TextSearch

Native American cultures in the region of the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi River valley, constructed large characteristic mound earthworks over a period of more than 5,000 years in the United States. - HeritageDaily - Archaeology News

The Native American mound buildersFacebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter WhatsAppSign inHOMEPAST SCIENCESArchaeologyAnthropologyBiographiesHeritagePalaeontologyPalaeoanthropologyGEOSCIENCESClimate ChangeGeologyNatural HistorySpace & PlanetaryGENERAL SCIENCESChemistryPhysicsTech & EngineeringTRAVELAll RegionsAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaSHOPJewellery & GiftsMerch StoreHeritage MagazineAPPSign inWelcome!Log into your accountyour usernameyour passwordForgot your password?Password recoveryRecover your passwordyour emailSearch HOMEPAST SCIENCESArchaeologyAnthropologyBiographiesHeritagePalaeontologyPalaeoanthropologyGEOSCIENCESClimate ChangeGeologyNatural HistorySpace & PlanetaryGENERAL SCIENCESChemistryPhysicsTech & EngineeringTRAVELAll RegionsAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaSHOPJewellery & GiftsMerch StoreHeritage MagazineAPPSearch here...SearchFOLLOW ON GOOGLE NEWSHOMEPAST SCIENCESArchaeologyAnthropologyBiographiesHeritagePalaeontologyPalaeoanthropologyGEOSCIENCESClimate ChangeGeologyNatural HistorySpace & PlanetaryGENERAL SCIENCESChemistryPhysicsTech & EngineeringTRAVELAll RegionsAfricaAsiaEuropeNorth AmericaSouth AmericaSHOPJewellery & GiftsMerch StoreHeritage MagazineAPPSearch here...SearchCahokia - Copyright: AlamyBy: Mark MilliganDate:August 16, 2022HeritageLatest FeaturesThe Native American mound buildersNative American cultures in the region of the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi River valley, constructed large characteristic mound earthworks over a period of more than 5,000 years in the United States.19th century academics theorised that the Native Americans were too primitive to be associated with the mounds, instead, implying that they belonged to a lost culture that disappeared before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.- Advertisement -One of the earliest theories suggested that the mound builders were Norse in origin, who settled in the Americas and migrated south to become the Toltecs in Tula, Mexico. Later theories have connected them with descendants of the Israelites, the Ancient Egyptians, Welsh, Irish, Polynesians, Greeks, Chinese, Phoenicians, and even crossing into the realm of pseudo-science by implying an association with the lost continent of Atlantis.Proper academic studies have shown that the mounds were built by Native American cultures over a period that spanned from around 3500 BC to the 16th century AD, that includes part of the Archaic Period (8000 to 1000 BC), Woodland Period (1000 BC to AD 1000) and the Mississippian Period (800 AD to 1600 AD).One of the earliest mound complexes was built at Watson Brake in Louisiana around 3500 BC during the Archaic Period. The site was developed over centuries by a pre-agricultural, pre-ceramic, hunter-gatherer society, who occupied the site on a seasonal basis. The builders constructed an arrangement of eleven earthwork mounds around 7.6 metres in height, connected by ridges to form an oval shaped complex.Another early site is Poverty Point, a ceremonial mound and ridge complex located on the Bayou Macon also in Louisiana. Poverty Point was constructed over several phases, the earliest being around 1800 BC during the Late Archaic Period, continuing through to 1200 BC. The builders were a society of hunter-fisher-gatherers, identified as the Poverty Point culture, who inhabited stretches of the Lower Mississippi Valley and surrounding Gulf Coast.- Advertisement -The earthworks consist of six concentric C-shaped ridges stretching three-quarters of a mile on the outermost ridge. These encircle a 37.5-acre plaza which contained a series of post circles. The most distinct features from ground level are the mounds constructed using loess, a type of silt loam soil which reaches heights of up to 21.9 metres.By the Woodland Period, mound-building cultures existed throughout the Eastern United States, stretching as far south as Crystal River in western Florida. One such culture is the Adena culture in Ohio, who mainly built mortuary mounds for burial rituals, in which earth was piled immediately atop a burned mortuary building to form the monument.Also in Ohio during the Woodland Period is the Hopewell culture, a widely dispersed set of populations connected by a common network of trade routes. People of this culture built complex geometric mounds used for burials, and earthworks which form the shape of animals, birds, or writhing serpents.The Hopewell created some of the finest craftwork and artwork of the Americas. Most of their works had some religious significance, and their burials were filled with necklaces, ornate carvings made from bone or wood, decorated ceremonial pottery, ear plugs, and pendants.Cahokia – Image Credit : MattGush – iStockThe Mississippian Period saw mound building reaching new heights, with cultures such as the Plaquemine culture and the Mississippian culture, constructing giant platform mounds and settlements that rivalled European cities in size at the time.The most famous of these is Cahokia, a centre of the Mississippian Culture that was first constructed around AD 1050 in Western Illinois. Cahokia covered an area between six to nine square miles and contained 120 earthen mounds.The mounds ranged in size and shape, from raised platforms, conical, and ridge-top designs, with the largest being “Monks Mound” (named after a community of Trappist monks who settled on the mound), a 290-metre-long platform consisting of raised terraces.Cahokia – Image Credit : AlamyAfter the arrival of Europeans to the Americas, early explorers found the territories of the mound builders largely depopulated and the mounds mostly abandoned. However, there are some accounts, such as the Historia de la Florida by Garcilaso de la Vega, which describes how the Native Americans built mounds and their cultural practices, suggesting a first-hand account from interaction.One of the last mound builder cultures, the Fort Ancient Culture, likely had contact and traded with Europeans, as evidence of European made goods can be found in the archaeological record. These artefacts include brass and steel items, glassware, and melted down or broken goods reforged into new items.The Fort Ancient Culture was largely wiped out by successive waves of disease such as smallpox and influenza in the 17th century, suggesting that the population decline in the wider mound building cultures during this period was also a result of disease introduced by the first Europeans to make contact.Header Image Credit : MattGush – iStock - Advertisement -FacebookTwitterWhatsAppLinkedinReddItCopy URLPrevious articlePrehistoric people used crystals to mark burial sitesNext articleUnderwater snow gives clues about Europa’s icy shellFacebookInstagramLinkedinTikTokTwitterWhatsAppYoutubeMark MilliganMark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.Archaeologists make significant discoveries in Central MoraviaMark Milligan - October 25, 2024Archaeologists uncover traces of a Lusatian longhouseArchaeologyLiDAR reveals large-scale urbanisation at mountain-top medieval citiesArchaeologyPreserved Bronze Age spade found during “Moors at Arne” excavationArchaeologyIron Age chamber tomb uncovered near RiedlingenArchaeologyLost colonial settlement discovered beneath Amazon rainforestArchaeology8,000-year-old dwelling discovered at Svinjarička ČukaArchaeologyTraces of Iron Age longhouses uncovered at Stora HammarArchaeologyShackleton’s Endurance revealed in high detailed 3D scansArchaeologyFOLLOW ON GOOGLE NEWSMobile ApplicationRelated ArticlesAnthropologyArchaeologists make significant discoveries in Central MoraviaArchaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have discovered two major Bronze Age cemeteries, including the largest known burial ground of the Nitra culture in the Czech Republic.ArchaeologyArchaeologists uncover traces of a Lusatian longhouseArchaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have uncovered an early Lusatian longhouse in Nová Dědina, a municipality and village in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic.ArchaeologyLiDAR reveals large-scale urbanisation at mountain-top medieval citiesA study published in the journal nature has revealed traces of large-scale urbanisation at two mountaintop cities built over 2,000 metres above sea level in the highlands of southeastern Uzbekistan.ArchaeologyPreserved Bronze Age spade found during “Moors at Arne” excavationArchaeologists from Wessex Archaeology have found a well preserved 3,500-year-old Bronze Age spade during excavations at the “Moors at Arne" project on the Isle of Purbeck, England.ArchaeologyIron Age chamber tomb uncovered near RiedlingenArchaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council (LAD) have uncovered a rare example of a preserved Iron Age chamber tomb during excavations in the Danube plain near Riedlingen, Germany.ArchaeologyLost colonial settlement discovered beneath Amazon rainforestArchaeologists from the Amazônia Revelada project have discovered a lost colonial settlement dating back to the 18th century. Archaeology8,000-year-old dwelling discovered at Svinjarička ČukaA team of archaeologists, led by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), have discovered the remains of a rectangular dwelling that was constructed approximately 8,000 years ago in Svinjarička Čuka, Serbia.ArchaeologyTraces of Iron Age longhouses uncovered at Stora HammarArchaeologists from Arkeologerna have been investigating the remains of several longhouses and Iron Age farms in Stora Hammar, Sweden.About UsHeritageDaily is a dedicated team of passionate historians, archaeologists, writers, and researchers, who are committed to delivering accurate, independent, and insightful content about our rich global heritage.FacebookInstagramTikTokTwitterWebsiteNewsletter SubscriptionOur CompanyHeritageDaily LTD - Suite/Unit 40 17 Holywell Hill, St Albans, Herts, United Kingdom, AL1 1DTHeritageDaily LTDDinosaurDailyHeritageTubeHeritageJewelleryHeritageMagazineGoogle News ChanneliOS & Android ApplicationLatest NewsArchaeologists make significant discoveries in Central MoraviaAnthropology October 25, 2024 0Archaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have discovered two major Bronze Age cemeteries, including the largest known burial ground of the Nitra culture in the Czech Republic.Archaeologists uncover traces of a Lusatian longhouseArchaeology October 25, 2024 0Archaeologists from the Olomouc Archaeological Centre have uncovered an early Lusatian longhouse in Nová Dědina, a municipality and village in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic.LiDAR reveals large-scale urbanisation at mountain-top medieval citiesArchaeology October 24, 2024 0A study published in the journal nature has revealed traces of large-scale urbanisation at two mountaintop cities built over 2,000 metres above sea level in the highlands of southeastern Uzbekistan.Preserved Bronze Age spade found during “Moors at Arne” excavationArchaeology October 23, 2024 0Archaeologists from Wessex Archaeology have found a well preserved 3,500-year-old Bronze Age spade during excavations at the “Moors at Arne" project on the Isle of Purbeck, England.Iron Age chamber tomb uncovered near RiedlingenArchaeology October 22, 2024 0Archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council (LAD) have uncovered a rare example of a preserved Iron Age chamber tomb during excavations in the Danube plain near Riedlingen, Germany.Popular NewsThe mystery of Tutankhamun’s meteoric iron daggerHeritage January 1, 2023 0In 1922, Egyptian excavators led by Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, an Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty.Legio V Macedonica – The Last Roman LegionHeritage January 1, 2023 0Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, countless legions were raised and disbanded, but one legion endured the entirety, remaining in service to the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, and marching on into the Middle Ages - The Legio V Macedonica.Atlantis – The story behind the legendHeritage July 10, 2022 0Atlantis has become a taboo subject in many scholarly circles, often branded in pseudo-science and invented interpretations from Plato’s dialogues.The Immortal Armour of China’s Jade Burial SuitsHeritage March 13, 2022 0The Jade burial suits are hand-crafted jade suits from the Han Dynasty of China, used for the ceremonial burials of China’s elite and members of the ruling class.The Pleasure Villa of Emperor TiberiusTravel February 25, 2022 0The Villa of Tiberius is a Roman villa complex in the present-day town of Sperlonga, located on the western coast of Italy in the province of Latina.Terms & ConditionsCookie PolicyPrivacy PolicyEditorial GuidelinesHeritageDaily LTDAbout UsContact Us© 2024 - HERITAGEDAILY LTDx