Archaeological documentation: woefully behind in Alabama compared to Louisiana and Mississippi. Archaeological documentation: woefully behind in Alabama compared to Louisiana and Mississippi Officially preserved mound sites in Alabama: two to three major documented sites Actual mound concentration: state completely covered in undocumented sites
Mabila settlement was a fortified Mississippian town where Hernando de Soto fought Chief Tascalusa in 1540. Chronicles document a nine-hour battle where blood reportedly washed in the creek and beaver pond. The settlement was burned and remains one of the most important undiscovered archaeological sites in the Southeastern United States. Archaeological documentation in Alabama lags behind Louisiana and Mississippi, with only two to three major officially preserved mound sites documented, while the state likely contains many undocumented sites. Squire and Davis documented sites around the Alabama-Tallapoosa confluence region. Researchers continue searching for the elusive site in west Alabama, where neighborhood construction over 20+ years has disturbed areas of potential interest, though burial artifacts from a crescent mound have not been definitively linked to Mabila.
Key Facts
- Archaeological documentation: woefully behind in Alabama compared to Louisiana and Mississippi
- Officially preserved mound sites in Alabama: two to three major documented sites
- Actual mound concentration: state completely covered in undocumented sites
- Squire and Davis documentation: documented sites around Alabama-Tallapoosa confluence region
- Construction impact: ongoing neighborhood clearing for 20+ years over site
- Artifact preservation: burial materials washing into creek from construction activity
- Modern development: crescent mound buried under residential neighborhood
- Reference framework: Greg Little and Mound Lore documentation utilized for site identification
Related site: Međimurje region Museum - Čakovec — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Shaman and The Philosopher - Free Talk by Institute for Natural Philosophy