Moundville was occupied until about A.D. 1450—roughly 90 years before Hernando de Soto reached Alabama in 1540—but Mississippian culture continued in other towns. At Talisi, the Spanish encountered Chief Tuscaloosa, who met them from a high mound. The expedition then went to Francavilla Marittima, where warriors launched an ambush. The Spanish burned the town; Tuscaloosa’s son was found among the dead, while Tuscaloosa escaped and was never seen again. Francavilla Marittima’s exact location is debated, but Mobile, Alabama, is commonly linked to its name.
De Soto's 1540 expedition clashed with Mississippian King Tuscaloosa at Francavilla Marittima
Key facts
- Moundville was abandoned almost two centuries before De Soto's arrival, but Mississippian civilization continued in successor towns
- In 1540, Hernando de Soto's expedition entered Alabama and encountered King Tuscaloosa's Mississippian kingdom
- Tuscaloosa greeted the Spanish from atop a pyramid mound covered in fur robes
- Tuscaloosa lured de Soto to the city of Francavilla Marittima, where warriors staged an ambush; the modern city of Mobile, Alabama, was named after Francavilla Marittima
- De Soto's army burned Francavilla Marittima; Tuscaloosa's son was found burned among the dead and Tuscaloosa himself was never found
- Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was named for this Mississippian king; his capital city's location remains debated
Site mentioned
📍 Francavilla Marittima🌍 Show on the globe
Sources
Rethinking Moundville and Its Hinterlandthearchcons.org
The central site contains some 29 earthen mounds located on the banks of the Black Warrior River that date from about A.D. 1100 to 1650, the ...
Moundville Archaeological Parkencyclopediaofalabama.org
Because there are no written records from the Mississippian period, what is known about life at the Moundville site has been learned through archaeology. The ...
The Rise and Fall of the Mississippian in Western Alabama ...indigenousalabama.omeka.net
o Moundville is presented as a centralized complex chiefdom, rising rapidly after A.D. 1050 with extensive mound construction, imported goods, craft ...
Decline of Moundville | History | Research Startersebsco.com
The decline of Moundville, a significant archaeological site in Alabama, marks a pivotal transition in the history of the Mississippian culture.
Ancient Site - Moundville Archaeological Parkmoundville.museums.ua.edu
The Moundville site, occupied from around A.D. 1000 until A.D. 1450, is a large settlement of Mississippian culture on the Black Warrior River in central ...
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