Who built the mounds?
There are two answers to this question depending on what exactly is being asked. In a general sense, Indian oral tradition and archaeological research has confirmed that the ancient mounds found throughout Wisconsin were built by Indian peoples. Although this may seem like common sense, it was not long ago that some people believed that the mounds found throughout Wisconsin were made by a vanished race of “Mound Builders” who were thought to be any one of a number of non-Indian people including the “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel,” Vikings, Britons, Hindus and many others. We now know this to be false and sometimes the product of racist views. After more than 165 years of archaeological research there has not been any evidence to suggest that anyone other than Indian peoples built the mounds. In a specific sense, many people desire to know what historically known tribes built the mounds. The answer to this question is far more difficult to answer because the mounds were built over a period
