At first you see
low rises on the landscape. Soon your eye begins to pick out regular patterns in the
hills. If you trace the patterns, the "hills" turn into familiar shapes --
animals rising in low relief out of the ground. These effigies are not the work of nature
at all but were created by the people who lived here more than 1000 years ago.
Effigy Mounds
National Monument in Northeast Iowa was established by presidential proclamation in 1949.
The monument preserves a representative and outstanding example of a significant phase of
the prehistoric American Indian moundbuilding culture and protects wildlife, scenic and
other natural values of the area. Prehistoric peoples built mounds at various times and
places throughout the Americas. Only in the upper Mississippi River valley, however, was
there a culture that specialized in ceremonial mounds called effigies -- representations
of living creatures such as eagles, falcons, bison, deer, turtles, lizards, and, in
particular, bears.
People and nature have worked
together from prehistoric times to today. The region composing the Effigy Mounds National
Monument is no exception. From prehistoric peoples living off the land, to historic
figures helping to preserve it, and finally to today's rangers striving to protect this
cultural resource, people have developed a love and respect for Effigy Mounds National
Monument. Effigy Mounds is open daily 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours Memorial Day to Labor Day and weekends in October. The monument is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. To learn more about the area, please visit our Parks
as Classrooms Resource Guide.