GPR investigation of the West Prairie Mound Group, central Wisconsin, USA: are they burial mounds or natural landforms?

N. B. Kloehn; M. B. Junck; Harry M. Jol; G. L. Running IV; D. Greek; K. Caldwell

doi:10.1117/12.383485

27 April 2000 GPR investigation of the West Prairie Mound Group, central Wisconsin, USA: are they burial mounds or natural landforms?

N. B. Kloehn, M. B. Junck, Harry M. Jol, G. L. Running IV, D. Greek, K. Caldwell

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4084, Eighth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383485
Event: 8th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, 2000, Gold Coast, Australia

Abstract

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) investigations were conducted to determine the origin of the West Prairie Mound Group. The mound group consists of thirteen low, conical, earthen mounds within Fort McCoy (central Wisconsin). Historically interpreted as PreColumbian Native American burial mounds, mounting evidence to the contrary suggests a natural origin for the mounds (e.g. no archaeological material recovered from within or near the mounds, mounds located where morphologically similar natural landforms are common, and the mounds are identified as natural landforms in local Native American oral tradition). Even so, U.S. Federal antiquities laws prohibit disturbance of these mounds and investigations to determine their true origin are limited to non-invasive techniques. Non-invasive, high resolution GPR survey methods were utilized to address the research problem. Mounds B and K were selected for detailed GPR surveys. In both cases, observed GPR reflection patterns are consistent with sandy, eolian geomorphic units common in the mound area. Moreover, no reflection patterns typical of burial disturbance or cultural practices were observed in either mound. Therefore, our analysis of Mounds B and K GPR data strongly supports the emerging interpretation that the West Prairie Mound Group is the result of natural rather than cultural processes.

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N. B. Kloehn, M. B. Junck, Harry M. Jol, G. L. Running IV, D. Greek, and K. Caldwell "GPR investigation of the West Prairie Mound Group, central Wisconsin, USA: are they burial mounds or natural landforms?", Proc. SPIE 4084, Eighth International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar, (27 April 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.383485

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