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View Full Version : Etowa, Georgia's Indian Mounds


burkbuilds
05-23-2010, 10:29 PM
Okay, this is probably kinda boring, but a few weeks ago I came up Highway 41 and looked for these things and couldn't find any signs telling me where they were, so today, riding back to school on I-75, I saw the signs and followed them to the Indian Mounds. Indian mounds were made by Native Americans long before the time of Columbus. There is not much actually known about them, but the generally accepted archeological explanation is that the Indians built these "mounds" as a burial place for their dead and a ceremonial place. It's kinda interesting that different ancient cultures around the globe often did similar things, and we rarely know the exact purpose or what went on there in the past. The druids also had "mounds" and of course the Egyptians and Aztecs and Incas all built various forms of pyramids as burial and ceremonial sites.
http://s4.postimage.org/kJRXS.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVkJRXS)

http://s3.postimage.org/A_26J.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqA_26J)

http://s1.postimage.org/9eoui.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gx9eoui)

http://s4.postimage.org/kK3qA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVkK3qA)
Those gray things are tree stumps. Not sure if you can tell in my photos. I couldn't get very close today the area was closed so I just had to snap pictures from the roadway through the fence. I assume that archeologists think they were just grass hills when the Indians built them, and so in recent years the trees were removed down to the stumps so they wouldn't obscure the view of the mounds.

BusyWeb
05-23-2010, 10:58 PM
That's nice looking photos.
I've never seen those myself except from school textbook..
Thanks for the sharing.

burkbuilds
05-24-2010, 01:29 AM
BusyWeb, this was my first experience seeing them other than in a textbook as well. I was surprised at how large they were. There's not a lot in the photos that shows a scale except maybe the wooden stairway leading up the side of the largest mound in the first picture. I can't imagine how much work it would be to move that much dirt without machinery, truly an amazing feat. My estimate based on the railing height on the stairs is that these babies are 60-70' tall. That's a six-seven story building, pretty amazing considering they had no metal tools, and probably no wheels to help move the dirt along. It must have taken a lot of Indians a long time to do this, which implies an organized leadership capable of compelling them either under threat of punishment, out of great respect, or from religious devotion or fear.

GZ250
05-27-2010, 11:25 PM
tree stumps are visible in the last picture. no one ever tried to open/dig these, at least one mound to see whats in there, may be something interesting in there.

Water Warrior 2
05-28-2010, 12:40 AM
The mounds are a sacred place that should not be messed with. I do share your curiosity and we all have a thirst for knowledge and history but I am sure the Natives would be more than a little miffed if some one starts digging.

GZ250
05-31-2010, 11:29 AM
The mounds are a sacred place that should not be messed with. I do share your curiosity and we all have a thirst for knowledge and history but I am sure the Natives would be more than a little miffed if some one starts digging.


Good joke for or about Natives......... :biggrin:

Easy Rider
05-31-2010, 11:52 AM
The mounds are a sacred place that should not be messed with. I do share your curiosity and we all have a thirst for knowledge and history but I am sure the Natives would be more than a little miffed if some one starts digging.


Good joke for or about Natives......... :biggrin:

What ?? Explain that comment a bit, please. :??:

BillInGA
05-31-2010, 12:59 PM
What ?? Explain that comment a bit, please. :??:

read in some sexual innuendo...

Easy Rider
05-31-2010, 01:14 PM
What ?? Explain that comment a bit, please. :??:

read in some sexual innuendo...

Booooo. LONG stretch.....and not funny. :neener: