Where Did the Mound Builders Live?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 24, 2020

Native American mound builders lived primarily in the United States Midwest. Mound ceremonial sites have been found primarily in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. Most of the ceremonial mound sites were built between 2,200 and 1,600 years ago.

Most mound ceremonial centers are built near rivers and lakes. Mound builders lived in small communities of families led by elders. They made pilgrimages to the closest ceremonial centers to make offerings to their gods and to bury their loved ones.

The ceremonial centers were built on timbers, often with a temple for sacrifices on top and crypts to bury the dead underneath.