Letchworth-Love Mounds Archaeological State Park

This is one of three major surviving mound complexes in the Florida Panhandle. It is believed to have been built by the Weedon Island Culture (200-800 CE), Native Americans who lived in North Florida. The hierarchical society planned and constructed massive earthwork mounds and villages.

Although the mound today has trees and underbrush growing from it, when originally built, such earthwork mounds were typically clear of vegetation, with smooth prepared sides. Many workers had to bring soils by basket to build the mound. The builders used their knowledge to combine a variety of soils and shells for stability, and usually finished the top and sides with clay. The Letchworth-Love site has one of the largest mounds from any site. The mound measures 300 feet in width and has a height between 46 and 50 feet.

The mound likely rose from flat plazas which were intentionally leveled. Mounds like those at Letchworth-Love Archaeological State Park would have served as gathering places for rituals, games and major occasions. The community, of which such a tall mound was likely the center, would have included nearby dwellings for workers, and communal fields and gardens. Large quantities of maize would have been cultivated to support the population density of such complex societies.