<< Our Photo Pages >> Gulf State Park Shell and Sand Mounds - Artificial Mound in United States in The South
Submitted by stonetracker on Saturday, 18 February 2023 Page Views: 415
Multi-periodSite Name: Gulf State Park Shell and Sand MoundsCountry: United States Region: The South Type: Artificial Mound
Nearest Town: Gulf Shores AL
Latitude: 30.260810N Longitude: 87.64865W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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The park has both sand and shell mounds that were built during the Middle Woodland period (circa AD 150) and Mississippian Stage (AD 1000 to 1500). Sand mounds are common along the Gulf Coast and served as both cultural markers for the living and memorials to the dead. The shell mounds located at the park are typically elongated midden (refuse pile) deposits bordering the water’s edge or circular mounds with intentional design. While some mounds include a mix of different shellfish types, a few show preference for only one type of shell, such as the Rangia cuneata, a brackish water clam common in the marshes of the Gulf Coast.
When we think of these people who hunt and gather their food, we often think of a simple lifestyle that included hunting, fishing, collecting seasonally available fruits and nuts, and limited agriculture. In reality, these people were engineering large communal buildings, digging canals, building mounds, trading over long distances, and practicing complex cultural activities that included intricate artwork and a highly structured social hierarchy with religious, political, and social leaders, warriors, and venerated elders. The people who built these things lived in a complex world of interacting cultures, languages, and beliefs much like we do today.
Location coordinates are for the Gulf State Park campground entrance. The location of the mounds, middens, and earthworks themselves is unclear and none is marked, plus they are widely dispersed. Some exploration is needed to find them.
For more info, see https://alabamamoundtrail.org/mound-site/gulf-state-park-mounds
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
11.1km NE 45° Bamahenge* Modern Stone Circle etc
44.1km W 270° Dauphin Island Shell Mound Park* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
54.2km NNW 333° Fuller Shell Mound Site* Artificial Mound
60.0km NNW 334° Blakeley Indian Mounds* Artificial Mound
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