Cranberry Creek Archeological District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cranberry Creek Archeological District
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Cranberry Creek Archaeological District
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| Location | Address restricted |
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| Nearest city | New Miner, Wisconsin |
| Area | 140 acres (57 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 84003689 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 1984 |
The Cranberry Creek Archeological District is a very old site in Wisconsin, United States. It is also known as the Cranberry Creek Mound Group. This special place has many ancient American Indian burial mounds. These mounds were built a long, long time ago, between the years 100 and 800 AD. The district is located near New Miner, Wisconsin, in Juneau County.
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Discovering Ancient Mounds
People first lived in Wisconsin about 12,000 years ago. The idea of building burial mounds started much later, between 500 BC and 1000 AD. This time is known as the Woodland period. During the later part of the Woodland period, people began building mounds in the shapes of animals. These are called effigy mounds.
What Are Effigy Mounds?
Effigy mounds are like giant earth sculptures. They were often shaped like birds, bears, or panthers. You can find examples of these animal-shaped mounds right here in the Cranberry Creek Archeological District. Besides animal shapes, there are also mounds that are round (conical), long and straight (linear), or oval.
The people who built these mounds had a special culture. They believed in respectfully burying their dead. Many of the best examples of these mounds are on the east side of Cranberry Creek.
Protecting These Special Places
The Cranberry Creek Archeological District is one of the largest groups of mounds in Wisconsin. It has over 300 mounds, and maybe even up to 500! Some parts of the northern mounds have been damaged by farming over the years. However, the mounds in the southern part are still mostly untouched by modern human activity.
It is very important to protect these ancient sites. Like other burial mounds on state land, the mounds in this area are protected. This means no one is allowed to disturb them without permission.
Who Owns Cranberry Creek?
The Cranberry Creek Mound Group is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The area covers about 675 acres. It is a heavily forested place with many different trees. You can find trees like river birch, silver maple, red maple, jack pine, and oak here. Because of its importance, it has been a State Natural Area since 1986.
Other Nearby Ancient Sites
Juneau County has other important historical sites besides the Cranberry Creek Archeological District. Two other sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the Gee's Slough Mound Group, which is also from the Woodland culture, and the Lemonweir Glyphs.
