Zelph, Religious site near Griggsville, Illinois, US
Zelph is an earthen mound located three miles east of Griggsville, also known as Naples-Russell Mound 8, with three stone arrangements resembling altars positioned at its summit.
Archaeological excavations by the University of Illinois in 1990 revealed Hopewell burial artifacts dating from 100 BCE to 500 CE at the site. The mound was then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
A religious group identified remains at the mound in 1834 and recorded their findings in personal journals, shaping how the site was understood by their community. The mound remains connected to their spiritual beliefs and narratives.
Artifacts recovered from the site are now housed in the Illinois State Museum, where visitors can view them alongside information about the excavations. The mound itself remains accessible for direct observation of the stone formations and the surrounding landscape.
A thigh bone from the mound was transported to Missouri with plans to place it in a temple before eventually being buried in Clay County. This unusual journey connects the archaeological site to religious practices from the 1800s.
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