Adena culture facts for kids
The Adena culture was a group of Native American people who lived a long time ago, from about 1000 BC to 200 BC. This time is called the Early Woodland period. The Adena people likely shared similar ways of burying their dead and holding special ceremonies. They lived in parts of what is now Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
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Why the Adena Culture Was Important
The Adena Culture gets its name from a large mound found on the land of Thomas Worthington. He was an early governor of Ohio. His estate, near Chillicothe, Ohio, was named "Adena."
Most Adena sites are found in the central Ohio Valley. There might have been thousands of sites in Ohio alone. The Adena culture was very important because it greatly influenced other groups. It is seen as a starting point for the Hopewell culture. The Hopewell culture is sometimes thought of as a more advanced version of Adena traditions.
The Adena people were known for their farming skills and making pottery. They also created beautiful art. They had a large trading network. This network brought them materials like copper from the Great Lakes and shells from the Gulf Coast.
Adena Art and Beliefs
Amazing Earth Mounds
You can still see traces of the Adena culture in their large earthworks. These are huge structures made of earth. Many hundreds of these mounds once existed, but only a few large ones remain today. These mounds were usually from 20 feet (6.1 m) to 300 feet (91 m) wide. They were used for burials, special ceremonies, and as historical markers. They might have also been places for people to gather.
The Adena people built these mounds using thousands of baskets filled with carefully chosen earth. Archaeologists believe these earthworks were part of their burial customs. They would pile earth on top of a burned building where bodies were kept. After a series of steps, a very tall mound would be created. Later, the Adena sometimes built circular ridges around these burial mounds. We don't know why they built these ridges.
Famous Adena Mounds
| Site | Image | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Adena Mound |  |
This mound is near Chillicothe, Ohio. It is the main site that gave the Adena culture its name. |
| Biggs Site |  |
This site is in Greenup County, Kentucky. It has a cone-shaped mound with circular ditches around it. It connects to the Portsmouth Earthworks across the Ohio River. |
| Criel Mound |  |
This mound is 35-foot (11 m) tall and 175-foot (53 m) wide. It is the second largest of its kind in West Virginia. It is in South Charleston, West Virginia. When it was dug up, many skeletons, weapons, and jewelry were found. |
| Enon Mound |  |
This is Ohio's second largest cone-shaped burial mound. People believe the Adena built it. |
| Grave Creek Mound |  |
This mound is 62 feet (19 m) tall and 240 feet (73 m) wide. It is one of the biggest cone-shaped burial mounds in the United States. It is in Moundsville, West Virginia. Sadly, much of what was inside was destroyed in 1838 by people who were not archaeologists. |
| Miamisburg Mound |  |
This mound was an ancient burial site. It is the biggest cone-shaped burial mound in Ohio. It is still mostly in its original shape. You can climb to the top using stone steps. |
| Wolf Plains Group |  |
This group has 30 earthworks from the Late Adena period. It includes 22 cone-shaped mounds and nine circular areas. It is near Athens, Ohio. |
Stone Tablets
The Adena people also carved small stone tablets. These were usually about 4 or 5 inches long and 3 or 4 inches wide. They were about half an inch thick. On one or both sides, they carved beautiful animal shapes or curvy designs. Paint has been found on some tablets. This makes archaeologists think they were used to stamp designs on cloth, animal hides, or even on their own bodies. They might have also been used to draw outlines for tattoos.
Adena Pottery
Unlike some other cultures, the Adena did not bury their pottery with the dead. Their pottery was usually very thick. It was made with grit or crushed limestone. Most of it was plain, with cord marks or fabric marks. However, one type had a special diamond design carved into it. The pots were often shaped like jars with rounded or flat bottoms. Some even had small foot-like supports.
Daily Life of the Adena
Where They Lived
The Adena people lived in small settlements. These settlements usually had only one or two buildings. A typical house was round, from 15 to 45 feet wide. The walls were made of pairs of posts that leaned outwards. These posts were joined to other wood pieces to form a cone-shaped roof. The roof was covered with bark. The walls might have been made of bark or woven branches.
What They Ate
The Adena got their food by gathering plants and hunting animals. They also grew some native plants.
- They hunted animals like deer, elk, black bear, beaver, and turkey.
- They gathered many types of edible seeds, grasses, and nuts.
- They grew plants such as pumpkin, squash, sunflower, and goosefoot.
Their Tools
The Adena made tools and axes by grinding stones. They also used rough, flat stones with chipped edges as hoes for farming. They used bone and antler for small tools. These materials were also used for decorative items like beads, combs, and special ornaments made from animal jaws. Spoons, beads, and other items were made from marine conch shells. A few copper axes have been found. However, copper was mostly hammered into jewelry like bracelets, rings, beads, and reel-shaped pendants.
See also
In Spanish: Cultura Adena para niños
