Uncoiling Serpent Mound's "Slithery Vibe": Refuting Modern Manifestations of the Moundbuilder Myth
Robert A. Cook and Bradley T. Lepper
Abstract
Serpent Mound is the most recognizable ancient American Indian earthwork in eastern North America. It is a National Historic Landmark, is on the United States’ Tentative List of sites to be considered for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and it has graced the covers of many a professional archaeology book. It has also been featured in many widely popular pseudo-documentaries such as Ancient Aliens on History Channel and Ancient Apocalypse on Netflix. We first review the archaeological history of the site and then provide several examples of how this history has been ignored or distorted by people with varying agendas, but which all serve to perpetuate a clearly racist, settler colonialist agenda.
Keywords: Public Archaeology, Serpent Mound USA, Moundbuilder Myth
