Effigy Mounds National Monument

A combination of beautiful scenery and fascinating cultural history, Effigy Mounds National Monument is an archaeological treasure.

Early People

Evidence indicates that the earliest people arrived in the area during the Paleo-Indian period, 12,000-9,000 years ago. These early Paleo-Indians lived a nomadic, migratory lifestyle, hunting wooly mammoth and mastodon, as well as elk, bison and deer. As the climate gradually changed, hunting and gathering became the norm during the Archaic Period, 9,000-2,500 years ago. At the end of the Archaic Period, populations increased and a more sedentary lifestyle developed. The Woodland Period, 2,500 -750 years before present, saw significant cultural development, including increased trade along the Mississippi River, manufacture of pottery and tools, and cultivation of plants. It was during the Woodland Period that the mounds were constructed in the Mississippi River Valley and eastern North America.

Mounds from the beginning of the Woodland Period were of a simple conical shape, about 30 feet across and 2-3 feet tall. Over the centuries, different cultures built their own characteristic types of mounds, including compound, linear and effigy mounds in the shapes of animals. Many mounds were built in groups ranging from 20 to 100, with the largest group consisting of over 895 mounds. Unfortunately, most of the large mound groups have been destroyed by agriculture.

Discovery and Preservation of the Mounds

The mounds in the northeast Iowa region were discovered and mapped in the early 1900s by archeologist Ellison Orr and his brother Harry. Concerns that many such historical sacred sites were being destroyed led to the formation of the Iowa Archeological Survey in 1922. Many other mound sites were excavated and mapped up until WWII, and Effigy Mounds National Monument was established in 1949 by President Harry Truman.

Effigy Mounds National Monument

Effigy Mounds National Monument, located in Clayton and Allamakee Counties of northeast Iowa, covers 2,526 acres, and contains over 200 earthen burial mounds. Thirty-one of the mounds are effigies in the shape of bears and birds, and other mounds are round or linear in shape.

The Monument includes fourteen miles of hiking trails leading past the mounds, many of which afford lovely views overlooking the Mississippi River. Visitors can walk all or part of the trails on their own, or take a guided tour led by a ranger. The Monument also features a visitor's center with a museum housing a fascinating collection of tools, pottery and other prehistoric artifacts.

The Monument is located on state highway 76, 3 miles north of Marquette, Iowa. The entrance fee is $3 for visitors over 15 years of age, and the ticket valid for one week from original date of entrance.

References:
http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm