Tracks as effigies:
a new interpretation?
Chad Arment
It is well-known that the early Amerindians commonly portrayed animal tracks on petroglyphs and other artifacts. It has only been suggested a few times that some earthworks may in fact represent animal tracks, in essence being animal track effigies. (One article suggesting this was found in the 1975 publication Archaeoastronomy in Pre-Columbian America, edited by A.F. Aveni and published by University of Texas Press (Austin, TX). Unfortunately, I've misplaced the article, but will provide the exact details when I find it.)
Here, I'll briefly examine a few for which this category has been suggested, and suggest another earthwork myself.
Three "Animal Track" Effigies
The following three mound groups have been suggested as Animal Track effigies in the previously mentioned publication. The first is a stonework in Ross County, the second is from the Pollock Earthworks in Greene County, and the third is from below Hamilton, Butler Co.
At the moment I only have information on one of these, the Pollock Works enclosure along Massie's Creek in Greene County, Ohio. While this form may suggest an animal's track, though, it is almost certainly not a true effigy. Riordan (1995) pointed out that the structure was built in several stages over a span of time, which indicates that the final outline was not meant to be that of an effigy.
For the other two earthworks, the forms are very suggestive. Could the Ross Co. stonework be suggesting a bear paw? Is a feline paw the model for the Butler County group? It appears that further fieldwork is warranted. (Of course, I don't know if these earthworks are still intact.)
From Squier and Davis (1848)
From Squier and Davis (1848)
From Squier and Davis (1848)
The Newark "Eagle" Mound
This mound is usually identified as a bird or eagle effigy, with the body in the center with two "wings" outstretched. I personally think that this effigy matches the appearance of a bird track, which was a common petroglyph and design element in the moundbuilding cultures.
From Squier and Davis (1848)
Citation:
Riordan, R.V. 1995. A construction sequence for a Middle Woodland hilltop enclosure. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 20(1): 62-104.
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