The Lake Jackson Mounds, near Tallahassee FL, was a large Native American village and ceremonial center, constructed by a group of “Fort Walton Culture” natives who were likely ancestors of the Appalachee tribe.
Archaeological excavations show that the site was first occupied around 1000 CE, and grew steadily in size for the next 500 years. In all, at least seven mounds were built by carefully piling up sand and soil and compacting it, one basketfull at a time. (Only two of the mounds are well-preserved today.) Although one of the mounds contained burials, the others served as flat-topped terraces for ceremonial buildings. The ceremonial mounds had a nearby flat Plaza area for gatherings, and was surrounded by residential huts. Some of the mounds seem to have been the site of religious rituals, and contained artifacts, including copper axes and ornaments, tying them to the larger Southeast Ceremonial Complex.
In around 1500 CE, the site was abandoned, and the inhabitants seem to have moved a few miles away and built the Appalachee trading village of Anhaica. In 1539, Anhaica was occupied by the Spanish troops under Hernando De Soto.
The Mounds Archaeological Park is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.