Archeology

Archeology

Aztalan is one of the renowned archeological sites and what can be referred to as a National Historic Landmark. It is located on the Crawfish River, which exhibits the ancient Mississippi culture where the locals settled on the farms and the valleys between the 10^th and the late 13^th centuries. The early inhabitants of the Azlatan normally constructed earthwork mounds, which were used for their religious and political occasions. They also indulged in various economic activities, such as trading with their neighbors from Great Lakes and the US.

Some archeological excavations have been done over the years to determine the history of the Azlatan in the 35 acres of land where archeologists believe the inhabitants lived. It is important to note that it is only two mounds survived. However, all the relevant stakeholders have played an important role in ensuring that they have been restored to preserve the history as the massive agricultural activities of the natives of Azlatan had earlier destroyed them. These portions were constructed in the same place where the archeologists believed and found some evidence of the long walls that surrounded these mounds.

Various materials were recovered from the site during the excavations. This mostly comprises of the artifacts such as the clay pots, the arrow points, the Mississippi deity, and the shell beads. There were also copper and stone decorations that were mostly used to make the warriors beautiful. Another important aspect that should be noted is the fact that the ‘large stone hoes’ were mostly imported from the neighboring communities, especially from Southern Illinois. The inhabitant’s communities of Azlatan also used the small stone wheels for chunky, which as a game that involved spear throwing. Archeologists and other historians are yet to establish what led to the migration of the Mississippian inhabitants to the Southern Wisconsin. Their culture also vanished, as it cannot be traced to a particular community across the globe today. The Azlatan archeologists are still trying to investigate some of these mysteries, which are, yet to be uncovered concerning the history of the inhabitant communities and their culture.

Further, the Jefferson citizens started the Azlatan Park in the year 1922. They were able to purchase a few things that they believed that belonged to the inhabitant’s communities of the Azlatan. This included the iconic mounds belonging to a group of inhabitants still living there. It is also important to note that this property was officially given to the Wisconsin Archeological Society in the year 1928. Later, in the year 1927, Winston Legislature gave a directive to the State Conservation Commission to get full ownership of the land and convert it to a historical memorial park. The commission purchased approximately 120 acres of land while the interest stakeholders donated the rest. Later, the memorial park was opened in the year 1952 and listed as one of the Historical Place in the year 1966.