What is left of your dream?
Just the words on your stone
A man who learned how to teach
Then forgot how to learn
Oh yeah
-queen
The fortress-community we now call
Aztalan flourished between 900 – 1200 AD and may have been founded as early at 600 AD. The community was surrounded by by a stockade of
wattle and daub construction, with watchtowers at regular intervals. The wall totaled 2,750 feet. Inside of the first wall were the largest pyramids & crops, then the second inner wall which protected the individual homes. The only way into the city as far as archeologists can tell was from the river. What kind of threat deserved this kind of defensive structure? Who knows!? I find this especially interesting given that evidence suggests a mix of middle Mississippian and local native traditions.
Aztalan as far as we can tell today was the furthest northern outpost of the middle Mississippian culture. Their largest city,
Cahokia is located just 8 miles outside of St. Louis, Missouri. The people of Aztalan (located near Lake Mills, Wisconsin) were connected to Cahokia by a series of rivers and could easily travel back and forth. Very little is actually known of this culture and at first it was assumed they must have been descended of the Aztec cultures of Mexico. Archeologists no longer believe this to be so. It is thought that this north American empire rose independently with cities north to Aztalan and as far south as Florida. However they may have shared some trade with the Mexican cultures and could have been influenced by them.
The ruins of Aztalan were first discovered by white man in the early 1800’s. The early description describes over 40 mounds, Pyramids and the partial remains of the walls. Not long afterward the land was sold for $22 and plowed under by farmers. Much of the foundation stone for the pyramids was used in road building around the area. The mounds we see today were rebuilt in 1951 and were not grass, but clay capped which as you can imagine would have been quite dramatic rising above the natural slope of the land. Thinking about the destruction of this archeological wonder and the many others across the country certainly gives one a sense of nausea that floats around the pit of your stomach.
Near by Aztalan state park is a small local historical society museum containing many artifacts of early settlers, log homes, and some native pieces. Of course these local societies have no money to truly care for the items and time is taking it’s toll on many of them. I was most saddened to find in a dark corner of a room a Native American deer skin and beaded dress on an old mannequin in a dark glass case. Without care, it won’t last. I thought about what must be in all these little museums in every little community in Wisconsin and around the country. History rotting away in dusty little well meaning museums. It seems like by our lack of funding we are taking a second plow to our land. Again, before we really know what it is we’ve discovered.
* Read More from the Wisconsin Acadamy Review
* image 4 from Aztalan State Park Archives
aztalan
September 24th, 2006 | 
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its a shame when history and the past is built over with no respect.
the little museum looks realy interesting.