mound builders
Termite colony architects
Mound builders refers to the indigenous peoples of North America who constructed earthen mounds for burial, ceremonial, and residential purposes, primarily in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys.
These cultures flourished from roughly 3000 BCE to European contact.
The term also applies to birds that build large mounds of decaying vegetation to incubate eggs, like the Australian malleefowl.
Sculpted human representation
- platformRaised flat structure
- conicalTapering to a point
- embankmentRaised earth structure
- terracePaved outdoor extension
causeway · plaza · palisade · enclosure · geometric · ridge · berm · midden
Native of a southern state
- HopewellPre-Columbian earthwork civilization
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
- tribesAncestral social groups
indigenous · clans · chiefdom · matrilineal · traditions · heritage · legacy · mythology
Act of unearthing
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- ceramicsHardened clay objects
- burialsPlacing dead underground
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
radiocarbon dating · archaeologists · dig · potsherd · grave goods · Smithsonian · looters · repatriation
Southern Hemisphere continent-country
- nestingMaking a dwelling
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
- hatchlingsRecently emerged young animals
eggs · vegetation · composting
effigy
Sculpted human representation
- platformRaised flat structure
- conicalTapering to a point
- embankmentRaised earth structure
terrace · causeway · plaza · palisade · enclosure · geometric · ridge · berm · midden · construction
Mississippian
Native of a southern state
- HopewellPre-Columbian earthwork civilization
- ceremonialRelating to formal rites
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
tribes · indigenous · clans · chiefdom · matrilineal · traditions · heritage · legacy · mythology · totems
excavation
Act of unearthing
stratigraphy · radiocarbon dating · archaeologists · dig · potsherd · grave goods · Smithsonian · looters · repatriation · Davis
Australia
Southern Hemisphere continent-country
- nestingMaking a dwelling
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- thermoregulationMaintaining stable internal heat
hatchlings · eggs · vegetation · composting
mound buildersburrowers
Animals that dig underground
diggers · excavators · tunnelers · cave dwellers · Ancestral Puebloans
mound, mounds, builders, mounded, mounding, tumulus, burial mound