OXFORD — Archaeologists who investigated a mysterious stone mound behind the Oxford Exchange said the city should have an expert on hand as the structure is demolished in case it contains human remains.
But a city official says the mound is still intact and hasn’t been disturbed. And one councilwoman said she’s heard the company hired to remove the mound has ordered its workers not to touch the structure.
The news comes after days of controversy surrounding the destruction of the hill containing the structure. The city is using its dirt as fill for a Sam’s Club under construction at the nearby Oxford Exchange shopping center. It was not clear if protests by American Indians halted the city’s progress. But the archaeologists’ report clearly states the mound was created by native people, though its significance is open to interpretation.
The Star on Thursday received a report prepared by archaeologists at the University of Alabama, courtesy of the Alabama Historical Commission. The report, based on research done this spring, describes the university’s testing methods and findings. Its authors surmise the stone mound, similar to others that dot the local landscape, could be around 1,000 years old.
Harry Holstein, Jacksonville State University professor of anthropology and archaeology, says the mound is 1,500 years old and dates to the Woodland era. He also says it could contain human remains.
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