Crigler Mound Group, Indigenous burial mound complex in northeastern Missouri, United States
The Crigler Mound Group consists of seven earthen ridges arranged across a hilltop north of the Salt River, near Mark Twain Lake. Six mounds retain pure earth construction while one contains rock mixed throughout, with diameters ranging from about 75 feet (23 meters) to 300 feet (90 meters).
The mounds were built during the Woodland period when Native American groups constructed such earthworks as burial grounds for their communities. The site gained recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 as one of the first two registered archaeological locations in Monroe County.
The mounds served as focal points where communities gathered to honor their dead and strengthen social bonds across generations. These burial grounds reveal how people expressed their connection to the land and to each other through shared rituals and respect for their ancestors.
The site sits on open hillside terrain and is visible from nearby roads, making it straightforward to locate. Wear sturdy shoes since the area involves uneven ground and walking paths that are not paved.
The seven mounds align precisely in a northwest direction at 320 degrees, a deliberate orientation that may have held astronomical or directional importance for the builders. Most visitors overlook this careful geometric arrangement, which reveals how much the builders understood about planning and landscape placement.
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