The Ancient Adena

The Landing of Christopher Columbus
courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Back in the days of yellow number 2 pencils and 3-ringed binders filled with lined paper, American history started with "and then Christopher Columbus North America and it's inhabitance the Indians." Late years, when colored gel pens were allowed, American history got a little more specific, detailing that there were in fact many different tribes of Native Americans inhabiting North America.  All in all, it was little more than a list of tribes and the regions they inhabited. We were taught long houses were different from tee-pees and that thanks to the "white man" Native Americans now had horses and other civilized commodities.

via Wikipedia

I never was one for American History partly because there was no real meat to it prior to the pilgrims landing and eking out a life in the Northeast.  South America provided a much livelier scene with Maya, Incas, and Aztecs creating sophisticated cultures which spanned thousands of miles and charted the starts with incredible accuracy.  Having graduated from college several years ago, still with the same primitive picture of early Native American life that had been shoved down my throat since I dress up like an Indian for the kindergarden school play, I was surprised to stumble over the book Advanced Civilizations of Prehistoric America by Frank Joseph.  I had stumbled over Native American groups such as the Hopewell and the Anasazi but was completely unaware of an entire extinct culture known as the Adena.

The Adena, who existed from 1000BC to 700AD, "showed no signs of development but appeared full-blown around 1000BC" (pg. 15, Joseph).  Though Wikipedia shows them as remaining within the state of Ohio, Joseph's work attributes buildings to the late culture spanning from Wisconsin to West Virginia.  Though signs of mound builders are evident throughout those areas, what was interesting about this group was the first story that Joseph shared about lost pyramids at the bottom of Rock Lake, Wisconsin.  Set under 60ft of water, these pyramids aren't exactly like what you would find on the Gaza plateau or in the jungle of the Yucatan nor do they resemble the earthen mounds found in the Ohio Valley.

Lost pyramids of Rock Lake, Wisconsin
via science-frontiers.com

Modified Adena Skull
via "Frontiers of Antrhropology"

I must confess that I did not read the entire book, choosing to allot my time to just the sections on the Adena. Owing to this I can not pass a verdict on whether the rest of the book was as enlightening as its opening chapters.  The introduction to the Adena has led me to research further on this interesting people who seem to have had quite a complex trading network in place and who were very skilled in both pottery and metallurgy.  My searches have also lead to the curious fact that most Adena skeletons found tend to be well over 6ft tall and there have event been some reports of finding remains of 7ft and taller giants in the area as well.

It amazes me that in our 200 years of existence, the US is finally turning it's attention on learning about the incredible cultures that inhabited these land prior to arrival of the Europeans.  Whether it was the lack of interest or the need to feel superior, I hope that others like Mr. Joseph will continue to pry into the true history of North America.