Anderson Mounds
Mounds State Park Anderson
Middle Woodland Hopewell–Adena 250 BCE–200 CE·Hopewell tradition (Adena antecedent)·🇺🇸 Indiana, United States
About
About Anderson Mounds
Hopewell and Adena earthwork complex of 10 enclosures and conical/burial mounds at White River confluence. Central circular earthwork 18 m diameter enclosure (Earthwork 4) and Great Mound (12 m high, 53 m base) with platform and Fiddleback mound interpreted as solar observatory; associated Albee late Woodland village. Type site for Anderson phase (250 BCE–200 CE).
Why it mattersType-site for Anderson phase Hopewell–Adena transition; rare enclosed Fiddleback mounds demonstrating Woodland cosmology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function of circular enclosure as observatory vs mortuary
- 02Relationship to New Castle and Neward earthworks network
Theories
- 01Hopewell tradition ceremonial center for seasonal aggregation
- 02Solar-lunar alignment model for Fiddleback
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.250 BCE–200 CE
- Period
- Middle Woodland Hopewell–Adena 250 BCE–200 CE
- Culture
- Hopewell tradition (Adena antecedent)
- Builders
- Hopewell tradition
- Purpose
- Ceremonial enclosure and burial mounds, astronomical/calendrical observatory and village
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.250 BCE–200 CE
Initial construction
c. 1278 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
40.0969° N · 85.9281° W · 260 m · 2 mapped features
Anderson Mounds central feature
featureMain architectural feature
40.0969° N · 85.9281° WAnderson Mounds secondary sector
sectorSecondary sector
40.0979° N · 85.9271° W
Gallery