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<< Text Pages >> Ortona Prehistoric Village - Artificial Mound in United States in The South

Submitted by AKFisher on Tuesday, 15 August 2023  Page Views: 265

Multi-periodSite Name: Ortona Prehistoric Village Alternative Name: Ortona Indian Mounds Park, Ortona Mounds, 8-GL-80, 8-GL-5
Country: United States
NOTE: This site is 34.495 km away from the location you searched for.

Region: The South Type: Artificial Mound
Nearest Town: Moore Haven
Latitude: 26.821380N  Longitude: 81.30421W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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Artificial Mound in The South

The Ortona Prehistoric Village is an archaeological site adjacent to the community of Ortona in northeastern Glades County, Florida, north of the Caloosahatchee River and west of Lake Okeechobee, consisting of mounds, canals and other features.[1] Part of the site is currently in the Glades County-owned Ortona Indian Mound Park, but much remains in private hands. The site has been extensively modified by 20th-century activities, including the construction of a county road and a cemetery, sand mining operations, and improvements to pasture land.

Major mounds:
On the east side of the site is a large mound (8GL5). Estimates of the size of the mound have varied over the years. In 1918 the mound was described as being 160 feet (49 m) by 130 feet (40 m), and 30 feet (9.1 m) tall. In 1948 the dimensions were given as 200 feet (61 m) by 200 feet (61 m), and 16 feet (4.9 m) tall, with part of the mound removed for road fill. By the 1990s the entire center of the mound had been removed, leaving a rim around the outside of the mound. Pits (presumably dug by "pot hunters") were reported in the mound as early as 1918, but there is no report of any human remains or artifacts being found in the mound.[14]

Mound A (8GL80) is on the east side of Turkey Creek. The mound is about 38 to 39 metres (125 to 128 ft) across and 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) tall. It is one of the best-preserved mounds at Ortona. The mound is a midden, with animal bones and human artifacts. The soil in the mound is noticeably darker than that of other mounds at the site.[14]

To the west of Turkey Creek is Mound B. Mound B was largely destroyed when it was mined for fill. Historical accounts and aerial photos indicate that the mound was 152 metres (499 ft) long, 21 metres (69 ft) wide and 5 feet (1.5 m) high. It has been described as being shaped like a loaf of bread. Test excavations on the remnants of the mound indicate that it was made primarily of sand, with some midden material mixed in.[15]

Mound C has also been largely destroyed by mining. It was originally about 30.3 metres (99 ft) in diameter and about 1 metre (3.3 ft) high. Shards were observed on the surface of the mound in 1974.[15]

Mound D was another "breadloaf-shaped" mound that was largely destroyed in the later 20th century. It was originally about 152 metres (499 ft) long, with a width that varied between 20 and 25 metres (66 and 82 ft). Stereoptic aerial photos from 1949 suggest that the mound had conical elevations at each end of the mound, but both ends have been leveled. One remaining segment of the mound has been bulldozed, but is still about .5 metres (1.6 ft) high. Robert Carr was present when the northern end of the mound was destroyed, and observed that the upper 1 metre (3.3 ft) of the mound contained organically-stained sand and pottery shards. A 16 metres (52 ft) wide ramp on the west side of the mound shows in mid-20th century aerial photos. A "causeway" appears to have connected the north end of Mound D to Mound C, which is east of Mound D.[16]

History:
Many archaeologists believe that the village was first settled around 300 A.D., and that the village lasted till 1150 A.D. They also believe that the height of the occupation was from 550–800 A.D. Ortona was built at a critical intersection of a north-south and an east-west trade routes.

The longest canals built by Indians in North America, built by the Calusa, connected the major waterway, the Caloosahatchee River at Ortona, because the site was just below the falls. Former state archaeologist Ryan J. Wheeler,[19] made researches on the Ortona Canals using government maps and areal photography. Wheeler believes the canals traveled 20 miles, an incredible feat of hydraulic engineering by a group of hunter-gathers. Wheeler was instrumental in having the Mud Lake Canal, a 3.9 mile long Calusa canal in the Everglades, designated a National Historic Landmark.

The restoration and further study of the Ortona Canals is being undertaken by Robert S. Carr and his organization, the Florida Archaeological Conservancy.[1] Architect and anthropologist, Richard Thornton,[20] has researched, as well as, created village layouts, showing the various mounds and features. His ideas and layouts are online at his site, access genealogy. Thornton was the first to raise the point concerning the lack of barricades and fortification of the village. Southeast archaeologist George R. Milner[21] conducted research on trends by prehistoric tribes of violence and warfare. Ortona as well as Fort Center were built at a brief window of peace and trade that started around 100 B.C. and lasted till 400 A.D.. Florida archaeologists such as Milanich, believe that features at Ortona were the result of contact by societies associated with the Mississippian culture due to similarities in building types.

The recent dating of the neighboring Fort Center site to 800–500 B.C. indicates that most likely, the culture that built Ortona, Fort Center, Big Mound City, and Tony's Mound had a unifying religion, trade and engineering skills and feats many centuries before the Hopewell and Mississippi culture. Source: Wikipedia (excerpted).

References:
Carr, Robert S.; Dickel, David; Masson, Marilyn (December 1995). "Archaeological Investigations at the Ortona Earthworks and Mounds". The Florida Anthropologist. 48 (4): 227–263 – via University of Florida Digital Collection.
Carr, Robert S. (March 2002). "Archaeological Profiling and Radiocarbon Profiling of the Ortona Canal (8GL4), Glades County, Florida". The Florida Anthropologist. 55 (1): 3–22 – via University of Florida Digital Collections.
Wheeler, Ryan J. (December 1995). "The Ortona Canals: Aboriginal Canal Hydraulics and Engineering". The Florida Anthropologist. 48 (4): 265–281 – via University of Florida Digital Collection.

Citations:
1. Derr, Mark (2002-07-23). "Network of Waterways Traced to Ancient Florida Culture". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
14. Carr, et al. December 1995: 236.
15. Carr, et al. December 1995: 238.
16. Carr, et al. December 1995: 238, 240.
19. Wheeler
20. Thornton
21. Milner

Further reading and information:
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortona_Prehistoric_Village#cite_ref-19
News-Press: http://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/lehigh/2016/02/09/ortona-indian-mound-park-full-history-ophelan/79981026/
Directions:
From Moore Haven, FL via US Hwy 27 and FL-78 W, 14.3 mi.
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Ortona Prehistoric Village
Ortona Prehistoric Village submitted by AKFisher : Descriptive marker on site. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016).  (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ortona Prehistoric Village
Ortona Prehistoric Village submitted by AKFisher : Ortona, Florida Mound Complex. Inhabited around 1000 BC, these "unknown" people build a series of mounds as well as canals linking them to open water. Many of the mounds and canals are still there. We've been there many times and have never seen anyone else visiting the site. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ortona Prehistoric Village
Ortona Prehistoric Village submitted by AKFisher : Historical marker on site. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016).  (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ortona Prehistoric Village
Ortona Prehistoric Village submitted by AKFisher : 1 of 2 ancient canals on site. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016).  (Vote or comment on this photo)

Ortona Prehistoric Village
Ortona Prehistoric Village submitted by AKFisher : Ortona, Florida, site of several mounds and ancient canals. Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016).  (Vote or comment on this photo)

Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.

Nearby Images from Flickr
Lake Wobegon
Trail to the Mounds
Ortona Man Carrying Deer
Factory in the Distance
Mom at Ortona Indian Mounds Park
View of Lake Wobegon From a Mound

The above images may not be of the site on this page, but were taken nearby. They are loaded from Flickr so please click on them for image credits.


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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 20.8km NE 44° Fort Center Archaeological Site* Artificial Mound
 47.1km SE 130° Big (Tony's) Circle Mounds Artificial Mound
 53.2km ENE 75° Lake Okeechobee* Ancient Village or Settlement
 71.2km SW 232° Mound Key Archaeological State Park Artificial Mound
 82.1km E 86° Big Mound City Misc. Earthwork
 85.9km WSW 258° Pineland* Ancient Village or Settlement
 91.3km SSW 213° Naples Canal Not Known (by us)
 96.3km WNW 287° Little Salt Spring Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
 122.6km E 83° Jupiter Inlet Mound* Artificial Mound
 123.0km NW 310° Portavant Mound Site Artificial Mound
 125.8km WNW 290° Spanish Point Shell Midden* Artificial Mound
 127.9km NE 44° Vero Beach* Ancient Village or Settlement
 134.7km WNW 295° Humming Stone Sarasota (Summstein)* Modern Stone Circle etc
 139.8km NNE 23° Three Forks Marsh Artificial Mound
 152.0km WNW 303° Madira Bickel Mound State Archaeological Site* Artificial Mound
 152.6km SE 132° Arch Creek Middens, Florida* Ancient Village or Settlement
 153.8km WNW 301° De Soto National Memorial* Artificial Mound
 154.4km WNW 301° Pillsbury Temple Mound Artificial Mound
 154.7km SE 134° El Portal Burial Mound* Artificial Mound
 161.4km SE 136° Miami Circle Rock Art
 170.1km SSE 150° Coral Castle* Modern Stone Circle etc
 172.0km NW 312° Weedon Island Preserve* Barrow Cemetery
 182.3km NNE 17° Brevard Museum of History and Natural Sciences* Museum
 189.3km NW 315° Safety Harbor Mound* Artificial Mound
 196.4km NNE 13° Windover (Florida)* Barrow Cemetery
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