Newfound Native American Burial Ground Protected

By Julia Lindsay

A largely undisturbed burial mound recently discovered in Greenup County, Ky., could provide a window into early Native American culture. The 20 feet high by 80 feet long mass dates back to the Fort Ancient or Woodland periods, which occurred approximately 500 to 2,500 years ago.

The Archaeological Conservancy plans to conduct research on the mound in an effort to expand understanding of Native American culture. Promising to utilize non-invasive research methods, the regional associate director told The Lane Report “We do recognize this is a sacred, spiritual space.”

Deanna Turner, who works at Ohio’s famed Serpent Mound, says roughly 10,000 similar mounds existed in the early 20th century tucked away in river valleys, but many were built over, and the threat of development still looms over many sites. A federal law, enacted in 1990, requires the return of Native American cultural items and remains to their respective tribes, but many of these sites face destruction because the law does not apply to private land.