For your next adventure, how about taking a few minutes to explore thousands of years of history? Just minutes from the center of downtown Macon, Georgia, is a place untouched by modern development yet shaped by 17 millennia of continuous human habitation. Check out Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park.

Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park is a must-see on your next trip to Macon. From the prehistoric civilizations that inhabited this area to the arrival of the European settlers to the Civil War battles found on this land, the rich history emanates from its surroundings.

In 1933, the most significant archaeological dig in American history started here. Over the next three years, scientists and workers uncovered 2.5 million artifacts, providing an illuminating and unprecedented perspective of the many civilizations that have called the Macon Plateau home.

The Paleo Indian people were the first on the scene around 17,000 BC, about 15,000 years before the pyramids. As the Ice Age gave way to warmer climates, the Paleo Indians adapted to many cultures that later called this plateau home. As millennia passed, villages formed, farming took hold, and the construction of earthen burial and platform mounds—enormous feats of construction that people still marvel at today—began.

This thriving civilization accomplished more than the circular earthen lodges, temples, and elaborate platform mounds. They also created complex economic, political, and religious systems. Today, eight miles of trails wind through hundreds of acres awaiting your exploration, complete with a cell phone tour to guide your walk. The visitor center houses the museum with over 2,000 artifacts.

What better way to explore history than getting out and walking around in it? If you want to learn more about Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park or plan a trip, visit them online at nps.gov/ocmu.

Come to Macon, come to Ocmulgee, and get ready for a great time!

To learn more about Ingles Market, visit their website at ingles-markets.com.