Serpent Mounds Park is a former historical and recreational park located in
Keene, Ontario, Canada. Serpent Mounds operated as a provincial park, established in 1955 through a lease with the
Hiawatha First Nation
The Hiawatha First Nation (formerly Mississaugas of Rice Lake) is a Mississauga Ojibwe First Nations reserve located on the north shore of Rice Lake east of the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada.
It is found in Otonabee Township less than 15& ...
, a historic
Mississaugas
The Mississauga are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations peoples located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwe. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word ''Misi-zaagiing'', meaning "hose ...
people. During this time, in 1982, the mounds were designated a
National Historic Site, comprising six sites, including on east Sugar Island. From 1995 to 2009, the Hiawatha First Nation operated the park privately, offering camping facilities, beach access on
Rice Lake, a cultural centre, and interpretive walks among the historic serpent and nearby mounds. The park has been closed since 2009.
History
Archaeological
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
field work on the campground has revealed that the construction and occupation of the Serpent Mounds area occurred about 2000 years ago during the
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
Middle Woodland Period
In the classification of archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BCE to European contact in the eastern part of North America, with some archaeolog ...
. The first prehistoric peoples to occupy the site were classified by archaeologists as the
Point Peninsula complex, based on their
artifacts. The people existed in central and southeastern
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, southwestern
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, and northern parts
New York state
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
between 300BC and 700AD.
Attractions
Serpent Mounds Park offered many activities, including:
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Native American art
workshop
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...
s
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Birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
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Swimming
Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
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Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
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Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
See also
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Earthwork (archaeology)
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Effigy mound
An effigy mound is a raised pile of earth built in the shape of a stylized animal, symbol, religious figure, human, or other figure. The Effigy Moundbuilder culture is primarily associated with the years 550-1200 CE during the Late Woodland Peri ...
*
List of National Historic Sites in Ontario
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Mound
A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically higher el ...
*
Mound builder (people)
A number of pre-Columbian cultures are collectively termed "Mound Builders". The term does not refer to a specific people or archaeological culture, but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks erected for an extended period of more than 5 ...
*
Serpent mound
The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long (411 m), three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound located in Peebles, Ohio. The mound itself resides on the Serpent Mound crater plateau, running along the Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio. ...
, a similar structure in Ohio, Kentucky
References
Literature
* W. A. Kenyon
Mounds of Sacred Earth - Burial Mounds of Ontario.Royal Ontario Museum, 1986. ROM Archaeology Monograph 9.
External links
Hiawatha First Nation Serpent Mounds Park information
{{NHSC
Point Peninsula Complex
Mounds
Parks in Ontario
First Nations in Ontario
National Historic Sites in Ontario
Geography of Peterborough County
Protected areas of Peterborough County
Tourist attractions in Peterborough County
1st millennium in Canada