Indian Mounds of Wisconsin [Paperback]

Robert A. Birmingham (Author), Leslie E. Eisenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 23, 2000

More mounds were built by ancient Native American societies in Wisconsin than in any other region of North America-between 15, 000 and 20, 000 mounds, at least 4, 000 of which remain today. Most impressive are the effigy mounds, huge earthworks sculpted into the shapes of birds, animals, and other forms, not found anywhere else in the world in such concentrations. This book, written for general readers but incorporating the most recent research, offers a comprehensive overview of these intriguing earthworks and answers the questions, Who built the mounds? When and why were they built? The archaeological record indicates that most ancient societies in the upper Midwest built mounds of various kinds sometime between about 800 B.C. and A.D. 1200; the effigy mounds were probably built between A.D. 800 and A.D. 1200. Using evidence drawn from archaeology, ethnography, ethnohistory, the traditions and beliefs of present-day Native Americans in the Midwest, and recent research and theories of other archaeologists, Birmingham and Eisenberg present an important new interpretation of the effigy mound groups as "cosmological maps" that model ancient belief systems and social relations. It is likely that the distant ancestors of several present-day Native American groups were among the mound-building societies, in part because these groups' current clan structures and beliefs are similar to the symbolism represented in the effigy mounds. Indian Mounds of Wisconsin includes a travel guide to sites that can be visited by the public, including many in state, county, and local parks. "No book with this broad coverage of Wisconsin's mounds-or even mounds of the Midwest-has been published for some 150 years. This up-to-date survey will be useful for general readers and students but also will benefit professional archaeologists and scholars in related fields". -Robert L. Hall, Field Museum and University of Illinois at Chicago

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Throughout history, the mound-builder societies of the many Native American cultures have captured many people's attention. The indigenous mound-building society in Wisconsin, known as the Ho-Chunk, or Winnebago, and the Ioway people were two of the most prolific in the U.S. Because of the increased requests for information, Birmingham and Eisenberg have completed one of the most comprehensive guides to the mounds of Wisconsin. Previously, none of the information on the mounds or their builders was available in a complete volume. Beginning with Wisconsin's early occupants, this work details 2,000 years of history, from pre-mound-builder groups to the modern era. Throughout the book, there are photographs, maps, and detailed drawings of artifacts, people, and the mounds. Included in the appendix is a listing of mound sites open to the public. Indian Mounds is an important and necessary addition to any collection on Native American cultures and the early history of the Midwest. Julia Glynn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

    More mounds were built by ancient Native American societies in Wisconsin than in any other region of North America--between 15,000 and 20,000 mounds, at least 4,000 of which remain today. Most impressive are the effigy mounds, huge earthworks sculpted into the shapes of birds, animals, and other forms, not found anywhere else in the world in such concentrations. This book, written for general readers but incorporating the most recent research, offers a comprehensive overview of these intriguing earthworks and answers the questions, Who built the mounds? When and why were they built?
    The archaeological record indicates that most ancient societies in the upper Midwest built mounds of various kinds sometime between about 800 B.C. and A.D. 1200; the effigy mounds were probably built between A.D. 800 and A.D. 1200. Using evidence drawn from archaeology, ethnography, ethnohistory, the traditions and beliefs of present-day Native Americans in the Midwest, and recent research and theories of other archaeologists, Birmingham and Eisenberg present an important new interpretation of the effigy mound groups as "cosmological maps" that model ancient belief systems and social relations. It is likely that the distant ancestors of several present-day Native American groups were among the mound-building societies, in part because these groups’ current clan structures and beliefs are similar to the symbolism represented in the effigy mounds.
    Indian Mounds of Wisconsin includes a travel guide to sites that can be visited by the public, including many in state, county, and local parks.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press; 1 edition (November 23, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0299168743
• ISBN-13: 978-0299168742
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enhanced with a travel guide to mound sites, March 18, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indian Mounds of Wisconsin (Paperback)

It is estimated by archaeologists that there were between 15,000 and 20,000 Native American mounds in Wisconsin, of which at some 4,000 still remain today. These mounds range from simple swellings of earth to elaborate effigy mounds sculpted into the shapes of birds, animals, and other forms. Indian Mounds Of Wisconsin offers a comprehensive overview of these Native American earthworks and addresses the questions of when were they constructed, who built them, and for what purpose. Accessibly written and highly recommended for North American archaeology and Native American studies reference collections, as well as for the non-specialist general reader, Indian Mounds Of Wisconsin is enhanced with a travel guide to mound sites that can be viewed by the general public (including many in local, county, and state parks); photographs and line drawings; a Wisconsin archaeological chronology; effigy mound forms in selected counties; extensive chapter notes; bibliography for further study, and a "user friendly" index.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and interesting, March 21, 2005

By 

George Richards "Curious Collector" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indian Mounds of Wisconsin (Paperback)

I found this book to be informative and quite interesting. I certainly was not fully aware of the rich, ancient cultural history of Wisconsin. It is a tragedy that the arrogance of the 'later' settlers of this northern territory would eradicate such historically significant sites . . . but then they did the same all across North America.

4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten Civilizations Brought Back To Life, November 4, 2005

By 

Lance C. Panzer (the Great Lakes) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Indian Mounds of Wisconsin (Paperback)

As empires rose and fell in the Old World--the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, Anglo-Saxon England, and Charlemagne--so too did civilizations thrive in the New World, the then undreamed-of North America.

Here in Wisconsin, the landscape is littered with seemingly inexplicable manmade mounds of earth, some circular, some rectangular, and many in the shapes of animals. These tantalizing earthworks are the echoes of Paleo-Indians, people who came to Wisconsin 12,000 years ago, as the glaciers begrudgingly receded, and the land burst forth with new vitality and fertility.

At first, the Paleo-Indians lived nomadically, and sparsely, following the herds of mammoth and mastodon, and gathering what wild-growing fruits and vegetables they could find. But by the First Millennium, their population had exploded. Collectively, they established a trading network that stretched from the Rockies to the Atlantic. They discovered horticulture; they established ties with the land; they built towns and cities. They created social divisions. And they waged wars.

In spite of a dry, academic narrative, this book piquantly evokes the splendor of exotic civilizations lost to the ages. This book reveals that the Indian mounds served many purposes, and hidden within them are clues to the disposition, the technology, and the prosperity of these ancient peoples. These mounds are powerful reminders that we were not the first ones here.

This year I myself toured Aztalan State Park, one of Wisconsin's more famous Paleo-Indian sites, and as I beheld the aged fortifications, and climbed atop the mounds, I was haunted by the murmurs of a thriving community long turned to dust. The Indian mounds are a sobering reminder that every civilization must eventually succumb to the tides of history.