Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_9497" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Robert Birmingham"][/caption]

Awards ceremony to honor lead archaeologists

About 1,000 years ago Native Americans built more animal-shaped mounds in Wisconsin than any other part of the world. Many are still intact — even in the La Crosse area. The mounds are so common in the state, people don’t realize their significance or rarity in the world, says Robert Birmingham, former state archaeologist and professor at UW-Waukesha. Birmingham will present on these mounds — called effigy mounds — at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, in Port O' Call, Cartwright Center-Gunning Addition. During the Late Woodland Period, 700 A.D. – 1,100 A.D., native people built more than 15,000 mounds in Wisconsin. Thousands were in the form of super natural beings and animals such as birds, bear, deer, bison, lynx, turtle, panther or water spirit. Comparable to churches or temples, they were sacred spaces where, at times, the dead were buried, explains Birmingham. Most of the mounds built were destroyed as settlers moved in and started farming. However, preserved mounds can be visited at nearby locations such as La Crosse’s Myrick Park, Trempealeau’s [caption id="attachment_9511" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Bird effigy mound. Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Effigy Mounds National Monument."][/caption]Perrot State Park, Wyalusing State Park in Bagley, Wis. and Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa. A large number of mounds have been well preserved and recorded in the Dane County area. Birmingham uses the county as a case study in how the mounds reflect the landscapes where they are built. For instance, water spirit-shaped mounds were built near natural springs and lowland areas while thunderbird-shaped mounds were built in elevated areas. The mounds help archaeologists better understand the Woodland society and how societies have evolved, he says. “The Woodland people were thought to be simple hunters and gatherers who came to build these mounds. The mounds say otherwise,” says Birmingham. “These are obviously the work of a complex society.” Birmingham wrote the book, “Spirits of Earth: The Effigy Mound Landscape of Madison and the Four Lakes.” If you go— What: Lecture on Wisconsin mounds Where: Port O' Call, UW-L’s Cartwright Center, When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16 Admission: Free

Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center awards ceremony

Each year, MVAC gives awards to people and organizations for their contributions to the field of archaeology. The 2011 awardees will be recognized during a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. – prior to the lecture. A social starts at 6 p.m. James P. Gallagher Award Recipient: Constance M. Arzigian This award goes to the organization or person who contributed the most to archeology within in the last year. Regional Archaeology Award Recipient: Mississippi Valley Conservancy The Regional Archaeology award is given to a person or organization that has worked with MVAC either recording new archaeological sites or to preserve archaeological sites in the region. Archaeology Education Award Recipient: John Morri Recipient: The Archaeology Education award is for individuals or organizations who work with our education program to share the excitement of archaeology with others and/or educate people about the importance of archaeology and the preservation of sites. Find more on these awards. Check out other MVAC events Since 1982, the Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center (MVAC) at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse (UW-L) has been involved in researching, preserving, and teaching about the archaeological resources of the Upper Mississippi River region.