This is one of the largest "mound grounds" (I wouldn't dare make that term up myself) in the Mississippi River Valley, estimated to be over 1,000 years old. The museum is not one of the mounds, just a regular museum with some dirt piled up to add kitsch. The mounds were part of death ceremonies for tribal leaders in which the old chief's homestead would be buried and then the next chief would build his on top. Thus, the taller a mound, the more the important people who lived atop it. Another use for mounds was to elevate important places, again such as the chief's homestead, or a temple, town house, etc. Unfortunately, the natives stopped building mounds even before we killed most of them off and drove them to booze, so there's no one to ask more details.


Many but not all of the mounds within a short radius. That last bad-ass one is 55 feet tall, and you're allowed to climb on it. It's an adult playground. Too bad there's a fence in front, or it'd be one awesome sledding hill.

More mounds in Alabama
Out onto MS Highway 1
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