Letchworth-Love Mounds State Park

This 80-acre park includes one of the tallest and most architecturally complex pre-Columbian earthen mounds in Florida. Archaeological research indicates that Letchworth is one of the oldest mound complexes in the Southeast, dating to the Late Swift Creek and Early Weeden Island periods (ca. A.D. 200-900); Letchworth Mounds significantly predates the nearby Lake Jackson Mounds site. Detailed mapping of the large mound indicates a basal platform with wing-like extensions to the east and west, a large apron to the south, a ramp on the north side, and a truncated pyramid (the top is flat instead of pointed) at the mound summit. At least four smaller mounds have also been identified at Letchworth.

Letchworth Mounds is often referred to as a “mound complex” because the site has more than one mound and archaeological evidence suggests it was a center of activity and organization. The function of the Letchworth Mounds site is not yet known, but experts agree that the 50-foot tall mound is most likely where important ceremonies were conducted.

Weeden Island period mound complexes are widely represented in North and Northwest Florida and are also represented in adjacent sections of Georgia and Alabama. Early Weeden Island is characterized by mound burial and elaborate burial goods, especially finely crafted ceramic vessels and ceramic effigies that depict animals and humans. The McKeithen site in Columbia County, Florida and Kolomoki Mounds in Early County, Georgia are examples of Weeden Island mound complexes that have been investigated extensively.

Internal Links:
Ancient Civilizations of Florida: Letchworth Mounds
Ancient Civilizations of Georgia: Kolomoki
Public Indian Sites of Georgia: Kolomoki Mounds
Public Indian Sites of Florida: Lake Jackson Mounds
Public Indian Sites of Florida: Indian Temple Mound Museum

External Links:

Le Moyne’s Florida Indians @ TheNewWorld.us

Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park @ FloridaStateParks.org