It’s been awhile since I posted but when I came across this article, I had to add it to my blog. Never ceases to amaze me the amount of new discoveries that happen in the Midwest. Such an exciting time to live in and see the wealth of new information of our past being discovered.
New Evidence Suggests Neanderthals Organized Their Living Spaces
Interesting article which gives a unique perspective of how Neanderthals lived!
Scientists have found that Neanderthals organized their living spaces in ways that would be familiar to modern humans, a discovery that once again shows similarities between these two close cousins.
The findings, published in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Archaeology, indicate that Neanderthals butchered animals, made tools and gathered round the fire in different parts of their shelters.
“There has been this idea that Neanderthals did not have an organized use of space, something that has always been attributed to humans,” said Julien Riel-Salvatore, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado Denver and lead author of the study. “But we found that Neanderthals did not just throw their stuff everywhere but in fact were organized and purposeful when it came to domestic space.”
The findings are based on excavations at Riparo Bombrini, a collapsed rock shelter in northwest Italy where both Neanderthals and, later…
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Cahokia’s Mound 72
The past weekend I was able to visit Mound 72 at Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, IL. Due to time constraints I focused on one area of the mound complex and searched out Mound 72. I was surprised how far away the mound was in connection to Woodhenge and Monk’s Mound.
The history of mound 72 points to the fact that the 250 individuals buried there were most likely sacrificial victims. Some researchers believed the victims were killed in the same spot they were killed. The artifacts found in this mound give us a big picture of what Cahokia life was like and how far their influence extended with other tribes.
One curious thing about the mound is that it is not aligned with the other mounds. The mound was built at a 45 degree angle pointing towards the solstice. The billboard around the mound gives a little more information about what was found in the mounds. I have included a link that gives a brief history. http://www.cahokiamounds.org/explore/cahokia-mounds/number/72/
For the amount of information found on this mound it still leaves a lot of questions. This state historic park is rich in history and the museum is one of the best I’ve ever encountered giving a person a look into the life of a Cahokian.
I would encourage all to stop and visit this site even if it is just for an hour. The history of this people is a very rich and fascinating culture. The site as earned a spot as a World Heritage Site.
I hope to add some pictures soon of this trip and a little more in depth analysis about this site and the curious findings of Mound 72.
Indian Cave State Park
This past weekend I traveled south of Brownville, Nebraska to visit Indian State Park. The prehistoric petroglyphs are easy to spot along the cave wall. Though, there are years and years of graffiti that cover the wall and I would speculate that many of the prehistoric images have most likely been defaced.
I am still searching for more information on this site. I would tend to think that someone or university would have possibly done excavation around this area. I do hope that I still may come across such information.
However, it is a beautiful park and there are ruins of a town that existed in the mid 1800’s. The town has an interesting history and the cemetery is located in the park as well. It is worth a drop in visit if your ever in the area!
Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska
State park preserving prehistoric Petroglyphs
Effigy Mounds
Effigy Mounds
Effigy Mounds
Effigy Mounds
Effigy Mounds
Glimpse into the Prairie's Past 