POWERGRAMS

On a muggy Memorial Day in a remote clearing near the Alabama River, three of the state's most eminent anthropologists and one of the state's best-known historians huddle around a hand-drawn map they hope can take them a few steps nearer to finding one of the most significant historic sites in North America. On Oct. 18, 1540, an armed force led by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto clashed with Native American warriors led by the famed chieftain Tascalusa. The ferocious encounter decimated Tascalusa's people and left their fortified village in ruins. But it also proved to be a fatal blow to de Soto's expedition. Severely weakened, he led his battle-scarred troops deeper into the unmapped continent. De Soto would not survive the trek, and the remnants of his army were ultimately forced to find their way back to the relative safety of Mexico. The precise location of this epic battle, at the lost Indian town of Mabila, remains a vexing mystery. But the allure of Mabila – which some experts believe could rival Antietam as the deadliest day of combat on U.S. soil – is undeniable. Now, with the support of the Alabama Power Foundation, a two-year, three-university archaeological expedition is underway. The goal: to find Mabila – a discovery that would cement Alabama's importance as the site of one of the most important battles in the history of the Western Hemisphere. In the quest, "we will be examining one of the most important archaeological sites on the Alabama River," said Greg Waselkov, professor of anthropology at the University of South Alabama and lead researcher for the expedition. The location to be scrutinized is not Mabila, but another site where de Soto's troops may have crossed the Alabama River on their way to the village. If the two-year dig can confirm that, then scholars can use the historic chronicles of de Soto's journey, written by others who accompanied the famous explorer, to hopefully pinpoint – once and for all – the location of Mabila. Waselkov's dream team includes anthropologist Jim Knight, recently retired from the University of Alabama and considered one of the nation's top Mabila scholars, and Craig Sheldon, distinguished professor emeritus of anthropology at Auburn University Montgomery. Along for the ride on the outing was historian Leah Rawls Atkins, co-author of the celebrated "Alabama: The History of a Deep South State" and a longtime student of Mabila. "It's tremendously exciting to see some of the top experts on Mabila coming together in hopes of finally finding this incredibly important site," Atkins said. During the visit, the team found encouraging signs they hope will point to future success when the full-scale expedition kicks off in the fall. Although the site was explored in a limited way in the 1960s and 1970s, no digs have taken place since then. Using a hand- drawn map from the earlier excavations, the team quickly found the locations of the prior digs. They found Indian pottery fragments dating to at least the 18th century, when natives living near the site traded with French convoys traveling the river between Mobile and Fort Toulouse, in present-day Elmore County. Sheldon said the digs decades ago at the site yielded a wealth of material, from early archaic American Indian artifacts dating to 6,000 B.C. to trading beads and pottery to French flintlock rifles, cannonballs and coins. A key question the team hopes to answer: whether the site, which has been active off and on for thousands of years, was in use during the time of the Spanish explorers in the 16th century. That the site visit took place on Memorial Day seemed prophetic. After all, the team is searching for a famous battlefield where Native Americans died in a desperate fight to defend their homeland from a Spanish force intent on conquest. Should Mabila be located, the impact for this rural section of Alabama could be significant. Finding Mabila could help attract more scholars and research grants to the area, not to mention the potential for tourism and economic development. "One can rightfully say that the lost battle site of Mabila is the predominant historical mystery of the Deep South," Knight wrote in "The Search for Mabila," a 269-page volume about the quest published by the University of Alabama Press. The book was the product of a three-day gathering of Mabila scholars in 2006. Perhaps soon, with a little luck and some hard work, scholars can peel away some of the mystery that shrouds the lost village and battlefield of Mabila. By Michael Sznajderman Grant boosts effort to locate historic battle site of Mabila HISTORY 4 Photos by Michael Sznajderman Indian pottery dating to at least the 18th century was found. Waselkov, Knight, Sheldon and Atkins study map of search area.

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