Mysterious World: Winter 1998

Aztalan, Wisconsin is located in southern Wisconsin, between Madison and Milwaukee. It can be reached from either city via Interstate 94, which connects with County Road Q. Follow County Road Q southwest, then south until it crosses County Road B. Aztalan is located just southeast of this intersection.

When I.A. Lapham mapped the site in 1850, there were over 40 mounds in this area. During the settlement period, however, most of the mounds had been plowed under to open up further land for cultivation. Fortunately, around the turn of the century, archaeologists and local historians managed to save the remaining mounds. Aztalan was then made into a public park in 1952, was designated a National Landmark in 1964, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Before plowing took its toll, evidence of large stockade walls, large platform mounds, ancient farm fields and numerous mound and pit features dotted the 172 acres which now comprise the park. Archaeological excavations, beginning in 1919, have helped to reconstruct some of these features. We now know that Aztalan was a flourishing community from AD 900 to AD 1200, after which time all the inhabitants left. The reason for this abandonment is still a mystery.

Though much of the original city has been destroyed, there is still much to see:
(1) The primary mound , which is comprised of two levels;
(2) The secondary mound , which has only one level;
(3) The stockade wall , parts of which have been restored.

Other points of interest include:
- Princess Mound , where the burial of an Indian princess was uncovered;
- Aztalan Museum , which includes numerous Indian artifacts from Aztalan and the surrounding area.

Click here for a panoramic view of the site, taken from the secondary mound. Note that the primary mound can be seen in the distance.

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