The cumulative effect of these finds has given birth to a new cottage industry of giant conspiracy theorists who claim that a race of 9 foot beings once ruled North America and that the Smithsonian Institute has been involved in a massive 140 year cover up of their existence (“Hello…Smithsonian….can I speak with the secret giant bones removal team, please?”). There were Maine giants, Virginia giants, North Dakota giants, Nevada giants, horned giants, double toothed Iowa giants and bejeweled Ohio giants, many more. Reports of the remains giants on this continent date back to the 17th century. Such finds with similar descriptions were not unique to Wisconsin. It’s easy to see where headlines like these were going. “Beings of a much larger stature than the present generation of aboriginals”, “The lower jaw of a man at least 8 feet tall…”, “An ancient race of mankind superior in size,strength and intellect to the common red man living in the forest.” etc etc. Sensational reports about the discoveries of the graves of “giants” began to appear in newspapers. However, the remnants of the far removed, alien culture they found in the earth both challenged and excited their imaginations. How could they be? It was still a brand new field of study in the late 19th century. Their contents along with the strata of various types of sand, rock and soil - carefully chosen during their initial construction - became ideal for road and rail bed fill. At the same time, farmers, amateur historians and treasure hunters began to plunder and explore the mounds. As the state became settled by European immigrants in the 1800’s, a great number of these earthworks were leveled and plowed over to make way for homes and farm fields. They were the work of successive native cultures, created over a long period of time – roughly 1st century BC to 1200 AD. There were once many thousands of these earthworks - From Ixonia to Wautoma, the banks of the Kinnickinnick River in old Milwaukee to Oconto, from Whitewater to La Crosse, by lake shore and riverbank. Wisconsin is the ancient burial and effigy mound capital of North America.
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