The Chattahoochee Landing Mound Group

The Chattahoochee Landing Mound Group. . River Landing Park is sacred ground. A major culture flourished here more than 1,000 years ago, building a complex of at least seven platform mounds. The largest of these earthworks stands before you., Construction of the mounds began nearly 2,000 years ago during the Swift Creek era. The builders were prehistoric Native Americans who possessed skills in engineering, design, and astronomy. These early builders were part of a massive ceremonial complex at the Kolomoki Mound near Blakely, Georgia., Other builders may have finished the mounds during the Mississippian era (A.D. 900-1450), which archaeologists call the Fort Walton time in this part of Florida. Preliminary research shows that the mounds were aligned to the winter solstice and other astronomical events and functioned as a giant calendar. Important leaders lived atop the mounds., Village areas and fields of corn, melons, and other crops surrounded the complex. Hunting provided meat, and inhabitants added to their diets by gathering edible nuts, fruit, and plants from the floodplain forests. They also fished in the Apalachicola River., The site owed its existence to the river and its tributaries, the Chattahoochee and Flint. These avenues of trade extended from the Gulf of Mexico far into the mountains of North Georgia. Located just below the confluence where the Chattahoochee and Flint merge to form the Apalachicola, the Chattahoochee Landing site was a major center for trade and commerce. , The Restored Mound , Nearby is a restoration of one of the smaller mounds. This project started in 2017 at the recommendation of archaeologists to provide an example of the original appearance of the mounds. , The Great Platform Mound , The mound before you is Mound B, the Great Platform Mound. The top has two flat areas, one slightly higher than the other. These likely provided building sites for the home of the principal chief of the village or a temple structure. , Cultural Importance , The mounds are sacred to the descendants of those who built them. Please show respect and reverence for Native American culture by keeping them clean and helping to protect them. They have survived for more than 1,000 years.