Platform Mounds

Platform mounds, also called pyramidal or flat-top mounds, were typically built in stages to support buildings used for religious or other specialized purposes or as homes for elite members of Mississippian society. These mounds generally were not associated with burials, although some contained the remains of high-ranking community members. The northwest mound was one such platform mound and was constructed in three stages. On the west side of its second stage, a special structure known as a charnel house was built. Ten individuals were placed within this structure on a mat woven of bullrush, and the remains of an additional individual were bundled with twisted cord. When the structure was completed, the building, with the deceased individuals inside, was burned, and a final layer of earth was then placed over the burned structure and remains.

Aztalan, Wisconsin · United States