Burial Mound Period in Alabama

The Woodland period in Alabama, sometimes called the Burial Mound Period, lasted from about 1000 BCE to about 1000 CE. Archaeologists divide it into Early (1000 BCE to 1 CE), Middle (1 to 500 CE) and Late (500 to 1000 CE) stages. It is known for the spread of pottery, the building of burial mounds, trade over long distances and, late in the period, the arrival of the bow and arrow and the growing of maize [1]. This entry describes how people lived in Woodland Alabama and which sites visitors can see.

Pottery

The earliest pottery in the Southeast, tempered with plant fibers, dates to about 2500 BCE, but it was not widespread. Between 1500 and 1000 BCE, sand temper came into use, and pottery became much more common. Early Woodland jars often had three or four nodes on their bases. In north Alabama, potters mixed crushed limestone into the clay. Pottery styles varied by region, so archaeologists use them to tell peoples apart [1].

Burial mounds

Mound building spread across eastern North America by about 1000 BCE. Early Woodland mounds were usually 2 to 5 feet high and 30 to 60 feet across, and they were often built over burial pits or tombs. In the Middle Woodland, the Copena builders made conical mounds and flat-topped platform mounds. At the Walling site in north Alabama, a platform mound shows signs of special rituals and feasts [1].

Food and settlement

Middle Woodland people tended gardens and gathered shellfish, which allowed them to stay in one place for longer periods. During the Late Woodland, people grew maize, squash and other plants and made large storage jars for surplus food. These changes prepared the way for the farming towns of the Mississippian period, described in Mississippian Culture in Alabama [1].

Trade and the Hopewell connection

Middle Woodland sites contain more exotic artifacts, which shows contact between distant regions. Items made of copper, mica, obsidian and ocean shells moved long distances. The Hopewell Ceremonial Complex began in the Ohio Valley and spread south; in Alabama it appeared as the Copena Mortuary Complex in the northern Tennessee Valley. Its elaborate tombs suggest that some people held higher status, perhaps as traders, warriors or religious figures [1].

The bow and arrow

Late in the period, the bow and arrow spread from cultures to the west. Projectile points became shorter, thinner and more triangular so they could be attached to arrows. Hunting with the bow was more efficient than with the older spear thrower, and it changed both food gathering and warfare [1].

Sites to know

Alabama has several Woodland sites. The Oakville Indian Mounds in Lawrence County show Copena mound structures. The Walling site has a Copena platform mound. The Florence Mound preserves the site of the largest Indian mound in the Tennessee Valley. Majestic Caverns in Talladega County holds a burial of five Woodland individuals, Alum Cave in Green Mountain Nature Preserve is a rock shelter used in the Middle Woodland, and Russell Cave in Jackson County was used for thousands of years, including the Woodland period [1]. See also Russell Cave National Monument.

Respect for burial sites

Many Woodland mounds contain burials, so they are protected by law and treated with respect. Visitors should not dig or remove objects. For the larger story of the state’s first peoples, see Indigenous Peoples of Alabama (Overview) [1].

Why the Woodland period matters

The Woodland period links the hunting-and-gathering past to the farming towns that followed. Pottery made food storage and cooking easier. Burial mounds show that communities had shared ritual life and, in some cases, differences in status. Trade networks show that people in Alabama were connected to groups far away, long before Europeans arrived. Many of the technologies and social patterns of the later Mississippian period grew from Woodland roots [1].

Studying and protecting the sites

Woodland sites are studied by excavation, by mapping and by analysis of pottery, stone tools and plant remains. Because many mounds contain burials, state and federal laws protect them, and Alabama has had an antiquities law since 1915. Visitors can help protect sites by staying on marked paths, leaving artifacts where they are and reporting damage to the landowner or to the state archaeological authorities. Museums at Moundville and Russell Cave interpret the Woodland period for the public [1][2].

FAQs

When was the Woodland period? From about 1000 BCE to about 1000 CE.

What are Copena mounds? Burial and platform mounds built in north Alabama during the Middle Woodland period.

Did Woodland people use the bow and arrow? Late Woodland people did.

What did they grow? Maize, squash and other plants, especially in the Late Woodland.

Where can I see Woodland sites? The Florence Mound, the Oakville Indian Mounds and Russell Cave are examples.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Woodland Period
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Russell Cave

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue