Early Americans-Mound Builders

The Mound Builders were in North America, east of the Mississippi River. Archaeologists do not know why the mounds were built. Some were used for burial and they held ceremonies. It is said they built mounds to celebrate animal spirits.

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​Groups of Mound Builders built mounds by gathering baskets of dirt. Then, they would have carried their burdens to a clearing, dumped the soil, and tamped it down with their feet. As the days passed, they would retrace their footsteps time after time until the mound began to grow. Over years of ceremonial use, multiple layers of earth were often added during repeated episodes of construction, gradually building a mound of impressive height.

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​The Great Serpent Mound was a mound build that was believed to represent the idea that the Mound Builders worshiped animal spirits. This mound would have been made to worship a __snake__ spirit. Not all mounds worshiped snakes, but might have represented other animals/important beliefs.

​​Agriculture is farming. The Early Americans (Native Americans) (Mound Builders) farmed so they could stay in one place for longer. The Mound Builders grew corn.