Look up mound in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A mound is a general term for an artificial heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. The most common use is in reference to natural earthen formation such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. The term may also be applied to any rounded area of topographically higher elevation on any surface. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Look up Pile in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... Gravel being unloaded from a barge Gravel is rock that is of a certain grain size range. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... Debris (French, pronounced (IPA) dibri) is a word used to describe the remains of something that has been otherwise destroyed. ... The panoramic view from Connors Hill, near Swifts Creek, Victoria A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain, in a limited area. ... Lyskamm, 4 527 m, Pennine Alps A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ... For discussion of land surfaces themselves, see Terrain. ... Basic Definition In geography, the elevation of a geographic location is its height above mean sea level (or some other fixed point). ...

North American archaeology

Main article: Mound builder (people)

In the archaeology of the United States and Canada, the term "mound" has specific and technical connotations. In this sense, a mound is a deliberately constructed elevated earthen structure or earthwork, intended for a range of potential uses. In European and Asian archaeology, the word tumulus may be used as a synonym for artificial hills, particularly if they are related to particular burial customs. Miamisburg Mound, the largest conical mound in Ohio, is attributed to the Adena archaeological culture. ... Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek: αρχαίος, archaios, combining form in Latin archae-, ancient; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... In civil engineering, earthworks are engineering works created through the moving of massive quantities of soil or unformed stone. ... A tumulus (plural tumuli, from the Latin word for mound or small hill, from the root to bulge, swell also found in ) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. ...

While the term "mound" may be applied to historic constructions, most mounds in the United States are prehistoric earthworks, built by Native American peoples. Native Americans built a variety of mounds, including flat-topped pyramids or cones known as platform mounds, rounded cones, and ridge or loaf-shaped mounds. Some mounds took on unusual shapes, such as the outline of cosmologically significant animals. These are known as effigy mounds. Some mounds, such as a few in Wisconsin, have rock formations, or petroforms within them, on them, or near them. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Prehistoric man. ... An independent origin and development of writing is counted among the many achievements and innovations of pre-Columbian American cultures. ... A Platform Mound is any earthwork intended to support a structure or activity. ... An effigy mound is a raised pile of dirt in the shape of an animal. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Petroforms are large shapes that were made out of large rocks. ...

While these mounds are perhaps most famous as burial mounds, like their European analogs, Native American mounds also have a variety of other uses. While some prehistoric cultures, like the Adena culture, used mounds preferentially for burial, others used mounds for other ritual and sacred acts, as well as for secular functions. The platform mounds of the Mississippian culture, for example, may have supported temples, the houses of chiefs, council houses, and may have also acted as a platform for public speaking. Other mounds would have been part of defensive walls to protect a certain area. The Hopewell culture used mounds as markers of complex astronomical alignments related to ceremonies. For the musician, see Burial (musician). ... An Adena pipe excavated from the Criel Mound The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from c. ... A Platform Mound is any earthwork intended to support a structure or activity. ... The Mississippian culture was a mound-building Native American culture that flourished in the Midwestern, Eastern, and Southeastern United States from approximately 900 to 1500 CE, varying regionally. ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... Chief can refer to : Paramount chief is the highest political leader in a region or country typically administered with a chief-based system. ... It has been suggested that Town Hall be merged into this article or section. ... Hopewell mounds from the Mound City Group in Ohio Hopewell culture is the term used to describe common aspects of the Native American culture that flourished along rivers in the northeastern and midwestern United States from 200 BC to 400 A.D. At its greatest extent, Hopewell culture stretched from...

Mounds and related earthworks are the only significant monumental construction in prehistoric Eastern and Central North America. The Taj Mahal, commissioned by the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, as a mausoleum for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum. ...

Archaeology elsewhere

Mound, as a technical term in archaeology, is not generally in favor in the rest of the world. More specific local terminology is preferred, and each of these terms has its own article (see below).

Mound types

• Cairn
  • Chambered cairn
• Effigy mound
• Kofun (Japanese mounds)
• Platform mound
• Tell (also includes multi-lingual synonyms for mounds in the Near East)
• Tumulus (Barrow)
  • Bank barrow
  • Bell barrow
  • Bowl barrow
  • Chambered long barrow
  • Kurgan
  • Long barrow
  • Oval barrow

For the magazine see Cairn Magazine. ... A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic, consisting of a cairn of stones inside which a sizeable (usually stone) chamber was constructed. ... An effigy mound is a raised pile of dirt in the shape of an animal. ... Daisenryo Kofun, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, Sakai, 5th century. ... A Platform Mound is any earthwork intended to support a structure or activity. ... Tell Mar Elias, North Jordan in 2005 Tell or tall (Arabic: ‎, tall, and Hebrew: , tel), meaning hill or mound, is an archaeological site in the form of an earthen mound that results from the accumulation and subsequent erosion of material deposited by human occupation over long periods of time. ... A tumulus (plural tumuli, from the Latin word for mound or small hill, from the root to bulge, swell also found in ) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. ... A bank barrow, sometimes referred to as a barrow-bank, ridge barrow, or ridge mound, is a type of tumulus first identified by O.G.S. Crawford in 1938. ... A bell barrow, sometimes referred to as a Wessex type barrow, campanulate form barrow, or a bermed barrow is a type of tumulus identified as such by both John Aubrey and William Stukeley. ... A bowl barrow, sometimes referred to as a cairn circle, cairn ring, howe, kerb cairn, turnp or rotunda grave is a type of tumulus first identified by John Thurman. ... Chambered long barrows are a type of megalithic burial monument found in the British Isles in the Neolithic. ... Sarmatian Kurgan 4th c. ... A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the Neolithic period. ...

See also

• for North America, see especially Mound builders and related subjects:
  • Adena culture
  • Hopewell culture
  • Mississippian culture
• Kofun period
• Kurgan hypothesis
• Neolithic Europe
• Olmec
  • La Venta
  • San Jose Mogote
• Prehistoric Britain