Summer 2009

Under The Skies of Aztalan

Dan Seurer’s photo “Pryamid Mound at Sunrise” kicks off this Edition of Ancient Times. This is a view of the temple mound on the southwest portion of the habitation area. This shot was taken after the first snowfall of the season, as the storm clouds began to break. If you are interested in photos of Aztalan, suitable for framing, check out the Dan Seurer website, http://seurer-photography.com/aztalan_sky.html Dan is donating profits from sales of his Aztalan photography to the Friends of Aztalan. A Sunday Afternoon tour… Using YouTube to visit Aztzlan. It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon. On A YouTube site called Journey Mounds or Ohio’s Great Serpent a much nicer day I’d rather be to Aztalan features Friends of Mound. At almost any mound walking among the effigy mounds Aztalan executive director, Bob site you can think of there may be at High Cliff State Park, but the rain Birmingham, and who better to video of that area. and cold wind have encouraged explain the significance of Aztalan me to wimp out. than Bob? There is also a YouTube A few words of warning: many of site named Aztalan Tour with Kurt these videos are simply amateur Still, I can spend a little time which features Friends president vacation footage. They aren’t checking out the sights at the Kurt Sampson as well as Bob always professionally produced sites: Aztalan, Cahokia, Angel Birmingham. and they aren’t always up to Mounds, Ohio’s Great Serpent television quality. Still, getting a Mound and others. All I need is simple vacationers’ view of these a computer, the Internet, sites is amusing and and YouTube. I don’t even informative. have to leave my office. But a more important If you’ve been reluctant to thing to remember is that go to the YouTube website the Internet is unregulated thinking it is just the and wide open. Anyone domain of stupid pet tricks who wants to can post and adolescent video on YouTube or anywhere pranks you should try this. on the Internet. You can run into sites insisting Check into that Aztalan was an Aztec www.youtube.com . village, talking about the At the top of the YouTube Mississippians being a home page you’ll find a lost tribe of Israel, search bar. Just type in or suggesting that what you would like to Cahokia was built by look for. In this case, I aliens from outer space. typed in Aztalan National Historic On the right side of the YouTube But if you’re reading this newsletter Landmark. (This can be seen also page is a list of other suggested I assume you are well beyond that on the Friends of Aztalan State sites you might want to visit. With kind of stuff! Park web site.)There I was able each site you go to, another set to click on a seven-minute video of suggestions show up. It’s a fun An hour spent searching the sites featuring Dr. Lynne Goldsmith, way to surf YouTube looking for can help you plan a trip or refresh Dr. John Richards, Chloris Lowe more information about Aztalan. your memory of nearby sites. They of the Ho-Chunk Nation, and our You don’t have to be limited to the can also serve to introduce you own Tom Davies as he spoke to mysteries of Aztalan, however. If family and friends to the thrill of school kids at the site. It provided you put Cahokia into the search visiting archaeological sites right a good introduction to Aztalan’s box you’ll find another batch of here in the Midwest. archaeological past. interesting and informative videos. By Bill Hanley Or try Angel Mounds, or Etowah THE AZTALAN GARDEN GROWS AGAIN THIS YEAR Aztalan represented one of “We also planted sunflower seeds and pesky crows would be to your Wisconsin’s first true farming which would have helped with survival.” communities. It was founded in a nutrition levels, particularly in time when the hunter-gatherers were providing protein. The sunflowers Jude would like to thank Gabrielle evolving into the agriculturally-based were planted in group clusters Lubach, John Broihahn, Lance society we find so fascinating. surrounding the rows of corn/ Surely hunting, fishing, and squash/gourd rows. Please notice foraging would remain critical to that the rows are not straight, but the lifestyle of the Aztalanians, but snake through the soil owing to the agriculture would determine how the ease in tilling. Mississippians were organized. “Thanks to John Broihahn who Jude Hartwick of the Friends of articulated the reasoning behind Aztalan board of directors filed the varied this report about how he and other plantings volunteers have tried to recreate and manner Stock, Bob Persons, type of garden that might have of tilling.” Nona Christiansen, been found at Aztalan. The Fosketts, and Bob Not to be Birmingham for their “Our ancient Mississippian garden accused help in making the is a very small version of a garden of being garden a success. representing what would have been unauthentic, planted around the year 1100 a.d.,” Jude took Jude explains” “The corn this the garden year is different from last year’s. experience another step. “Our Last year we planted Seneca tools were hand made,” Jude Red Stalker, and we were able to said. “I teach at an alternative harvest quite a bit. Notice how it school, where my students and I was planted on the hills, though I constructed shell hoes and antler was informed that perhaps it should rakes. I cut some branches from have been planted more on the brush, then upon collecting antlers slopes of the mounds. and procuring some shells from the Crawfish River, I tied them to the “This year we planted Mandan branches using wet rawhide. The corn. The Mandan tribe is from rawhide I purchased from Nasco the Montana/North Dakota area, (Arts and Crafts store). I used it thus the climate would be similar in wet, because then it would tighten growing season length to what we as it dried. Surprisingly, they work. If you’re interested in volunteering have at Aztalan. Also, we planted to help bring the Aztalan garden to Dinosaur gourds. These gourds Jude is rightfully proud of the life this year, contact Jude at were planted based on depictions garden. “Please watch as our [email protected]. on the Mississippian pottery found plants take off. Just imagine having at Cahokia that showed gourds to live off of what you grow. Then which looked eerily similar to our think about how dreaded those heirloom dinosaur gourds. little chipmunks/ground squirrels New Exhibit at Hoard Museum This spring the Hoard Museum of prehistoric cultures with intriguing Atkinson. Admission is free and Fort Atkinson opened its fabulous artifacts, a full scale reconstructed it is open during the summer exhibit area called the “Mystery of Woodland house, and an exhibit to labor day from Tuesday to the Mounds.” The professionally on Aztalan This is a must –see Saturday 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and designed and attractive exhibit for anyone with interests in Native Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. space includes a theater showing American history and archaeology. From Labor day to Memorial Day it a wonderful 17 minute on the The Hoard Museum is located only is open Tuesday through Saturday ancient mound builders of the about 15 minutes from Aztalan 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 pm area, exhibits on the various at 401 Whitewater Avenue, Fort

Friends of Aztalan State Park Membership Don’t forget to renew your membership. Help keep the Friends of Aztalan State Park active and growing. Memberships: ___Basic $20; ___Sustaining $25; ___Patron $50; ___Corporate $100; ___Life $250

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State______Zip______Email______Send to: Friends of Aztalan State Park • Aztalan State Park • 1213 S. Main St • Lake Mills, WI 53551 Board Members Kurt Sampson, Wauwatosa, President Kori Oberle, Director, Hoard Museum, Ft. Atkinson Marifancis Cataldi, Jude Hartwick, Fort Atkinson Stoughton, (Vice President and Webmaster) Bob Persons, Madison Arlene Strunk, Fort Atkinson, Treasurer Christie Ward, Town of Aztalan Nona Christiansen, Henry Sampson, Oshkosh Madison, Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator Bill Hanley, Appleton, Newsletter Editor Ex Officio Al Peters, Jefferson Bob Birmingham, Executive Director (608) 516-3421

Friends of Aztalan State Park • P.O. Box 855 • Lake Mills, 53551 Aztalan State Park 920-648-8774 • www.aztalan.us

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