Platform mound

Imagine if you were a little ant, and you wanted to build a big hill to live in. But instead of just building up, you decided to make a big flat area first, and then build up on top of that. That's what a platform mound is!

People who lived a long time ago, called Native Americans, built these kinds of mounds. They would make a flat area out of dirt and clay, and then build their houses and buildings on top of it. The mound might be as tall as a one- or two-story building!

Platform mounds were often used for special events, too. Sometimes, the people who built them would have ceremonies or feasts on the flat area, because it was big enough for lots of people to be there at once.

Today, platform mounds can help us learn about the Native Americans who built them. We can study the things they left behind, like pottery and tools, to understand their way of life. It's like we're taking a little trip back in time, to see how people lived a long, long time ago!