I'm headed to northwestern Alabama to check out a few sites this weekend. A series of storms have and continue to pass through, but I think I will have just the right windows to see the places I'm planning to stop at. The first is the Oakville Indian Mound Complex. An 83-acre park surrounds what remains of the Native American site, and includes a museum. Of the original five mounds that were found here by settlers, only two remain. They are believed to have been constructed by people of the Copena culture between 1,500 and 2,000 years ago.
A gravel and dirt road leads into the park and a small pull-off by the largest of the two mounds offers me a chance to get out into the wet grass and explore a little bit. This mound is 27 feet high and at the base covers an area of 1.8 acres. This is the largest surviving ceremonial mound in Alabama. A set of stairs leads to the top, where a few stone have been arranged in the ground. This mound and the surrounding area are well maintained and it's nice to see a relic such as this cared for so well.
Further down the road, a second mound is enclosed by a fence. This is a burial mound and is significantly smaller. It has not been maintained as well and trees and ferns have grown up all around it. I take a few pictures and then decide to head on towards my next stop.
No comments:
Post a Comment