The solution in this case may have been two dams at either end of the passageway that canoe travelers would have had to carry their boats around.

That means anyone digging a trench across the peninsula would risk draining the water table into those sea-level outlets. Both bodies of water are at sea level, but the land between reaches up to six feet in elevation. Though much of the canal has been lost to development today, in its heyday it would have stretched a little less than a mile across most of Fort Morgan Peninsula, from Oyster Bay in the north to Little Lagoon in the south. The canal ran between Oyster Bay and Little Lagoon in Alabama. “The archaeology is so fantastic in this region, it has such an interesting history, and it speaks to the sophistication and ingenuity of Indigenous societies in the Southeast who have contemporary descendant communities.' “They were able to engineer these landscapes that allowed them to flourish for millennia,” he adds. “I think one of the things that underscores is the incredibly engineered landscape that exists among the Native peoples of the Gulf Coast,” says Victor Thompson, director of the Laboratory of Archaeology at the University of Georgia, who was not involved in the study but reviewed it. In a report published online in June in the Journal of Field Archaeology, the researchers described how the canal would have connected the Gulf of Mexico with more protected bays, allowing better access between coastal fishing areas and trade routes to the rest of the Southeast.

They confirmed that this long-overlooked trench is a feat of engineering and a rare archaeological find: a canal, nearly a mile long, built for canoe travel 1,400 years ago by the Native Americans who navigated the region’s waterways. Thanks to King’s urging, Waselkov finally began an investigation of the site in 2017 with a team of volunteer archaeologists. But when I saw it, I realized it’s something different.” “There are lots of features like that in the swampy areas around Mobile, from logging, and from rice cultivation-there are all kinds of reasons you might have big ditches. “It took me forever to go out there and take a look,” says Waselkov. Gregory Waselkov, a now-retired anthropologist at the university, figured the ditch was probably an antebellum construction built by enslaved laborers. On visits to the archaeology museum at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, King would encourage researchers to examine it. One resident, Harry King, who had been exploring the back bays of the region, became fascinated with the remnants of this large trench, about 30 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Ammenities include two salt water pools (one heated) sauna, updated excercise room, tennis/pickle ball court, boat launch, boat storage.In the beachside resort town of Gulf Shores, Alabama, locals had often referred to an odd feature in the landscape as “Indian ditch.” As far back as the 1820s, a handful of antiquarians and United States Army engineers recognized it as a feature that predated white settlers, but it hadn’t received enough scholarly attention to explain its history and function. This is a must see one-of-a-kind condo in super excellent conditon that is turn key and ready to move in. Huge boat slip for any size boat and direct short ride access by water to Billy's and Aquila seafood, Jessies, Tin Top, Tacky Jacks, LuLu's the Warf to name a few. Updated cabinets, appliances, granite, walk in shower, HVAC, plumbing, water heater, and new furnishings all to stay! This 3BR also has a bonus loft and observaion deck overlooking the marina, ICW, Bon Secour River and the Bon Secour Bay with direct access to Mobile Bay and the Gulf or anywhere else that is possible by water. RARE TOP FLOOR WITH LOFT! Live the island life on Plash Island in this quiet and peaceful gated condo community called Sailboat Bay! This TOP FLOOR CORNER unit with breathtaking views from 3 balconies has 4 sets of new Hurricane rated low E patio doors, New Hurricane Low E window in 2nd bedroom, new sceened and covered balcony that is an extension of the main living area.

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