The construction of this website shows the belief in sacred geometry, in which the shapes concentrate spiritual strength and provide protection. The C-shaped ridge represents a circle (some archaeologists suggest continuing into the area now occupied by the river to form a circle until it is washed away), while the position of the external mound represents a square.
Before the discovery of the site called Watson Brake in the same area in about1980s, this site was always considered as the oldest mound complex in the United States, and its age can be clearly traced back to BC. In 3500 BC. The names of the original inhabitants are unknown, and the modern names come from the plantations where mounds were discovered in the19th century.
The memorial tomb in Cape beaufort was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 20 14.
Until the 1950' s, no one realized that these ridges were man-made structures (by that time, they had been repeatedly cultivated to grow crops), although the site was regarded as an American native community as early as the 1830' s, and the famous CB Moore (L. 13) was excavated as early as19655. In the 1960s+1950s, people's interest in this site increased. The memorial mound at Beauvoir Point was designated as a national historical landmark in 1962 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 20 14, allowing continuous archaeological work while protecting the site.
Ancient buildings and mound buildings
Poverty spots were built in ancient times (8000- 1000 BC), when many mound sites began to spread all over North America. Joe Sanders, an archaeologist who has worked in this site and many other sites, commented:
In the process of 5 thousand years' soil-making, it has experienced two cycles: construction and stagnation. The first stagnation lasted 1000 years, between the end of ancient China style (2700 BC) and the beginning of Beauvoir Point Memorial Tomb (1700 BC). The second time lasted about 500 years, between the end of the memorial tomb at Beaufort Point (1200 BC) and the beginning of Tchefuncte (500 BC). Although no mounds were built during these two stagnation periods, campsites dating back to each period were found. Aborigines continue to live in the lower Mississippi River; They obviously didn't build a mound at that time. ( 1)
It is not clear why the construction period and stagnation period are almost unchanged, nor why this mound was built in the first place. Although many different cultures have built mounds on the whole continent, the two most famous ones are Adna culture (800 BC-A.D. 1 year) and Hehe culture (B.C. 100-A.D. 500). The period known as Mississippi culture usually, but not always, dates back to 65438 AD. The names of all these cultures are modern names, and the so-called Mississippi cultural period is more stable than the usual academic dating implies.
The archaeological age of mounds always depends on what has been discovered and excavated so far, so strict staging is useless because it creates an artificial narrative of "development" from one era to another. In fact, the mound site of Native American culture that created the mound has maintained its own tradition and cannot be more or less "advanced" than other sites.
Watson brake
An example of this is the discovery of a place called Watson Brake in the1980s. Before this discovery, Cape Beaufort was considered as the oldest mound site in North America, and archaeologists traced the cultural progress back to BC. BC 1700. However, the history of Watson's brakes can be traced back to around 3500 BC, and its discovery opened up a brand-new mound architectural landscape, pushing it further than before. Native Americans have lived on this continent for thousands of years, perhaps as early as 40,000-50,000 years ago. At that time, they developed different cultures, which were finally embodied in immortal architectural projects. As we all know, the definition of "development" or "progress" is usually a personal interpretation. Before Watson Blake's discovery, the "progress" of poverty points was considered certain.
Cultural relics found on mounds all over the United States show that the same purpose of building mounds is to concentrate spiritual energy in a central position.
Watson Braque consists of 1 1 mounds connected by a ridge built by a hunter-gatherer society. These ridges established a permanent foundation in present-day northeastern Louisiana and raised the ruins. The purpose of mounds and ridges is unclear because they are not used for graves, religious ceremonies or houses. Sanders commented:
There are many forms of mounds, but the most common ones are conical, dome, platform and humanoid mounds. Some mounds are built on one plot, while others have multiple construction stages. Cone mounds are often older than platform mounds, but structures on platform mounds are more common. Contrary to popular belief, not all mounds have human graves, nor are they built as high-water shelters. In fact, the earliest mound builders built their earthworks where there was no flood. Besides the behavior itself, the purpose of building a grave is often not single. It can be reasonably concluded that the construction of earthwork is a collaborative effort involving planning, engineering and labor organization. ( 1)
This pattern is obvious in Watson's brakes, where the mounds seem to be built for themselves. Even so, the design and construction of the site may be for ceremonial purposes, and this purpose has not been exposed. Like many mound sites of Native Americans, this site was only partially excavated. Mounds in other places, and sometimes even the whole site itself (such as Pingsong mound), are rituals and religious ceremonies used to worship gods, gods and human ancestors.
Native American religions
Native Americans' spiritual belief takes the form of animism-that all living things are full of spirit and interrelated-and the cultural relics found on mounds all over the United States show that the same purpose of mounds is to concentrate spiritual energy in a central place. For example, in mandeville, the houses of elites are built on the mound right in the center of the square, and the central mound itself is in an astronomical position, as if to commemorate the earth, gas, fire and water. Scholar james wilson commented:
The common thread that runs through all social strata on the East Coast and all aspects of Indian life is the universal belief in "power". Although-with a few exceptions-chiefs are not wizards themselves, they all have a world shaped and infiltrated by powerful spiritual forces ... There is no clear boundary between "sacred" and "secular" ... [Their world is] a series of bilateral and mutually beneficial relationships: between men and women; Between families, between man and God. Contacts and movements between these different fields must be mediated through ceremonies and gift exchanges, recognizing each other's respective positions and committing to fulfill their respective obligations. (53)
These ceremonies are held in holy places-where powerful spiritual energy can be recognized-and it is thought to point to the location and way of building mounds. It has been suggested that the energy in a certain place can be concentrated through mounds, so that the interaction between shamans and the spiritual world can bring greater benefits to the community. This purpose and design pattern seems to have guided the creation of the Cape Beaufort Memorial Tomb, just like any other tomb site.
Beaufort Point Memorial Mound
The concentric ridge of the memorial mound in Cape Beaufort used to be a platform mound, with houses built on the top, facing the square and the ceremony site of mound C, so the energy of the houses is directed to the central square, where ceremonies and games are held. The city may be designed as a mutually beneficial building to participate in the spiritual world, because the energy generated by the square will be directed to families. Other mounds may be placed to contain this energy in a square. Behind Tongxin Ridge separated by ravines is the highest mound A, mound B in the north, mound E in the south, and mound D in front of the southeast edge of the mound near the square. The sixth mound, mound F, was built later than other mounds and is located in the northeast of the ridge.
Mound A was originally thought to be built in the shape of a giant bird. If it is, it is probably a totem animal of human beings. This mound was built quickly in less than three months, which may be used as the central energy point of the ceremony before the completion of mound C, or it may be used together by two mounds, or like Kahokia, mound A is reserved for private ceremonies out of public view, while mound C is used for public celebrations.
The width and height of the mound are different throughout the site, and the ridge is considered to have a uniform height. Today, ridges range from less than one foot to six feet and are damaged by agricultural use. The size of the mound is:
Mound A: 72 feet (22 meters) high and 705x660 feet (2 15x200) bottom.
Mountain B: 2 1 ft (6.5m) high, bottom180ft (55m).
Mountain C: It is 6.5 feet (2 meters) high and 260 feet (80 meters) long at the bottom.
Heap D: 4 feet (1.2m) high and 100 feet (30m) bottom.
Heap E: height 13 feet (4m) and bottom 360x295 feet (1/0x90m).
Mound F: 5 feet high (1.5m) and 80X 100 feet (24x30) at the bottom.
Two other mounds near the site-Jackson mounds and motley mounds-have been damaged. Jackson's mound was vandalized by the landlord, and he didn't want his property to become an archaeological site.
Poverty alleviation points have been built in stages for several generations. Unlike Watson Blake, the residents of Cape Beaufort are engaged in long-distance trade, providing them with materials such as stone and copper that are not available locally. Cultural relics such as stone warheads and various copper products are made of materials imported from Tennessee Valley and the Great Lakes region of modern new york.
Residents use the raw materials they get in trade to produce their goods on the spot, and some parts of the C-shaped ridge are dedicated to making all kinds of ceramics, tools and weapons. As mentioned above, the C-shaped ridge is aligned with the central square, which was originally a place for public meetings, religious ceremonies and sports events. Scholar Elodie Pritchartt wrote:
The center of the site is a square covering about 37 acres, which is believed to have been used for ceremonies, ceremonies, dances, games and other activities. On the west side of the square, archaeologists found several deep holes of different sizes arranged in a circle; They think these holes have long poles and may be used as calendar marks. (3)
Archaeologists may be right, because other mound sites, especially Cahokia, have found solar calendars that match the cave patterns in Cape Beauvoir. There is no more evidence that a calendar like Woodhenge in Cahokia has 48 pillars around a central pillar. (wwW.Lishixinzhi.Com) This is believed to be due to the extensive agricultural utilization of the land in the memorial hill at Cape Beauvoir by European immigrants and American farmers, which is also considered as evidence of the scarcity of land.
The city flourished in 1 100 BC, but the population seems to have declined since then, and the city was abandoned before 1 100 BC. 500 BC. No one knows why people leave the memorial hill in Cape Beaufort, just like others leave many sites across the continent, but people think that climate change, affecting migration patterns and floods may lead to problems that people have already encountered, and overpopulation is likely to be one of the main challenges. Because people live by hunting, fishing and gathering edible plants, climate change and migration may be the main factors that promote people's migration.
Discovery and excavation
In A.D. 1830, Jacob Walter, an American businessman, came across this place while looking for lead ore in this area, and later another culture reoccupied it. Walter thought this place was an "Indian town" and noticed that many cultural relics and mounds were scattered everywhere, but since the exploration of mounds was not his main concern, he continued.
/kloc-in 0/843, Phillip Guier, a Kentucky native, bought this land, and as a farm, he and his wife Sarah (he was buried in Mount D, also known as Mount Sarah) moved there. 185 1 year, this plantation is called Cape Beaufort Memorial Mound, probably named after a place near Quayle's home in Kentucky. Guier is also not interested in the ruins of a former native American city. When he plows and grows crops, he thinks these ridges are just hills. Walter's report did not attract public attention until 1873 was first published. By that time, this land had been extensively cultivated for decades.
It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that scholars and archaeologists became interested in this site. 19 13 years, CB arrived in moles and started excavation. Moore graduated from Harvard University and is an amateur archaeologist. He used the money earned by his family in the paper industry to finance his exploration. He was particularly interested in the mound sites of Native Americans, visited some of them and took the lead in attracting people's attention to sites such as mound village and Cape Beaufort. Moore and his followers didn't realize the scope and complexity of the website, which is good reason, because they can only fully understand it from the bird's eye view they can't get. Pritchard features:
Although the mounds and cultural relics of this site are well known, it was not until 1953 that people realized that an important treasure was lying there when a series of photos from 20 years ago were discovered. Man-made buildings are so large that they can't be recognized from the ground, revealing the evidence of highly developed ancient American culture. ( 1)
Subsequently, the attention paid to the site led to its declaration as a national monument in 1960 and a national historical landmark in 1962. By 1972, Louisiana purchased 400 acres of land and opened it to the public as a park to explain museums and sidewalks. Since then, people have become more and more interested in this place, which was declared as a world heritage by UNESCO in 20 14.
conclusion
The memorial mound at Cape beaufort continues to attract people from all over the world to learn about the native American culture that built it. For many reasons, the park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in this area, but the historical importance of the site is a major factor. Prichard pointed out:
Before it was discovered, the Middle East was considered as the cradle of civilization. But almost at the same time as the pyramids were built in Egypt, people in the New World were building cities and establishing trade routes spanning thousands of miles, creating a complex society in the new world era before agriculture appeared. Hunter-gatherers, previously considered by archaeologists and anthropologists as not having a complicated social structure enough to complete a huge project, are leaving their mark on history in a spectacular way. ( 1)
Although the so-called "Middle East" is still considered as the cradle of civilization, people now realize that Native Americans are creating their own civilization in America. Today, visitors to the park can experience their feats in engineering and urban planning by entering mounds, ridges and squares and many cultural relics on display in museums. Although it is currently restricted by coronavirus pneumonia-19 virus, it is hoped that in the near future, the memorial hill at Beaufort Point will be fully opened again, so as to provide more tourists with the same experience in the next few years.