mound builder
Ancient earthwork constructor
Mound builder refers to any of the indigenous North American peoples who constructed large earthen mounds for burial, ceremonial, or residential purposes, particularly in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
These structures, some dating back thousands of years, include burial mounds, temple platforms, and effigy mounds shaped like animals.
The term also names the megapode—a bird that incubates eggs in mounds of decaying vegetation rather than by sitting on them.
Constructed soil structure
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- plazaPublic open square
- palisadeFence of pointed stakes
- charnel houseVault for skeletal remains
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- potteryFired clay objects
- radiocarbon datingDetermining age via isotope decay
dig · burial goods · palisade · lithics · ceramic · flotation · remote sensing · geophysics
Placing deceased underground
- mortuaryFacility housing corpses
- funeraryOf burial rites
- charnelOf or containing remains
- intermentPutting a body underground
ancestor veneration · offering · temple · priest · sacred · ceremony · cosmology · effigy
Political unit under chief
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- maizeCob-bearing cereal crop
- beansEdible pod seeds
squash · trade network · tribute · matrilineal · village · ceremony · elite · commoner
earthwork
Constructed soil structure
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- plazaPublic open square
- palisadeFence of pointed stakes
charnel house · ramp · terrace · enclosure · causeway · ridgetop · motte
excavation
Act of unearthing
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- potteryFired clay objects
radiocarbon dating · dig · burial goods · palisade · lithics · ceramic · flotation · remote sensing · geophysics · test pit
Mississippian
Native of a southern state
- HopewellPre-Columbian earthwork civilization
burial
Placing deceased underground
interment · ancestor veneration · offering · temple · priest · sacred · ceremony · cosmology · effigy · ritual objects
chiefdom
Political unit under chief
- clanRelated group sharing ancestry
- agricultureCultivation of land, livestock
- maizeCob-bearing cereal crop
beans · squash · trade network · tribute · matrilineal · village · ceremony · elite · commoner · pottery
Australasian
From Australia's broader region
- nesting behaviorAnimal home-construction patterns