When my family and I were driving through Alto, we decided to stop at the Caddo Indian mounds . Here is some of the history of the mounds. In the past, Caddo Indians picked the spot for permanent settlement about 800 A.D. because the land had ideal qualities for starting a village and ceremonial center. The land also had good sandy loam soil for agriculture, it had lots of natural food resources in the surrounding forest and it was close to the Neches river. The Caddo farmed squash, corn, beans and other crops. Also they would hunt turkey, deer, rabbits and squirrels and other animals. The Caddo gathered wild plants such as berries, roots, and nuts. Caddo people built earthen lodges with thatched roofs (top right). No one lives in these dwellings any more. The mounds were used for burying the dead community leaders and there houses. In the13th century,the site was abandoned. Some helpful web sites I used are http://www.texasindians.com/caddo2.htm , http://www.bigorrin.org/caddo_kids.htm and http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/caddo/mounds.html
.
You wouldn't believe how helpful this has been for me, having just began a search regarding an unmarked mound that I've found in Toronto.
ReplyDeleteps: I love animals, too, and have a dog that was once homeless in Ohio - where, I understand, lies the great 'Serpent Mound' :) Thanks again!