effigy mound

effigy mound
Earthen mound in the form of a bird or animal (e.g, bear, deer, turtle, buffalo), found in the northern central U.S., especially the Ohio River valley.

Little is known of the effigy mounds except that most were burial sites. The culture that produced them dates from AD 300 to the mid-17th century. See also Hopewell culture.

* * *

  earthen mound in the form of an animal or bird found throughout the north-central United States. Prehistoric Native Americans built a variety of earth berm structures in addition to effigy mounds, including conical, linear, and flat-topped mounds.

      Although other mound forms preceded them in time, the first effigy mounds were built about AD 300; in some places people continued to build them as late as the mid-1600s. Explorers such as Hernando de Soto (Soto, Hernando de) (1539–42) recorded, for example, that flat-topped mounds in the southeastern United States served as earthen platforms on which the native people built their temples and sometimes the houses of their chiefs.

 People of the Hopewell (Hopewell culture) and Adena cultures (Adena culture) were responsible for a great proliferation of mound building in the Ohio River valley, including hundreds of conical burial mounds (burial mound) in which large numbers of artifacts, especially effigy pipes and gorgets (ornamental collars), have been found. Although it is known that most effigy mounds are burial sites, some are not, and their significance remains a mystery. For those in which human burials are found, grave offerings are seldom present.

      Many effigy mounds are in the form of birds, but other animal forms—such as those of bears, deer, turtles, buffalo, and snakes—are common. The largest bird effigy mound has a wingspan of 624 feet (190 metres) and is located near Madison, Wis. Many other effigy mounds are found in southern and southwestern Wisconsin and in some adjacent areas of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. The largest effigy mound is located in southern Ohio. In the form of an uncoiling snake holding an egg-shaped object in its mouth, the mound is more than 1,300 feet (400 metres) long and 2.5 to 3 feet (75 to 90 cm) high. See also Effigy Mounds National Monument.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Effigy mound — Sites in the U.S. of similar history may be found at Indian Mounds Park An effigy mound is a raised pile of earth built in the shape of a stylized animal, symbol, religious figure, or human figure.Effigy mounds were constructed in many Native… …   Wikipedia

  • effigy mound — /ˈɛfədʒi maʊnd/ (say efuhjee mownd) noun a mound of earth dating from prehistoric times, shaped like an animal …  

  • effigy mound — noun : a prehistoric American Indian burial mound shaped like an animal (as a bird or serpent) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Rock Eagle Effigy Mound — is an archaeological site in Putnam County, Georgia, U.S.A. It consists of thousands of pieces of quartzite laid in the shape of a large bird. Although it is most often referred to as an eagle it is unknown exactly what type of bird its original… …   Wikipedia

  • Alligator Effigy Mound (Licking County, Ohio) — Infobox nrhp name = Alligator Effigy Mound caption = nearest city = Granville, Ohio architect = architecture = added = 1971 11 05cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007 06 30|work=National Register …   Wikipedia

  • Rock Hawk Effigy Mound — is an archaeological site in Putnam County, Georgia, U.S.A. (coord|33|20.693|N|83|10.502|W|type:landmark) It consists of thousands of pieces of quartzite laid in the shape of a large bird. Although it is most often referred to as a hawk it is… …   Wikipedia

  • Effigy Mounds — National Monument Marching Bear Mounds …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Effigy Mounds National Monument — Marching Bear Mounds …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mound Bottom — U.S. National Register of Historic Places …   Wikipedia

  • Mound Key Archeological State Park — / Mound Key Site IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”