Ancient earthen mounds exist worldwide. Known as "barrows" in England, "kurgans" in Turkey, and "tumuli" in many parts of the world, earthen mounds are known from:
- Sweden (Gamla Upsalla, 2,000 tumuli)
- Austria (Sulm Valley Necropolis, 2,000 tumuli)
- Hungary (Great Hungarian Plain, 40,000 tumuli)
- Japan (Kofun Keyhole Mounds, 161,000 tumuli
- Uruguay (Cerritos de Indios, 3,000 tumuli)
 |
| Tomb of King Alyattes, Bin Tepe, Turkey |
Earthen mounds are such basic structures they were built by people with relatively low levels of cultural attainment. Case in point: the Aborigines built clusters of tumuli at 10 sites in northern Australia. See Sally Brockwell, "Earth Mounds in Northern Australia: A Review" in Australian Archaeology 63:1 (December, 2006).
Relatively small numbers of people were capable of moving large amounts of dirt. For example, the population of Cahokia in modern Illinois at apogee (ca. AD 1100) is generally estimated at between 20,000 and 50,000. This was the largest urbanization north of Mexico in pre-Columbian times. Over 300 years (ca. AD 1050 - 1350), this group built the 120 mounds that made up ancient Cahokia, including 700,000 cubic meter Monks Mound.
 |
| Drone View of Cahokia Overlooking the Mississippi |
A modern earthen mound exists in American Fork, Utah, in my backyard. At 16 feet long X 12 feet wide X 8 feet tall, it is large enough to show up on Google Earth. I built it in one day with picks and shovels, assisted by two strong helpers. A landscaper with a Bobcat moved it a few years ago to its present location. My children, grandchildren, and two generations of neighborhood kids have all played on our backyard "hill."
 |
| Red Arrow Indicates "Hill" in American Fork, UT via Google Earth |