Sioux Hopewell Constellation Effigy Mounds Discovered in Indiana

Constellation Effigy  Mounds Discovered in Indiana  

  Burial Mounds at Battlefield Indiana Were Laid Out To Represent the Orion ,"Archer"


    An effigy mound cluster has been discovered in Battlefield Indiana that is the only mound group that represents a constellation in North America.  Despite this, the Indiana Historical Society does not acknowledge the mounds as a historic site.  Recently, IPFW archaeologist was given the grant to return to the site for another redundant archaeological survey.  Like most archaeologists, IPFW was unable to see the forest for the trees and spent most of their time recording soil types and other data that is nonpertinent to the mounds themselves.  They did conclude they were in a T shape, but had no other insight into why this earthwork complex was constructed, nor if the T shape had any significance.

Historic map shows the pattern of mounds at Battlefield Indiana.  IPFW archaeologists determined they were in a T shape, but failed to recognize the significance of this pattern. 

The largest burial mound depicted on the map can still be seen off the road. Additional burial mounds are located near the houses in the left foreground.

Another image of the Constellation that the burial mounds were patterned after at Battlefield, Indiana. There is evidence is that these mounds were constructed by either the proto Sioux or Iroquois. Artifacts from these mounds consisting of bone awls, slate arrows, and single hole pendants are evidence of migrations of the Maritime Archaic into Northern Indiana.

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