SERPENT MOUND

THIS IS AN UNUSUAL MOUND BUILT IN PREHISTORIC TIMES NEAR CHILLICOTHE, OHIO. IT IS IN THE SHAPE OF A SNAKE WITH AN EGG OUTSIDE OF THE MOUTH. I VISITED THE MOUND WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR HIGH FOR OUR HISTORY CLASS. IT IS A CEREMONIAL EFFIGY MOUND. I BECAME INTERESTED IN ARCHAEOLOGY WHEN I WAS IN FORTH GRADE. THIS MOUND INSPIRED ME TO DESIGN A SCULPTURE OF A TURTLE MOUND IN ART CLASS AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY. I WAS AN ART MINOR AND ANTHROPOLOGY MAJOR. I SAW THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND ANTHROPOLOGY AND LOVED STUDYING PREHISTORIC DESIGNS THAT WERE SCULPTED, PAINTED ON POTTERY AND CARVED ON ROCKS OR PETROGLYPHS. THIS LED ME TO RESEARCH THE MEANING OF PREHISTORIC SYMBOLS. AND SUBSEQUENTLY I STUDIED MANY TRIBAL BELIEFS AND MYTHOLOGIES.

THIS MOUND IS THE LARGEST AND FINEST SERPENT EFFIGY IN THE U.S. IT IS 1/4 MILE LONG AND REPRESENTS AN UN COILED SERPENT. NEARBY ARE BURIAL MOUNDS WITH IMPLEMENTS OF THE PREHISTORIC ADENA OF 800 BC - AD 100. IT PROBABLY SYMBOLIZES A RELIGIOUS OR MYTHICAL PLACE FOR IT'S BUILDERS.

BASED ON 1996 STUDIES AND CARBON DATING, SCHOLARS BELIEVE IT WAS BUILT BY FORT ANCIENT CULTURE ABOUT 1070 CE. THERE IS STILL MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT THIS AREA. OR PERHAPS FORT ANCIENT PEOPLE COULD HAVE REFURBISHED THE EARTHWORK AS MANY PEOPLE FIX UP THEIR HOUSES

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