Near Hamilton in Marion County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Hamilton Mounds Site
Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail
Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 24, 2021
1. The Hamilton Mounds Site Marker
Inscription.
The Hamilton Mounds Site. Alabama Indigenous Mound Trail. The cluster of three mounds known as the Hamilton Mounds site is the largest indigenous mound site in Marion County, Alabama. The site includes three mounds along the Buttahatchee River: a large mound with a two-tiered summit, another smaller two-tiered mound, and a yet smaller mound situated between the two.
The mounds were built in several construction phases during the Mississippian Stage (AD 1250 1500) when the culture of the indigenous peoples in what is now Alabama was heavily influenced by ideas and practices of peoples in the Mississippi Valley. These and other Mississippian mounds commonly had ceremonial or residential buildings on their summits, and the mound sites served as spiritual, governmental, and cultural centers for populations scattered throughout the surrounding river valleys.
The pottery and stone items made by the people that occupied this site indicate a close association with the massive mound complex at Moundville, located about twenty miles south of present-day Tuscaloosa. These people likely relied heavily on growing corn, beans, and squash in the rich bottomlands of the Buttahatchee River.
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.
Photo caption: Depiction of indigenous people of the Mississippian Stage engaged in growing corn, beans, and squash, along with other daily activities.
How do you celebrate your ancestors?
The cluster of three mounds known as the
Hamilton Mounds site is the largest
indigenous mound site in Marion County,
Alabama. The site includes three mounds
along the Buttahatchee River: a large
mound with a two-tiered summit, another
smaller two-tiered mound, and a yet
smaller mound situated between the two.
The mounds were built in several
construction phases during the
Mississippian Stage (AD 1250 1500)
when the culture of the indigenous
peoples in what is now Alabama was
heavily influenced by ideas and practices
of peoples in the Mississippi Valley.
These and other Mississippian mounds
commonly had ceremonial or residential
buildings on their summits, and the
mound sites served as spiritual,
governmental, and cultural centers for
populations scattered throughout the
surrounding river valleys.
The pottery and stone items made by the
people that occupied this site indicate a
close association with the massive
mound complex at Moundville, located
about twenty miles south of present-day
Tuscaloosa. These people likely relied
heavily on growing corn, beans, and
squash in the rich bottomlands of the
Buttahatchee River.
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.
Photo caption: Depiction of indigenous people of the Mississippian Stage engaged in growing corn, beans, and squash, along with other daily activities.
How do you celebrate your ancestors?
Erected by the
Click or scan to see this page online
University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, the University of Alabama Museums.
Location. 34° 5.812′ N, 87° 59.072′ W. Marker is near Hamilton, Alabama, in Marion County. It is on Old Indian Mound Road 0.2 miles east of U.S. 278, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hamilton AL 35570, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker,
Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 24, 2021
2. The Hamilton Mounds Site Marker
The mounds are at the end of the dirt trail about 2000 feet NNE.
Regarding The Hamilton Mounds Site. The old Chickasaw Indian mounds are located on the banks of the Buttahatchee River a little more than 2000 feet from the marker. Only access is by a dirt trail.
Also see . . . The Hamilton Mound Site -. Alabama is home to one of the densest concentrations of ancient Native American monumental architecture in all of North America. (Submitted on June 1, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, May 24, 2021
3. Photo from marker.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, July 10, 2022
4. The Hamilton Mounds (larger two tiered mound)
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, July 10, 2022
5. The Hamilton Mounds (smaller two tiered mound)
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, July 10, 2022
6. The Hamilton Mounds (smaller mound between the two two tiered mounds)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,427 times since then and 134 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 10, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia.
