Serpent Mounds Park is a private campground, day-use park, and a National Historic Site of Canada  located in Keene, Ontario. Serpent Mounds is currently owned and operated by the Hiawatha First Nation

Hiawatha First nation

The Hiawatha First Nation Indian Reserve is located on the north shore of Rice Lake east of the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada.It is found in Otonabee Township approximately 30 kilometers south of Peterborough...

, a historic Mississaugas

Mississaugas

The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwa...

 people.

History

Archaeological field work on the campground has revealed that the construction and occupation of the Serpent Mounds area occurred about 2000 years during the prehistoric Middle Woodland Period. The first prehistoric peoples to occupy the site were classified by archaeologists as the Point Peninsula Complex

Point Peninsula Complex

The Point Peninsula Complex was an indigenous culture located in Ontario and New York from 300 BCE to 700 CE . The people are thought to have been influenced by the Hopewell traditions of the Ohio River valley...

, based on their artifacts

Artifact (archaeology)

An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...

. The people existed in central and southeastern Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, southwestern Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, and northern parts New York state between 300BCE and 700CE.

Attractions

Serpent Mounds Park currently offers many activities that attract people to the park. A sample includes:

• Native American
  Indigenous peoples of the Americas
  The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
  
   art workshops
  Workshop
  A workshop is a room or building which provides both the area and tools that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods...
  
  
• Birdwatching
  Birdwatching
  Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
  
  
• Swimming
• Fishing
  Fishing
  Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
  
  
• Boating
  Boating
  Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
  
  

See also

• 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...
  
  
• Mound builder (people)
• Effigy mound
  Effigy mound
  Sites in the U.S. of similar history may be found at Indian Mounds ParkAn 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 only built during the Late Woodland Period .Effigy mounds were constructed in many...
  
  
• Earthwork (archaeology)

External links

• Serpent Mounds Park - official site