The state park is unique in the sense that it has mounds created between 200 BC and 200 AD. They were formed by the Adena culture.

Here’s what I’ve been able to glean about the mounds in cliff notes…

• Home of the Adena Culture which is sometimes linked to Hopewell culture which disappeared around 500 AD
• Strictly ceremonial purposes.
• Mounds have the following parts: Embankment, Ditch, Platform and Gateway
• Embankment – The embankment was the earthen mound, marking the perimeter of the enclosure. Earth removed to create the ditch was used in building the mound. Based on the tools available, creating the embankment and ditch for a large mound would have taken 120 people about four months to create.
• Ditch — The circular ditch was dug first. Removed earth was loaded into baskets and deposited onto the mound.
• Platform — A central platform at ground level was encircled by the ditch
• Gateway — A break in the embankment allowing people to access the platform at the ground level.
• Great Mound. The dips in the Great Mound are oriented to mark the winter and summer solstice and the
  spring and fall equinox. Additional dips identify due North and various star alignments.
• Circle Mound. The mound gateway aligns due east and west. The diagonal alignments through opposite corners mark the winter and summer solstices.
• During the spring and fall equinox, the sun rises directly in line with
  the mound’s gateway.

I summarized the above information from link – plan MDS.indd

For me the illustration really hit home on how the mounds were used for telling the time of year.

Great Mound is the large one in the center.

I couldn’t tell which Great Mounds selfie I liked better with or without glasses. John said that I squint when not wearing glasses. Though the picture on the right looks like I have a huge hair spike due to the tree location 🙂

Fiddleback Mound details

Indiana Park details, history, etc.

Carved benches were throughout the park. The artist did a great job. I’m not sure how comfortable since I didn’t sit on them. 2 example benches

In Early BC, tree trunks were carved out for canoes. You know me, I had to get inside for a picture.

This Visitor Center had a lot of interactive activities some will be added to a future post. I really enjoyed the stuffed animals. Though John pointed out the “Do not touch” sign a little too late :-)…

They had a live animal exhibit. I didn’t take a picture of the snake and the frogs that were < 1 cm and hard to find. All animals were behind glass and I could not touch them.