Mounds State Park
Encyclopedia
Mounds State Park is a state park
in Anderson, Indiana
, featuring Native American
heritage, and 10 ceremonial mound
s built by the prehistoric Adena culture
indigenous peoples of eastern North America, and also used centuries by later Hopewell culture
inhabitants.
. This brought thousands of tourists from around the Mid-West. In 1910, several locals admitted to stealing chimpanzee
skeletons from the nearby Muncie
Zoo's monkey house. In 1915 the skeletons were sold to a local museum which burned down in 1919.
Canoeing
is also available in Mounds State Park, on the White River
.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in Anderson, Indiana
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
, featuring Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
heritage, and 10 ceremonial mound
Mound
A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically...
s built by the prehistoric Adena culture
Adena culture
The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...
indigenous peoples of eastern North America, and also used centuries by later Hopewell culture
Hopewell culture
The Hopewell tradition is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BCE to 500 CE. The Hopewell tradition was not a single culture or society, but a widely dispersed set of related...
inhabitants.
Mounds
The largest earthwork, the "Great Mound", is believed to have been constructed around 160 BCE. The Great Mound is a circular earth enclosure with an internal ditch and south to southwest entrance. The earthworks measure 394 feet (120.1 m) across from bank to bank. The 9 feet (2.7 m) embankment is 63 feet (19.2 m) wide at its base, and the ditch is 10.5 feet (3.2 m) deep and 60 feet (18.3 m) across at its top. The central platform is 138 feet (42.1 m) across and was occupied by a 4 feet (1.2 m) central mound 30 feet (9.1 m) in diameter.Popular culture
In 1900, a series of strange misshapen skeletons were unearthed from similar mounds in nearby Alexandria, IndianaAlexandria, Indiana
Alexandria is a city in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is about northeast of Indianapolis. It is part of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. This brought thousands of tourists from around the Mid-West. In 1910, several locals admitted to stealing chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
skeletons from the nearby Muncie
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
Zoo's monkey house. In 1915 the skeletons were sold to a local museum which burned down in 1919.
Canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
is also available in Mounds State Park, on the White River
White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
.
See also
- Adena cultureAdena cultureThe Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...
- Hopewell tradition
- List of Hopewell sites
- List of burial mounds in the United States