The mounds and the story of the people who built them, a story recorded in clay and stone and native metal, are preserved today at Mound State Monument.
THE PREHISTORIC INHABITANTS OF MOUNDVILLE
The Indians dwelling in the ancient city, though of medium stature, were well built and muscular. Their faces were finely molded and handsome.
Considered stylish were "flattened heads". Head-flattening was caused by strapping the young Indian to a wooden cradle board. The pressure of the leather thongs on the soft bones of the baby's head caused a flattening which remained throughout life. Such a head seems to have become a mark of good rearing, and greatly to be desired, for many mothers went so far as to strap sand bags on their children's heads to induce this flattening.
[Illustration: A Moundville Indian skull that was not flattened.]
[Illustration: This Moundville Indian skull shows the result of artificial head-flattening.]
Leather and fabrics woven of vegetable fibres were fashioned into garments. In extremely cold weather robes made of feathers may have been worn over the rest of their clothing.
The Moundville Indians, both men and women, were fond of personal adornment. They wore ear plugs, bracelets and arm bands of copper, and beads and pendants of bone, stone, shell and copper. Many of their pendants, carved with intricate and delicate designs, would invoke the envy of women of today. Long hairpins were made of bone, and considerable time was devoted to hairdressing.
[Illustration: A STONE PENDANT ONCE WORN BY A MOUNDVILLE INDIAN.]
From virgin forests the Moundville Indians gathered logs and poles to construct frameworks for their homes. Of reeds and canes gathered along the river they wove house walls, plastering them with thick coatings of moistened sand and clay. Thatched roofs were made of heavy swamp grass. A hole was left in the center to serve as a chimney. The floors were of hard-packed clay frequently covered with sand. These structures were neat, comfortable and weatherproof.
[Illustration: SHELL BEADS WHICH ONCE ADORNED A MOUNDVILLE INDIAN.]
Living in a temperate climate amid forests teeming with wild game and streams abundant with fish, the Moundville Indians had little difficulty, experienced few uncertainties, in obtaining their food. In addition to meat and fish obtained from forest and stream there were vegetables from fertile fields which produced with little man-made effort an ample supply of maize, squash, beans and pumpkins.