Cahaba in Dallas County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Mound at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 1, 2020
1. The Mound at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park Marker
Inscription.
The Mound at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail. Between AD 1500 and 1600, the indigenous inhabitants of the area around the confluence of the Cahaba and Alabama Rivers built a flat-topped mound measuring about ½ acre in size. The mound was the central feature of a semicircular village tucked inside a large defensive wall and surrounded by a moat. This village was the northern political center of a coastal Mississippian culture that controlled much of the region. Archaeologists have uncovered artifacts here that show how the inhabitants of the village were culturally connected to indigenous groups both at Moundville to the north and to those affiliated with the Pensacola phase along the Gulf Coast to the south.
In 1819, Alabama's first governor, William Wyatt Bibb, incorporated these earthworks into the centerpiece of the town plan he designed for Alabama's first capital. While today, you can still see a portion of the moat, the large mound inside the moat is no longer present. Historical records indicate that the mound was removed and used as fill in the construction of a nearby railroad embankment in the 1850s.
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.
Map caption: , The 1817 "Freeman Map" shows the location of the mound and surrounding moat, labelled as "Ancient Indian work."
Between AD 1500 and 1600, the
indigenous inhabitants of the area around
the confluence of the Cahaba and
Alabama Rivers built a flat-topped mound
measuring about ½ acre in size. The
mound was the central feature of a
semicircular village tucked inside a large
defensive wall and surrounded by a moat.
This village was the northern political
center of a coastal Mississippian culture
that controlled much of the region.
Archaeologists have uncovered artifacts
here that show how the inhabitants of the
village were culturally connected to
indigenous groups both at Moundville to
the north and to those affiliated with the
Pensacola phase along the Gulf Coast to
the south.
In 1819, Alabama's first governor,
William Wyatt Bibb, incorporated these
earthworks into the centerpiece of the
town plan he designed for Alabama's first
capital. While today, you can still see a
portion of the moat, the large mound
inside the moat is no longer present.
Historical records indicate that the
mound was removed and used as fill in
the construction of a nearby railroad
embankment in the 1850s.
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
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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.
Map caption:
The 1817 "Freeman Map" shows the location of the mound and
surrounding moat, labelled as "Ancient Indian work."
Erected 2019 by Alabama Historical Commission, the University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, the University of Alabama Museums.
Location. 32° 19.037′ N, 87° 5.794′ W. Marker is in Cahaba, Alabama, in Dallas County. Marker is at the intersection of Vine Street and Capitol Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Vine Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Vine Street, Orrville AL 36767, United States of America. Touch for directions.
3. View from marker towards Cahaba First State Capital stone memorial.
The tents on left are archaeologists digs for artifacts in the old State Capital building area.
Photographed By Cahawba Advisory Committee
4. The 1817 Freeman Map
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 411 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 1, 2020, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
