Florence in Lauderdale County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
The Florence Mound
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, July 20, 2024
1. The Florence Mound Marker
Inscription.
The Florence Mound was built in layers, or stages, between ca. AD 0 to 400. At 43 Feet, it is the tallest earthwork in the Tennessee River Valley. An earthen wall nearly 12 feet in height encircled the mound. There is no indication houses or other structures were built atop the mound, its primary function is unclear. Archaeological evidence suggests it was a focal point for feasting rituals and other shorter-term gatherings or activities. The Florence Mound was likely a primary center of the Copena Culture during the Woodland period. A distinguishing feature of the Copena Culture was its emphasis on mortuary customs. Although no burial have been found from the mound to date, archaeologists suggest it is likely the mound contains human internments. While early drawings depict a six-sided mound, the Florence Mound has only four sides today. Destructive farming practices and land use by early white residents of Florence may account for this change. White settlers in Florence recognized that the mound was built by native people. Still, they farmed and developed the adjacent area, as well as the mound itself. A farmhouse once stood atop the mound. Residents kept vegetable gardens on the slopes.
The Florence Mound was built in layers, or stages, between ca. AD 0 to 400. At 43 Feet, it is the tallest earthwork in the Tennessee River Valley. An earthen wall nearly 12 feet in height encircled the mound.
There is no indication houses or other structures were built atop the mound, its primary function is unclear. Archaeological evidence suggests it was a focal point for feasting rituals and other shorter-term gatherings or activities. The Florence Mound was likely a primary center of the Copena Culture during the Woodland period. A distinguishing feature of the Copena Culture was its emphasis on mortuary customs.
Although no burial have been found from the mound to date, archaeologists suggest it is likely the mound contains human internments. While early drawings depict a six-sided mound, the Florence Mound has only four sides today. Destructive farming practices and land use by early white residents of Florence may account for this change. White settlers in Florence recognized that the mound was built by native people. Still, they farmed and developed the adjacent area, as well as the mound itself. A farmhouse
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once stood atop the mound. Residents kept vegetable gardens on the slopes.
Erected 2023 by Florence Arts and Mousems and History Revealed a program of the Alabama Historical Association.
Location. 34° 47.445′ N, 87° 40.191′ W. Marker is in Florence, Alabama, in Lauderdale County. It is at the intersection of South Court Street and Canal Street, on the right when traveling south on South Court Street. The marker is at the entrance to the Indian Mound & Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1028 S Court St, Florence AL 35630, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Alabama and in the Shoals. 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
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, July 20, 2024
2. The Florence Mound Marker
was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Prehistoric Mound (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 227 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 20, 2024, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
