Big Mound City facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Big Mound City
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Canal Point, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 73000596 |
| Added to NRHP | May 24, 1973 |
Big Mound City (8PB48) is an amazing ancient site located near Canal Point, Florida. It's a special place where people long ago built large earth structures. This historic spot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States on May 24, 1973, which means it's protected because of its importance. You can find it about 10 miles east of Canal Point, inside the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.
Exploring Big Mound City's Past
Big Mound City is one of four important ancient sites found in the Lake Okeechobee Basin area of southeastern Florida. These sites were built by Native American people long, long ago. They are known for their huge earthworks, which are large structures made from earth.
What is Big Mound City?
Big Mound City was built around 1000 AD, during a time known as the Glades period III. It's not just one mound, but a group of at least nine large earth mounds and a raised ridge area. The site also includes special paths called causeways that spread out from the center, and crescent-shaped ponds that were made by people.
Some of these mounds are known as burial mounds. These were places where ancient people buried their dead. It's a way we learn about how they lived and honored their ancestors.
Learning About the Builders
Even though Big Mound City is very old, it hasn't been studied much by archaeologists. Archaeologists are like history detectives who dig up clues from the past. A researcher named M.W. Stirling did a short study in the 1930s. He looked at a burial mound and a midden (an ancient trash pile) at a nearby site called Belle Glade.
It wasn't until 2017 that scientists were able to figure out the age of Big Mound City. Even without many clues like pottery from the site itself, experts like Jerald Milanich believe that the same Native American groups who built Big Mound City also built other important sites nearby. These include Tony's Mound, Fort Center, and the Ortona Prehistoric Village. All these sites are in the Lake Okeechobee Basin area, showing a connection between these ancient communities.
