Effigy Mounds

The effigy mounds are actually Native American burial grounds, some in the shape of animals. That they survived the onslaught of pioneers wanting to farm the rich soil is amazing; not because the pioneers were intentionally that destructive, but because the mounds are so gigantic, only by airplane can one fully appreciate their size and shape.

It is estimated these mounds were constructed by the Eastern Woodland and Adena Indians from about 500 B.C. until the early Europeans came. They lived throughout Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Burial mounds are common but few were constructed in specific shapes. Effigy Mounds National Monument covers 2,526 acres (10 km²) with 206 mounds of which thirty one are effigies. Tubular pipes and stone tablets are among the artifacts that have been found.

The groups/units of mounds are spread through five states — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Ohio. The animals depicted are the bear, deer, panther, wolf, fox, buffalo and turtle. Some are also in the images of birds, such as eagles, swallows and geese. Serpent mound is a quarter mile long and rivals those found in Scotland and Ontario. The bottom of the mound is made of clay and rock while the soil above the rock is four to five feet high.

The Effigy Mounds are currently looked after by the Effigy Mounds National Monument in the mid-western United States. While there are no roads nor lodging on site, Rangers give guided hikes and prehistoric tool demonstrations. The park has eleven miles of hiking trails through the forests, tall grass, prairies, wetlands and near the rivers. Camping is available not far away and more conventional lodging is not difficult to find in nearby Marquette, Iowa or Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin just across the Mississippi River.

Serpent Mound is located in Ohio, east of Cincinnati, off of highway 73. From the top of Serpent Tower, the whole serpent effigy can be seen. Other mounds have been outlined so visitors can appreciate their size and shape from the ground. The visitor center is located at the park entrance. Temperatures frequently get into daytime 80’s and drop to the 60’s at night.