Ceremonial Shell Cup

Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma

1300CE

Decorated with symbols of the Birdman. Transformation motifs. Man and animals as cousins/brothers. Ability to shift between the two.

Welk Shell Cup - buried with the dead.

Decoration similiar to MesoAmericans - balancing earth and sky.

Poverty Point

1700CE

Tennesse

Oldest, intact ancient sit.

Bird imagery, huge labor force.

Lapidary Industry - working of precious stones

Serpent Mound

Alabama

Earth diety - seemed to be constructed for overhead viewer

Precurser to Hopewell

Small burial houses inside mound, then burned until mound could be built over it. Possibly an elite family burial.

Mask with Antlers

Spiro Mounds, Oklahoma

1200-1350CE

shell inlay

Cahokia

1200CE

St. Louis

Largest mound in the world, city bigger than London.

Monks Mound - circle of poles for equinox

Femal Figurine Tilling the Jaguar-Serpent Earth

Cahokia Mounds, St. Louis

1100CE

Relationship to Earth and Woman. Woman's power over plants

Okvik Eskimo

Old Bering Sea Culture

200BCE-100CE

Ivory woman. Armless, fertility amulettes.

Circle and dot motifs (tatoos or clothing)

Zoomorphic Rake

Ipiutak, Point Spencer, Alaska

450-850CE

Ivory. Bear, seal, and human motifs.

May be link to Japanese/Chinese culture

Pueblo Bonito

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

850-1150CE

Converged at this site (trade, ceremony, etc)

Entire compound aligned with the skies.

Mimbres Pottery

1200CE

'Kill hole' - Rendered the vessel unusable in this world, but implies a spiritual use. 

Killing the pot ritual: Punch hole in bottom to be purely spiritual