Velda Mound

Velda Mound. In the Heartland of Fort Walton Culture. , The people who first occupied this site 500 years ago were part of a larger regional community that adopted innovative new ideas about social structure and settlement patterns. These ideas were linked to the Mississippian cultures from the north that were incorporated into existing ways of life here in the Florida Panhandle. A ruling class of chiefly priests lived at large mound centers, like the nearby Lake Jackson Mounds. These centers were supported by smaller hamlets, like this one, consisting of a few houses and a single mound. Outlying farmsteads provided the maize that was the basis of their economic system. Fort Walton communities were some of the first to adopt maize agriculture in Florida. , Everyday Life at Velda Mound , Maize agriculture was an important part of daily life for those who lived around Velda Mound. The ritual and civic center of the village was the mound and likely also the residence of the village leader. The round homes near the mound were roughly 25 feet in diameter and had small garden plots or shared space in communal gardens where they grew foods for household consumption. Pottery was important, not just for storing and cooking, but also as part of the shared ideas about form and imagery across the Fort Walton culture area. Fort Walton pottery was decorated with distinctive designs, such as incised scroll motifs, that are the hallmarks of the pottery type and indicate connections with other people throughout the regional community. , Velda Mound Park , Velda Mound was first documented in the 1940s, and takes its name from the former property owner, Velda Dairy. During the 1950s, the mound was damaged when a ten-foot wide trench was bulldozed through its center. Archaeological research in the 1960s through the 1980s discovered two houses to the south of the mound surrounded by pits that had been dug by the residents for various purposes. An above-ground food storage structure was also located nearby. The property was donated to the State of Florida in 1982 and the area was designated a State park and cleared of heavy vegetation to make it accessible to visitors. The park is maintained by the Florida Department of State and volunteers from the Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee(PAST). , Maize Agriculture , Maize, or corn, was originally domesticated in Mexico thousands of years before it was introduced to the Southeastern U.S. around 1,000 years ago. The fertile soils around Tallahassee were well suited for growing this important crop, alongside beans and squash that were already being cultivated. These main staples became known as the Three Sisters because they could be grown together. Although dependence on maize increased substantially during the Fort Walton period, hunting, gathering locally available resources, and fishing remained important aspects of life.