great serpent mound - peebles, oh
The Great Serpent Mound is an effigy mound located on the east bluff of Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio.
It is approximately 1/4 mile long from head to tail, with an average width of 20 ft across and an average height of 4-5 ft. This makes it the largest effigy mound in North America, and the largest serpent effigy in the world.
It is approximately 1/4 mile long from head to tail, with an average width of 20 ft across and an average height of 4-5 ft. This makes it the largest effigy mound in North America, and the largest serpent effigy in the world.
There has been much debate about what the Serpent Mound is meant to represent. Some common assumptions include:
Geological evidence suggests that the mound was built on the site of a cryptoexplosion: the result of underground gas explosions near 200 million years ago that caused rocks to be driven up at least 1000 ft.
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Excavations of the mound
Serpent Mound was first excavated by Frederick Ward Putnam from 1886 - 1889. Although he found no cultural evidence within the mound itself, nearby burial mounds exposed artifacts attributed to the Adena culture, which occupied the region between 1000 - 200 BC. It was believed that they were the builders of Serpent Mound until 1996, when it was excavated again.
In 1996, University of Pittsburgh student Robert Fletcher, his friend Terry Cameron, and archaeologists Bradley Lepper and Dee Anne Wymer took samples from the mound which resulted in the finding of charcoal. When this charcoal was radiocarbon dated, it was estimated that the Serpent Mound was actually constructed much later, around 1070 AD, when the Fort Ancient culture occupied the area. |
Astronomical alignments
The Serpent Mound aligns with many astronomical events, particularly those surrounding winter and summer solstices, as well as the equinox.
Since the people of the Fort Ancient culture were agriculturalists and relied heavily on the production of maize for subsistence, these alignments and dates were likely of great importance to them in helping them to mark growing and planting seasons.
Theories of its importance
There are many theories surrounding the purpose or importance of Serpent Mound. Unfortunately, since the culture left no written language, and disappeared before European exploration, all theories are merely speculation.
A New Age power center Some modern theorists claim the Serpent Mound is a "power center" as a "point of astrological harmonic convergence". Depiction of astronomical events
The creation of the Serpent Mound (1070 AD) aligns with the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1066 AD, as well as the light from the supernova that produced the Crab Nebula reaching the earth in 1054 AD. This light remained visible for 24 hours a day for almost 2 weeks. Site of the Garden of Eden
At the beginning of the 20th century, a Reverend named Landon West claimed that the serpent represented the serpent eating the fruit from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden, and that this site marked the place of the fall of man. He suggests that the serpent was created by God or by people inspired to mark this event. Representation of the Great Horned Serpent
The Shawnee tribe is thought to be the descendants of the lost Fort Ancient culture. They, among other Mississippian cultures, have stories that tell of the evil Great Horned Serpent who lived in lakes and rivers waiting to eat humans. |