Spirits of earth : the effigy mound landscape of Madison and the Four Lakes / Robert A. Birmingham.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Birmingham, Robert A.

Series:

Wisconsin land and life.

Wisconsin land and life

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mounds--Wisconsin--Madison Region.

Mounds.

Earthworks (Archaeology)--Wisconsin--Madison Region.

Earthworks (Archaeology).

Indians of North America--Wisconsin--Madison Region--Antiquities.

Indians of North America.

Madison Region (Wis.)--Antiquities.

Madison Region (Wis.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (284 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Between A.D. 700 and 1100 Native Americans built more effigy mounds in Wisconsin than anywhere else in North America, with an estimated 1,300 mounds--including the world's largest known bird effigy--at the center of effigy-building culture in and around Madison, Wisconsin. These huge earthworks, sculpted in the shape of birds, mammals, and other figures, have aroused curiosity for generations and together comprise a vast effigy mound ceremonial landscape. Farming and industrialization destroyed most of these mounds, leaving the mysteries of who built them and why they were made. The remaining mounds are protected today and many can be visited. Spirits of Earth: Effigy Mound Landscapes of Madison and the Four Lakes explores the cultural, historical, and ceremonial meanings of the mounds in an informative, abundantly illustrated book and guide.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

List of Illustrations

Preface: Of Megaliths and Mounds, Recognizing a World Wonder

Acknowledgments

1. Spirits of Earth: An Introduction to Effigy Mound Landscapes

2. The Ancient Mound Builders

3. The Effigy Mound Landscape of Madison and the Four Lakes

4. Yahara Inlet and Mendota

5. Wingra: Lake of Sacred Springs

6. Lake Monona: Let the Great Spirit Soar

7. Waubesa: Lake of Reeds and Snakes

8. Kegonsa and the Mouth of the Yahara: Endto Beginning

9. Landscapes of the Past, Questions and Issues for the Future

Appendix: Selected Mound Sites Open tothe Public

Notes

Bibliography

Illustration Credits

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-282-50292-1

9786612502927

0-299-23263-8

OCLC:

644633709