Pits, Posts, and Not Much Else: Sub-Mound Archaeology at Two Late Woodland Effigy Mound Sites

Summary

Effigy Mound is an archaeological taxon that references Late Woodland societies present in the western Great Lakes of North America from about A.D. 800 to A.D. 1050. Effigy Mound builders are known primarily by an estimated 15,000 – 20,000 mounds built in the shape of animals, supernatural beings and conical and linear forms. The end of the Effigy Mound period coincides with the adoption of maize horticulture by many Late Woodland groups as well as the appearance of new pottery traditions marked by the use of collared and castellated rims. Most Effigy Mound excavations were conducted in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and focused on the mounds and their associated burial programs. Little attention was given to areas outside the footprint of the mounds. Consequently, we know little concerning activities that may have taken place in the immediate vicinity of constructed mounds. This poster illustrates results of large-scale excavations at two reported Effigy Mound sites that harbored intact sub-surface deposits including pits, postmolds, and hearths. The features may be associated with ritual activity connected to the construction, use, and possible episodic reuse of each site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage