Индейские ракушечные курганы на острове Дофин, Алабама.

Archaeological site in Alabama, United States

Indian Mound Park, also known as Shell Mound Park or Indian Shell Mound Park, is a park and bird refuge located on the northern shore of Dauphin Island, a barrier island of Mobile County, Alabama in the United States. In addition to the many birds which visit, a wide variety of botanical species contribute to the natural offerings. The site is historically significant due to the presence of prehistoric Indian shell middens, mounds composed of discarded oyster shells. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 1973. It is administered by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The shell middens located at Indian Mound Park date to the Mississippian period (1100 to 1550). The mounds were visited throughout this period by Native Americans of the Pensacola culture, who harvested oysters and fished in Little Dauphin Island Sound, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico. Archaeologist Gregory Waselkov of the University of South Alabama believes that the visitors to the island came from Bottle Creek, the largest Mississippian settlement in the area. Waselkov theorizes that Bottle Creek, located on the Mobile Tensaw Delta, served as the major village while Dauphin Island acted as a migration destination during the winter months. Relatively immune from the unpredictable weather conditions that affect farming, the fish and oysters from the sound were a reliable supply of food that could be immediately consumed or dried for use during later months. The oysters were collected from reefs during low tide conditions. Placed atop heated coals in a pit, the oysters were steamed by covering with seaweed. The cooking technique likely resembled a traditional New England clam bake. The steaming process would also have facilitated easy recovery of the oyster meat since the shells open naturally when heated. For preservation of the oysters, the recovered meat would be treated by smoking. Over the years, the discarded shells accumulated to form the middens. Spaniards first visited Dauphin Island in 1519. The arrival of Europeans to the region led to the disruption of the Mississippian culture.

Indian Mound Park contains six oyster shell middens of varying sizes. The largest is approximately circular with a recessed bowl in the center of the mound. This midden measures with a height of The structures are archaeologically similar to shell rings found on the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. More extensive excavations of the site were conducted by archaeologists from the University of South Alabama in 1990. Observation of the mound profile revealed stratification with large layers of oyster shells and thin intervening layers of charcoal, fish bones, and potsherds. Due to its location on the northern boundary of the Gulf of Mexico, Dauphin Island is a stop for many migrant birds. Up to 384 species of birds have been spotted on the island, including a large variety of shorebirds, long legged waders, and warblers. The city of Dauphin Island was named America's "birdiest" small coastal city in both 2005 and 2006. Additionally, migratory butterflies can be spotted at Indian Mound Park.