Page 13 - DesMoinesRiver
P. 13
MOUNDS AND MOUND BUILDERS By the Middle Woodland things had changed subsequent Woodland period (Alex 2000:79–
Increasingly diverse and complex lifeways charac- dramatically. Some, but not all, of the groups 82,104–108). The proliferation of burial mounds
terize the Woodland period. During this time we living in Iowa began to participate in an exten- along the Des Moines, and almost every other
see the first widespread appearance of ceramics sive inter-regional trade network. They were drainage in Iowa, indicates that mound building
and an expansion of agricultural practices. One introduced to new ideas and cultural practices was common by the Middle Woodland 2,100
of the first known, cultivated plants, little barley, which focused on religious and ritual traditions to 1,550 years ago. The vast majority of the
has been identified in controlled excavations at surrounding burial of the dead. Although lo- mounds found in Van Buren County are from
Late Archaic and Early Woodland sites in south- cal groups adopted materials goods, they also Middle and Late Woodland times.
east Iowa. At first change was gradual. Early maintained their own distinct traditions as seen
Woodland people cultivated some native plants in their everyday artifacts such as pottery and Twenty-eight sites containing mounds have been
but they do not appear to have played a major stone tools. The distribution of these Middle documented in Van Buren County (Iowa Site
role. Hunting and gathering continued to be the Woodland sites suggests that the Mississippi and Files). Five mound groups are recorded within
primary subsistence activities (Alex 2000:87). Des Moines rivers served as routes for this trade the boundaries of Lacey-Keosauqua State Park
network (Alex 2000:108). and a group of seven has been documented at
Burial mound in Lacey-Keosauqua State Park. the Iowaville Cemetery. Sadly, before laws were
Probably the most visible enacted that protect all human burials in Iowa,
prehistoric archaeologi- thousands of mounds were damaged or de-
cal sites are the conical stroyed by construction, erosion, cultivation, and
and oval mounds which curiosity seekers.
can be seen on bluff tops
and terraces above rivers By the Late Woodland period, 900 to 1,000
and streams throughout years ago, region-wide cultural influences had
the Midwest. These are waned. Many of the local traditions that devel-
sacred places that usu- oped in the Middle Woodland continued, and
ally contain the graves of Late Woodland material culture can be seen as
Iowa’s original residents. having developed out of these traditions (Alex
Mounds stand as a testa- 2000:116). A number of Woodland period
ment to their beliefs and habitation sites have been identified along the
the reverence accorded river in Van Buren County. These sites are often
to their deceased. The situated on river terraces and reveal evidence of
practice of interring the intense or frequent seasonal use. The strategic
dead in mounds began selection of river terraces would have placed
at the end of the Ar- these camps near the important river resources
chaic period and became while elevating them above all but the most ex-
wide-spread during the cessive flooding (Till and Lipsman 1978:22–23).
The University of Iowa Off ice of the State Archaeologist 13
