February 19, 2019

Ancient 1,400 Year Old Canal Uncovered in Alabama

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient canal in south Alabama dating to 600 CE. It facilitated canoe travel from Mobile Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. Similar canals have been found in the Everglades and south Florida. The newly uncovered canal connected two bodies of water rich in oysters, crabs, shrimp and fish. The canal was built during the Middle Woodland period, when there was a lot of earthwork and mound construction. A massive trade network spread across the North America, trading copper and silver from the Mid-West, Obsidian from Oregon, shells and teeth from the Gulf Coast. The canal saved travelers from walking through tangling vines and thorny shrubs in the area.

LIDAR and other scientific methods will now be used to find other parts of the canal.

al.com has the report here;
https://www.al.com/news/2019/02/ancient-native-american-canal-discovered-in-gulf-shores.html

Mike Ruggeri’s Ancient North America News
https://mikeruggerisancientnorthamerica.tumblr.com