One of the largest and best-preserved sites of the pre-Columbian Mississippian civilization sits outside of modern Moundville, about 17 miles south of Tuscaloosa. Here, on the dark forested banks of the Black Warrior River, rest the grassy remains of a Mississippian mound city and an excellent museum, all managed by Moundville Archaeological Park.
Within the complex you will find 26 mounds of varying sizes, arranged in a manner that suggests a highly stratified social structure. The museum is filled with pre-Columbian art, including pottery and disks inscribed with underwater panthers, feathered serpents and skulls. The highest mound at the site is topped by a small replica hut (closed to the public at the time of research).