In America, there is a vast territory littered with thousands of archaic mounds and embankments made by a man out of earth and shell. This territory starts from the Great Lakes and stretches all the way out to the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing the Mississippi Valley out to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. According to Gibson (2017), some of the mounds are taller than the trees, while others can barely reach a man’s waist. There are cones, domes, and other geometric forms, as well as platforms with flat tops; in addition, there are facades, spans, and raised rings. Many mounds were built in one phase, though larger ones needed to be mantled or roofed a number of times. Some of them lack interior peculiarities and artifacts, others serve as coverage for dismounted wooden buildings, while some accommodate burial sites or function as foundations for built-in buildings. The amount of work invested in the mounds’ building varies: it is estimated to range from a handful of workers’ one-two day labor to hundreds working for many years.
The question of who these mounds were built by and what their purpose was has seemingly been a mystery for archaeologists for many years. Finally, it was established that Mound Builders were prehistoric Native Americans. Smyth (2019) states that they began their mound-building practice almost three thousand years ago. Their work can be considered incredible due to the fact that Mound Builders did not use the wheel – nor did they have any beasts of burden to help with the process. However, according to Open Virtual Worlds (n.d.), there was substantial archaeological evidence of mound complexes being creations of advanced Native American civilizations all along. This great history was concealed with the help of the Myth of the Mound Builders – a narrative invented to explain the mounds’ existence. Reducing or even abolishing America’s pre-Columbian civilizations’ achievements was in accordance with those times’ agenda (Baires, 2018). The agenda was to indoctrinate the minds of people with the thought of the invalidity of the Native American cultures – with the government’s westward expansion, it allegedly justified taking control of indigenous lands.
The way Mound Builders used their mounds varied considerably: the purpose of some remains a mystery to this day. Smyth (2019) claims that some cultures used mounds to bury their dead holding big ceremonies – that is evident from excavations. Other societies utilized their mounds’ tops as foundations to build temples on – these were approached with the help of ramps or stairs. There were mounds that were considered symbolic power pinnacles that leaders used as their residencies. Moreover, according to Open Virtual Worlds (n.d.), many of the earthen mounds were even viewed by some indigenous cultures as symbolic of the life-giver – Mother Earth. The variety of functions might be a way to explain the variety of the ways in which the mounds were built. One thing is clear: no matter the specific age, shape, or function of particular mounds, they all were profoundly meaningful for those who built them. Mounds were cultural landmarks and territorial markers of Native Americans, their way to organize their space and make it sacred as well as reinforce and perpetuate community identity.
Among the tribes living on the former Mound Builders’ territories when the European colonization of America started, two of the most prominent ones were the Choctaw and Chickasaw. The Choctaw were considered to be skilled farmers and excellent traders: agriculture was one of their main occupations. They grew large amounts of corn and various other crops and traded with other indigenous tribes. Choctaw people were also regarded as fierce warriors: they imitated war as a game and even used this game to settle disputes between rivalries and enemies. The Chickasaw did not differ much from the Choctaw, which is not surprising: they were reported to possibly have been a single tribe earlier in history. Chickasaw people had a largely agrarian lifestyle and successfully traded with their neighbors. They did the hunting, fishing, and food gathering and were known to nurture their lands, which resulted in their surroundings being covered with greenery. The Chickasaw were great warriors as well: the captives they took to their land as a result of successful battles were made slaves and often helped with work.
Since these tribes are described as capable of fighting it is no wonder that they willingly participated in armed conflicts. Moreover, during the early 1700s, both Choctaw and Chickasaw decided to become allies by colonizing European forces. This was not unheard of back then: the skill of warfare is the ability to adequately assess the situation and choose the side that benefits one the most. Native Americans knew about that and estimated that unifying with Europeans would bring a significant amount of advantages. They were not wrong: alliances provided the tribes with a security measure and helped them establish strong trade connections. Both Choctaw and Chickasaw participated in battles against other Native American tribes. For instance, having combined forces with the French, the Choctaw eradicated the Natchez Indians, the rest of whom had to leave their land and align with other tribes. The Chickasaw, in turn, joined the British in the Battle of Ackia to fight with the French – with the Choctaw’s aid, they were Britain’s main opponents in battling for land and influence.
References
Baires, S.E. (2018). White settlers buried the truth about the Midwest’s mysterious mound cities. Smithsonian Magazine. Web.
Gibson, J.L. (2017). Mound builders. Mississippi Encyclopedia. Web.
Smyth, W. J. (2019). Mound-builders. Good Press.
Who were the ‘mound builders?’ (n.d.). Open Virtual Worlds. Web.