Smarthistory – Fort Ancient Culture_ Great Serpent Mound

Great Serpent Mound Overview

• Location: Rural, southwestern Ohio

• Dimensions: Approximately 1,300 feet in length; height ranges from 1 to 3 feet.

• Significance: Largest serpent effigy in the world; reflects ancient Native American spiritual beliefs.

• Construction: Erected by settled peoples who cultivated maize, beans, and squash, demonstrating organized labor and a stratified society.

• Cultural Context: Created by the Fort Ancient Culture around 1070 CE, influenced by prior cultures in the region.

Historical Context

• Ancient Cultures: Various Native American cultures thrived along the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers; many mounds destroyed by modern agriculture.

• Cultural Legacy: Mounds provide insights into the spiritual beliefs and practices of these ancient peoples.

Structure and Design

• Shape: Crescent-shaped with the head at the east and tail at the west, featuring seven winding coils.

• Interpretations of the Head: Observations include possibilities of an eye, a hollow egg, or a frog being swallowed. Some propose it resembles a lizard due to the suggestion of appendages.

• Symbolism: Snakes and reptiles hold supernatural significance across many Native American cultures; often featured in spiritual practices.

Geographical and Geological Context

• Natural Topography: Built on a plateau overlooking Ohio Brush Creek, with the head approaching a natural cliff.

• Geological Impact: Site may have been influenced by a meteor strike that occurred 250–300 million years ago, creating folded bedrock beneath the mound.

Astronomical Alignments

• Celestial Connections: Alignments with the sun during solstices and lunar phases.

• Functional Hypothesis: Suggests the mound could have served to mark seasonal changes and agricultural cycles, guiding planting and harvesting.

• Sun Representation: The head shape may symbolize the sun or represent a solar eclipse documentation.

• Draco Constellation: Some interpretations link the serpent's shape to the constellation Draco, indicating possible astronomical navigation use.

• Comet Observation: Potentially linked to Halley's Comet appearing in 1066, suggesting connections to significant astronomical events.

Cultural Attribution

• Primary Builders: The Fort Ancient Culture is believed to have constructed the mound around 1070 CE.

• Influences: The Fort Ancient Culture was impacted by the Mississippian culture, particularly regarding snake symbolism.

• Alternative Theories: Some propose that the mound may have been refurbished from earlier Adena or Hopewell mounds; however, typical burial artifacts were not found in this mound.

Ongoing Research and Debates

• Purpose Ambiguity: Scholars debate the mound's exact purpose—whether as a time marker, celestial observatory, or ritual site.

• Architectural Speculations: Some suggest it might have served as a base for lost structures or totems, the specifics of which are uncertain.

• Cultural Significance: The Great Serpent Mound remains significant for its insights into ancient cosmology and rituals, continuing to inspire archaeological investigation and scholarly discourse.

Form

• Location: Rural, southwestern Ohio

• Dimensions: Approximately 1,300 feet in length; height ranges from 1 to 3 feet.

Function

• Significance: Largest serpent effigy in the world; reflects ancient Native American spiritual beliefs.

• Construction: Erected by settled peoples who cultivated maize, beans, and squash, demonstrating organized labor and a stratified society.

• Cultural Context: Created by the Fort Ancient Culture around 1070 CE, influenced by prior cultures in the region.