Preserving and Protecting the Mound

Preserving and Protecting the Mound. . , Preserving the Mound , Florida is home to a rich variety of cultural resources that represent our society, past and present. Many significant archaeological sites, like the Fort Walton Temple Mound, are in public ownership. These preserved sites provide important information about our past, and illustrate and interpret the Native American heritage of the United States., The preservation of the temple mound was assured in 1959 when Thomas and Louise Brooks and William and Sarah Frances Brooks Pryor generously donated the mound to the City of Fort Walton. Additional proof of this community's commitment to protect the mound came in 1964 when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark., In 1971 the Indian Temple Mound Museum opened its doors to the public. Over the years, additional generous donations were made by Patricia Brooks Brown, Margaret Brooks Patterson, the Florida International Improvement Fund and Mutual Federal Savings and Loan., In 1976 the Florida Bicentennial Trail began here at the Fort Walton Temple Mound. The Florida Bicentennial Commission helped construct a structure atop the mound to enhance its educational value. The structure represents the most likely shape for the temple building that existed here during the Mississippian Time Period., The Fort Walton Temple Mound is considered a sacred area by today's Native Americans and is often the site of ceremonial activities, However, it is foremost a cemetery where human beings lie at rest. This mound deserves all the respect afforded a modern cemetery., Protecting the Mound , Today the temple mound is in danger and needs our help to survive. Recent hurricanes have removed the tree canopy that once protected the surface of the mound from erosion. As a result, foot traffic on the slopes and summit of the temple mound has been limited to help prevent further erosion while plantings help to restrict soil displacement. Some of the undergrowth on the slopes has been removed so that visitors are able to gain an appreciation of the mound without actual contact. It must be kept in mind though, that the vegetation cannot be removed entirely. The remaining ground cover is important in the control of water runoff and is vital in preventing, further erosion of the mound, You can help preserve the Fort Walton Temple Mound by enjoying your view of the mound, but please remember to take nothing but photographs., This archaeological site is protected by the National Government, the State of Florida and the City of Fort Walton Beach. , Looking Forward , This temple mound is an archaeological site. It has supplied archaeologists and anthropologists with vast quantities of information about the Native American people who once lived at this site hundreds of years ago. Several notable excavations have been performed on this mound throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. A sizeable portion of the mound has been examined and many artifacts from the mound are on exhibit inside the Indian Temple Mound Museum., Much of the living area which surrounded the mound now underneath downtown Fort Walton Beach and remains unexamined. This area may well contain information that could either reconfirm or completely alter the way we look at the prehistoric past. For now, the Fort Walton Temple Mound will remain a time capsule of information for future archaeologists and historians to study., (Captions) , Polychrome Burial Urn , “The Buck a Ariel Urn” , Woodland Time Period (1006 B.C. - A.D. 1000) , Wooden Island Culture, Stone Knife Blade with Rehafted Handle , Archaic Time Period (6500 - 1000 B.C.), Six Point Plate , Mississippian Time Period , (A.D. 1000 - 1500) , Fort Walton Culture, Rim Effigy, Opossum , Mississippian Time Period (A.D. 1000 - 1500) , Fort Walton Culture, Dolmen Point , Palen Period(12,000 - 6500 B.C.)