Giant Pre-Historic Snake EarthCache
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The snake you seek can be found sunning itself along the banks of Ohio Brush Creek. Serpent Mound is the largest and finest serpent effigy in the United States. Nearly a quarter of a mile long, Serpent Mound apparently represents an uncoiling serpent
Serpent Mound was discovered in 1846 by local surveyors Ephraim G. Squier and Edwin H. Davis. Serpent Mound was first excavated in 1887 by Frederic Ward Putnam of Harvard University. At that time he also excavated 2 nearby conical mounds. From evidence he found in the conical mounds, Putnam determined that all three where built by the Adena culture.
In 1991, wood charcoal was found during an excavation of the Serpent Mound that indicated a radiocarbon dating of the Fort Ancient culture era, long after the Adena culture ceased to exist. This dating indicated that the Serpent Mound could have been constructed between A.D. 1000-1550.
The construction of the Serpent Mound was determined to consist of a base layer of local clay and stone. The body of the serpent consists of alternating layers of stone and soil. The outer layer of the serpent is local topsoil.
The head of the serpent is aligned to the summer solstice sunset and the coils also may point to the winter solstice sunrise and the equinox sunrise. Today, visitors may walk along a footpath surrounding the serpent and experience the mystery and power of this monumental effigy. A public park for more than a century, Serpent Mound attracts visitors from all over the world. The museum contains exhibits on the effigy mound and the geology of the surrounding area. While at the site, don’t forget to stop by the museum. Seasonal hours for the grounds and museum as well as parking fees are listed here:
http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/serpent/
In 1901 a survey of the park and the surrounding area discovered faulted (broken) and folded bedrock indicating the mound was built upon some sort of cryptoexplosion disturbance. (an area showing evidence of a large scale explosion) Further research revealed that the Serpent Mound was built on the edge of a crater 4 to 4.5 miles wide. Geologists first believed that the disturbance was formed during the Permian Period by an explosion of super heated gas from deep within the bedrock. Recently the theory of the cause of the explosion has changed to a culprit that is out of this world.
Is there any connection between the disturbance and the mound? About as many people propose that the mound was purposely built in the vicinity of the crater as those who say the location in pure coincidence.
Developed by a Platinum Earthcache Master
To successfully log this find you must email me the correct answers to the following questions; (Answers to all of the questions can be obtained from the various historical and informational markers along the paved pathway.)
1) It is believed that Serpent Mound was built on the edge of a massive crater, how was this crater formed?
2) How long ago was the Serpent Mound crater formed?
Please do not log your find until you have received a reply from me to do so. Logs that do not meet the above listed conditions will be archived.(Sorry, rules are rules.)
I would like to thank the Ohio Historical Society for their cooperation in establishing this earthcache.
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