Last week I showed you the gothic structure of the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia. (Here) I thought we would continue our tour there with the Grave Creek Indian Mound which sits directly across from the middle section of the prison. It is one of the largest conical Indian mounds in the USA.The first native settlers along the Ohio River in the area of present-day Marshall County were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. The Grave Creek Indian Mound, located in the center of Moundsville, is one of West Virginia's most famous historic landmarks. More than 2,000 years old, it stands 69 feet high and 295 feet in diameter.
The mound contains approximately 57,000 tons of dirt and originally stood nearly 70 feet high. The digging of so much earth left a sizeable moat or ditch surrounding the mound but it is no longer in existence. By testing the soil, archaeologists estimate the mound was built between 250 and 150 BCE by the Adena culture, which occupied the area from about 1000 BCE to 200 CE. The mound and two forts were the essential features of an Adena village in the shape of a triangle.
The mound was discovered by James Tomlinson and was opened in 1838. He discovered a vault 111 feet from the northern side containing the skeletal remains of two Indians, one of them surrounded with 650 ivory beads and wearing an ivory ornament about six inches long. The mound also contained ashes and bits of bones that are believed to be the remnants of Indians burned prior to their internment in the mound. Another vault was discovered near the top of the mound, containing a skeleton wearing beads, seashells and copper bracelets. An inscribed stone was removed from the vault and is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
The mound contains approximately 57,000 tons of dirt and originally stood nearly 70 feet high. The digging of so much earth left a sizeable moat or ditch surrounding the mound but it is no longer in existence. By testing the soil, archaeologists estimate the mound was built between 250 and 150 BCE by the Adena culture, which occupied the area from about 1000 BCE to 200 CE. The mound and two forts were the essential features of an Adena village in the shape of a triangle.
The mound was discovered by James Tomlinson and was opened in 1838. He discovered a vault 111 feet from the northern side containing the skeletal remains of two Indians, one of them surrounded with 650 ivory beads and wearing an ivory ornament about six inches long. The mound also contained ashes and bits of bones that are believed to be the remnants of Indians burned prior to their internment in the mound. Another vault was discovered near the top of the mound, containing a skeleton wearing beads, seashells and copper bracelets. An inscribed stone was removed from the vault and is on display at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.The mound was listed on the Natural History of Historic Places in 1966.
Carletts: What a historic find, we have one in our area of the country also. Thanks for sharing the wonders of your world.
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful and historic and interesting! I'm learning so much through this blog not only about other places around the world, but our own country as well. Thanks for all the great info!
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos and place!
ReplyDeletehave a nice week!
Great post. Very informative and the pictures are awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, what a neat historical site. I would love to visit that mound.
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a great post about the mound built by the Adena. WOW! 100 BCE!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting post and unique place you photographed.
ReplyDeleteWow that is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Regina In Pictures
you sure have some amazing sites in your vicinity.
ReplyDeleteenjoyed this post.
Great post, Carletta!
ReplyDeleteI love hearing more about my home state. I have heard of this mound but never seen it.
How interesting! Thanks for these photos and information. Thanks also for your comforting words. At my age death is as much part of our world as life is. We have to accept that.
ReplyDeleteThat's an amazing bit of history. I'd love to visit it and see the artifacts.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the tour. It's like walking back in history. The pictures were grerat as always.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a fascinating place!
ReplyDeleteCarletta, this is such an interesting post. To learn somethin of such ancient people and their burial habits reminds one of the burial mounds of northern Europe.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful find, to have in your part of the world too.
ReplyDeleteI've been to something similar to that. I just wish I could remember where it was. :) I think that stuff is interesting.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a nice place to take nature photos!
ReplyDeletePosted mine, HERE. Have a great day! And thanks for the virtual travel;)
This is very interesting stuff, Carletta. Thanks for posting it. So... the mounds were totally for burial were they??
ReplyDeleteI'm always in awe of artifacts constructed that long ago. What a sense of connection with the past they give.
ReplyDeleteGreat post - love the history.
ReplyDeleteI am coming to love your history posts. Keep'em comin'!
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine finding something like this...sure would enjoy seeing it though.
ReplyDeleteThat was quite a discovery and a very interesting post
ReplyDeleteThat was really interesting! It's so cool finding out these little bits of history from everyone.
ReplyDelete:-)
Wow! That is some incredibly interesting history. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGosh that's fascinating info Carletta. Beautiful photos of this ancient place.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting ! Already so much dirt such a long time ago !
ReplyDeleteI love seeing those interesting places in your world, Carletta!
ReplyDeleteForgive me that I have not visited here in a while, but I had my parents over for the weekend and I really did not have much time to blog!
Amazing history Carletta. We have Indian Mounds not far from us also. They are on private land, so untouched. Not nearly as big as the one in your post.
ReplyDeleteThat is beautiful place and interesting too. Very informative post. Thanks for sharing your world.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. A great reminder that every age of man had its inventiveness and really ingenious thinkers.
ReplyDeleteWow, what amazing structures! Here in Scotland you see similar things with the Cairn graves.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to also say thank you for replying on my Blogblast for peace post last week. :-)
Fascinating. You are just a born teacher too. It always comes through in your posts.
ReplyDeleteGreat minds do think alike! With us both being on the Ohio River, I imagine there is a connection of some kind, although yours are older by far. This is the same type of mounds that were here, but the area was farmed for years and most of ours have been leveled considerably. Now we just need someone in the Ohio area to post their mounds and connect our states all together! I've visited mounds in southern Ohio and know they have some big ones. Great post! It's nice to see one that isn't leveled
ReplyDeleteLike the history behind this pictures
ReplyDeleteGreat captures and informative post!
ReplyDeleteA great post about the burial mound, Carletta! I'm so glad to see it was preserved. Wonderful pictures!
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. Very nice shots too:)
ReplyDeleteSee you next week:)
How very impressive, Carletta! Didn't know about these mounds. Thank you for sharing! I love your World! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like a place we'd love to explore.
ReplyDeleteThese mounds look very similar to the ones I've seen in Georgia only the ones here are flat on top. Mr. Tomlinson may have been one of my relatives!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing that one, too, the same time I saw the prison.
ReplyDelete