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Debating the Age of Serpent Mound: A Reply to Romain and Herrmann’s Rejoinder to Lepper Concerning Serpent Mound

Authors :
Lepper, Bradley T.
Frolking, Tod A.
Pickard, William H.
Source :
Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology; January 2019, Vol. 44 Issue: 1 p42-56, 15p
Publication Year :
2019

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe debate over the age of Serpent Mound (33AD01) is important because without a cultural context it is impossible to make meaningful statements about what this monumental effigy mound might have meant to its builders. In this response to Romain and Herrmann’s rejoinder, we clarify the provenience of the samples, which yielded the radiocarbon dates that contribute to our argument for a post–Late Woodland age for the effigy. In addition, we extend our critique of Romain and colleagues’ arguments to include the results of an independent study of soil cores extracted from the Serpent and surrounding landscape, which fails to corroborate Romain and colleagues’ assertion that a buried A horizon underlies the mound. Finally, we suggest that the construction of Serpent Mound may be historically linked to droughts in the Mississippi Valley that began at around AD 1100, which resulted in an influx of Mississippian refugees into the region.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
01461109 and 23274271
Volume :
44
Issue :
1
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology
Publication Type :
Periodical
Accession number :
ejs47456416
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/01461109.2018.1507806