One of the most significant archaeological sites in the Deep South, the Chattahoochee Landing Mounds complex was a ceremonial center of the Mississippian era (AD 900 – 1550). Originally composed of seven mounds, three of which are visible today, the complex was the center of a large city that thrived on the banks of the upper Apalachicola River as much as 1,000 years ago. The site is now protected and preserved by the City of Chattahoochee, Florida. The Chattahoochee Landing Mounds were constructed during the Fort Walton Era, the name given to the Mississippian time period in Northwest Florida. Evidence has been found of earlier use of the site, dating back thousands of years before the time of Christ. The reason for such importance is obvious. Looking upstream from the mounds, visitors today see the Jim Woodruff Dam. Prior to the completion of that dam in 1958, however, they would have seen the original confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers. These two rivers drain a vast area of Georgia, Alabama and Florida before combining at Chattahoochee to form the Apalachicola. During prehistoric times, this river system was a major network for commerce and trade. Chiefdoms as far north as the mountains of North Georgia sent copper, mica and other products down the rivers for trade, while prehistoric Indians living along the Gulf of Mexico sent shells and other items of interest up the Apalachicola for trade. The Chattahoochee Landing Mounds were likely the center of a large commercial city because of their location immediately below the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers. Commerce coming from both upstream and down would meet here, giving the site wealth and power.