
Choccolocco Creek Archaeological
Complex once consisted of at least
three earthen mounds, a large stone
mound, and a large snake effigy
(representation) also made of stone.
The largest earthen mound once stood
high above the Choccolocco Creek
floodplain. The earliest mound
construction began during the Middle
Woodland period (ca. 100 BC to AD
250) when the site became a regionally
important ritual center associated with
peoples from the Gulf Coast to the
Tennessee Valley. Mound construction
appears to have resumed around AD
1100 when the inhabitants of this area
were closely connected with the people
of the Etowah site near Cartersville,
Georgia.
Prior to the 1830s, this site was the
location of the ceremonial ground of
the Abihkas, one of the most ancient
tribal towns within the modern
Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Ethnographic research conducted by
the Smithsonian Institution indicates
that the stone constructions are
associated with oral histories that tell of
a town "lost in the water." The large
stone mound is thought to be the
result of "burden" stones carried by
the Abihka in remembrance of those
lost in a great flood.
This site is very important to numerous
Southeastern indigenous tribes who
assert an ancestral connection with
those who built and occupied
Alabama's
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ancient mounds. The
earthwork landscapes and the objects
and information recovered from them
reveal a rich cultural tradition that still
thrives today among these tribes. Our
indigenous mound sites represent a
heritage for all Alabamians to cherish,
and it is important that we protect and
preserve them for future generations.
How do you celebrate your ancestors?
Erected 2018 by City of Oxford, Choccolocco Park, University of Alabama’s Center for Economic Development, the University of Alabama Museums.
Location. 33° 36.195′ N, 85° 47.476′ W. Marker is in Oxford, Alabama, in Calhoun County. Marker can be reached from Leon Smith Parkway. Located within Choccolocco Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 954 Leon Smith Parkway, Oxford AL 36203, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2020. It was originally submitted on January 27, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 644 times since then and 89 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 27, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
