NATIONAL MONUMENT • IOWA United States Department of the Interior Oscar L

NATIONAL MONUMENT • IOWA United States Department of the Interior Oscar L. Chapman, Secretary National Park Service Newton B. Drury, Director Outstanding examples oj Indian mounds in the shape oj birds and animals EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONU- American Indians. This concept has been dis- MENT, atop rugged Mississippi River bluffs, credited by scientific evidence, which reveals was established to preserve its concentrations of that the builders of the mounds were the an- unique earth mounds that represent a significant cestors of the historic American Indians. Varia- phase of American prehistory. 'The mounds, tions in size, shape, and contents of mounds seemingly effigiesof a variety of birds and larger indicate that they were not all built by the same animals, resemble great cameos. tribe or at the same stage of cultural develop- These effigies, with the conical and linear ment. One definite class of mounds is the effigy mounds associated with them, provide a record or imitative type. of the early inhabitants of the region, concern- ing whom our knowledge is otherwise very The Mounds meager. Under National Park Serviceprotection WITH few exceptions effigy mounds are re- they will be held intact for future study. stricted to a limited area in the upper Mississippi From this high mound area are offered ex- Valley, the southern half of Wisconsin, border- cellent panoramas of the historic and scenic ing sections of Iowa, Minnesota, and across valley of the great "Father of Waters." northern Illinois. Generally associated with the bird and animal effigies are conical and linear Mound Builders mounds. The distribution range of the straight, PREHISTORIC Indian mounds are to be found elongated embankments, known as linears, is from Texas and Florida north into Canada, with only slightly wider than that of the effigies, the greatest concentrations occurring along the while conical mounds are the most common Mississippi River and its tributaries from the type throughout the whole mound area. Com- east. They range in size from hardly perceptible pound mounds, with linears connecting two or swells in the ground to artificial hillocks exceed- more conicals into one unit, are occasionally ing 60 feet in height and 200 feet in diameter. found; 18 animal and 3 bird effigies, 43 conical, It has been estimated that more than 100,000of 11 linear, and 5 compound mounds have been these mounds were in evidence before their mass recorded on this monument. Where linear, destruction under the onslaught of settlement, conical, and effigy mounds occur side by side, agriculture operations, and vandalism. Early ob- they have been found to contain similar remains servers, intrigued by the mystery of the origin and are believed to have been constructed by of the mounds, spoke of the "mound-builders," the same people. Effigy mounds vary in height, who they believed were a race distinct from the but are usually from 2 to 4 feet high. Effigy Mound Culture effigy mounds, attesting to the presence of the only domestic animal in eastern North America THE unusual animal-shaped mounds appear to before the advent of Europeans. have been constructed in connection with the burial of the dead, for human remains have been Pieces of pottery, made from a clay to which found in most of those which have been care- considerable crushed rock had been added, are fully studied. The evidence they contain, how- the most common artifacts in these mounds and ever, is too meager, says Director McKern of are important in suggesting relationship with the Milwaukee Public Museum, to say "just other early people. The elbow and "bent-tube" why some individuals were honored with a clay pipes found in effigy mound groups are mound shaped to represent a great flying bird, unlike the stone pipes occurring commonly in while others rested under a walking bear, or the Indian mounds of the Ohio and middle even had to be satisfied with a small rounded Mississippi Valleys. pile of earth." The use of pottery by groups of American Materials other than human bones provide Indians is generally assumed to signify that such our principal clues about the builders of 'the groups led a sedentary life, which in turn indi- mounds. They indicate that these people pos- cates that they were agriculturists. If true with sessed hide-scrapers of flint and bone, stone respect to the effigy mound builders, corn adzes and celts, stone projectile points, stone- (maize) augmented their food supply which . chipping flakers of antler, various forms of was principally obtained from hunting, fishing, bone awls, and bone harpoon points barbed on and the gathering of wild plant foods. Animals only one edge. Copper celts (ungrooved hatchet- which they could have hunted include deer, elk, like tools) and double-pointed copper awls, bear, buffalo, opossum, raccoon,. beaver, rab- square in cross section, are sometimes found, bits, and squirrels. The forests sheltered turkey, but no copper ornaments such as are commonly ruffled grouse, and passenger pigeon, while cat- found in burial mounds to the south and east fish, pickerel, bass, and fresh-water clams were have been recorded. The use of copper for tools nearby. A partial list of the plant food available rather than ornaments indicates perhaps that it would include wild rice, acorns, black walnuts, was not held in such high esteem by these hickory nuts, hazel nuts, wild cherries, choke- Indians who were nearer the copper sources to cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, and the north. A few dog bones have been found in wild grapes. Aerial view of Effigy Mounds National Monummt YELLOW RIVER MOUND GROUP \ o \ o o o o o . I o Yellow River Mound Group Little is known of the dwellings of these ence, in the vicinity of present Prairie du Chien, Indians, and it is believed that they were too a succession of French, English, and American flimsy in nature for evidence to persist to the trading and military posts were built over a pe- present. riod of 150 years. Remains of a military road The age of the effigy mounds is not definitely that led from Fort Crawford, Wis., to Fort At- known beyond the fact that most were con- kinson, Iowa, are still to be seen near one of the structed after pottery was in use and before the principal mound areas in the monument. coming of Europeans. Historic objects, such as horse bones, glass beads, or steel implements, The Monument have not been found in a mound in such manner as to indicate that they were there at the time of EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONU- construction. It is generally believed the culture MENT was established October 25, 1949, by developed at the time when pottery was first Presidential proclamation. The scenic and scien- coming into use in this vicinity; when nomadic tific values of the area, with a gross acreage of prepottery people were learning the use of pot- 1,204.39 acres, were long recognized. However, tery; or when they were being displaced by it was only by sustained efforts for more than a pottery-using folk. By correlation of the known a quarter century that conservation-minded cultural traits with parrerns of traits from other Iowans were able to acquire title to the land areas: most authorities believe these early peo- which they gave to the United States. ple existed from a thousand years ago until The monument area, approximately one-half almost historic times. of a mile east and west, and 3 miles north and south, extends along the bluffs of the Missis- History sippi, and is divided into two parts by the BELOW the monument and across the Missis- Yellow River. The assemblage of mounds to sippi is the mouth of the Wisconsin River. By the north, the Yellow River group, is distin- it, Marquette and Joliet approached the "Father guished by having the largest bear effigy of Waters" on their journey of discovery in 1673. known -70 feet across the shoulder and front To control the traffic at this important conflu- legs, 140 feet long, and 5 feet high. Pleasant ~LEASANT RIDGE GROUP --------~--~~-----~ Pleasant Ridge Group Ridge Group, south of the river, is marked yond to a viewpoint overlooking the Mississippi by having 10 bear effigies, each about 3 feet Valley. The round trip is Ill.! miles in length and high and from 80 to 100 feet in length, strung leads to a level 300 feet above headquarters. out in a long procession. Almost a mile north- Without neglecting other duties, the superin- east of the "Marching Bears" are three mounds- tendent spends as much time as possible in a bear effigy and two compound mounds. One guiding visitors. Large parties may usually ob- of the compound mounds, with seven conicals tain special guided trips if arrangements are evident along its length, measures 450 feet from made in advance. end to end. In their present state most of these Admission to the area is free, and the visiting mounds are covered with a heavy forest growth hours are from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. Neither pic- which prevents the taking of comprehensive nicking nor camping facilities have been devel- photographs. oped. Eating and sleeping accommodations are Some effigy mounds are being protected in available in nearby towns. the State parks of Iowa and Wisconsin, while the National Park Service administers two dis- Administration tant areas exhibiting mound cultures other than EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONU- effigy-Ocmulgee National Monument, Macon, MENT is a part of the National Park System, Ga., and Mound City Group National Monu- owned by the people of the United States and ment, Chillicothe, Ohio. • administered for them by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Facilities Interior.

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