<< Our Photo Pages >> Alligator Mound - Artificial Mound in United States in Great Lakes Midwest
Submitted by bat400 on Wednesday, 20 September 2006 Page Views: 8457
Pre-ColumbianSite Name: Alligator MoundCountry: United States
NOTE: This site is 1.661 km away from the location you searched for.
Region: Great Lakes Midwest Type: Artificial Mound
Nearest Town: Newark, Ohio Nearest Village: Grandville, Ohio
Latitude: 40.070000N Longitude: 82.501W
Condition:
| 5 | Perfect |
| 4 | Almost Perfect |
| 3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
| 2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
| 1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
| 0 | No data. |
| -1 | Completely destroyed |
| 5 | Superb |
| 4 | Good |
| 3 | Ordinary |
| 2 | Not Good |
| 1 | Awful |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
| 4 | Short walk on a footpath |
| 3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
| 2 | A long walk |
| 1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
| 0 | No data. |
| 5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
| 4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
| 3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
| 2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
| 1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
| 0 | no data |
Internal Links:
External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
bat400 has visited here
This is an effigy earthwork likely created by people of a late Hopewell or early Fort Ancient culture. When Squire and Davis mapped this effigy mound in the first half of the 19th Century they declared it to be an Alligator. Exactly why is a mystery to me - and to many other people as well.
Ohio archaeologist, Bradley Lepper calls on contact era historic data to suggest that "Alligator" was an inexact translation for the "water panther" a fierce mythological beast from eastern North American Indian folklore.
The figure originally had a short round head, four splayed limbs with balled up paws, and a long curved tail. If Licking County were in Central America a monkey would spring to mind. My first instant thought was - a Possum! Other Midwesterners have had that same thought, but most dismiss it because it is hard to believe anyone, at any time, could have been so taken with the "gravitas" of the North American Opossum that they would have built a giant earthwork featuring its scruffy and rat-like image.
Whatever it is, the effigy is now sadly flattened. From the photos I've seen, it stands out best after a light snow. Once this area was a cow pasture but it's now completely surrounded by a housing development. But, it has a certain pride of place in its own mini roundabout with a small historical marker. Panther, weasel, or perhaps the lowly opossum, there it is.
A visit in the dawn hours, November 2007, shows the mound itself on a high knob of earth left remaining after the development of expensive homes around the site. The form of the earthwork itself is best seen from a hill immediately to the west. Squire and Davis' 1840's survey indicated a stone circular platform next to the earthwork, possibly a fire platform or a viewing stage.
You may be viewing yesterday's version of this page. To see the most up to date information please register for a free account.
Do not use the above information on other web sites or publications without permission of the contributor.
Click here to see more info for this site
Nearby sites
Click here to view sites on an interactive map of the areaKey: Red: member's photo, Blue: 3rd party photo, Yellow: other image, Green: no photo - please go there and take one, Grey: site destroyed
Download sites to:
KML (Google Earth)
GPX (GPS waypoints)
CSV (Garmin/Navman)
CSV (Excel)
To unlock full downloads you need to sign up as a Contributory Member. Otherwise downloads are limited to 50 sites.
Turn off the page maps and other distractions
Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
4.8km E 82° Ferris Owen* Artificial Mound
5.0km ESE 112° Newark Earthworks - Octagon* Misc. Earthwork
5.3km SSW 193° Infirmary Mound Artificial Mound
6.8km ESE 118° Newark Earthworks - Great Circle* Misc. Earthwork
7.0km ESE 110° Newark Earthworks - Wright* Misc. Earthwork
7.0km E 96° Upham* Artificial Mound
15.5km SE 126° Tippett Mound Artificial Mound
15.6km SE 141° Fairmount* Artificial Mound
20.3km N 354° Dixon Mound* Artificial Mound
22.3km ESE 114° Flint Ridge* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
26.8km SE 144° Glenford Fort* Hillfort
37.1km N 2° McLaughlin Mound* Artificial Mound
42.0km W 260° Ohio Historical Center* Museum
45.0km N 356° Raleigh Mound Artificial Mound
45.4km W 281° Highbanks Mound II* Artificial Mound
45.4km WNW 282° Highbanks Mound I* Artificial Mound
45.6km W 280° Highbanks Park Works* Hillfort
45.8km N 357° Braddock Mound Artificial Mound
45.9km W 273° Jeffers Mound* Artificial Mound
46.5km WSW 244° Indian Mound Park* Artificial Mound
50.1km W 260° Shrum Mound* Artificial Mound
51.7km W 275° Wright-Holder Works* Misc. Earthwork
56.8km ENE 71° Porteus Mound* Artificial Mound
61.5km SSW 203° Tarlton Cross* Artificial Mound
64.4km SW 216° Circleville* Misc. Earthwork
View more nearby sites and additional images
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.