Return To Aztalan State Park

Today I have arrived at my undisclosed location in south central Wisconsin.  On the way from northern Illinois, I stopped off at a place I had visited while on an archaeological tour in 2014, Aztalan State Park near Lake Mills, Wisconsin.  Go to this blog's archives for June 2014 to read about my first visit.  Unlike then, today's weather was mostly sunny, thus allowing me to take more pictures.  The first shows part of the stockade to the west of the park's main mound.  The taller section with the poles placed closely together reminded me of a fort bastion during my first visit.

Looking between two of the poles, I took this shot of the west side of the main mound.

Here's another shot of the stockade and its "bastion", from a different angle.

From the south side of the mound, you can see that it has two levels.

Here's the mound from its east side, which includes two wooden stairways, which of course are modern additions.  Unfortunately, the angle here is pretty low due to the relative elevation.

From the top of the lower level, here is the upper level and stairway.

East of the first mound is another one, which I don't remember noticing during my first visit.  It appears to have a round shape and a lower profile than the first mound.  A path cut in the grass leads between the two mounds.

From the top of the second mound, I could see the Craw Fish River.

Looking back toward the first mound, I was able to take another picture, which better showed its two levels, and parts of the adjacent stockade.

North of the two mounds shown so far is the so-called "mound of death", because according to information my tour group learned nine years ago, burials were found near it.  Back then, I could only take a shot from a distance, but this time, I got close.  As with the first mound, it had a stockade, part of which is seen here toward the left.

From the top of the "mound of death", I got a good shot of its stockade and what might be other mounds in the background.

More of the stockade and a path cut in the grass appear to lead down to another section of the Craw Fish River.

Back near the parking lot is a group of small mounds, with some trees.

As I noted in 2014, the stockades are modern reconstructions.  Besides the official link above, for more about Aztalan State Park, go to Wisconsin State Parks, Friends Of Aztalan State Park, Travel Wisconsin, Wisconsin First Nations and Crazy Camping Girl.