Final answer:
The Great Serpent Mound in Southern Ohio was built by the Mississippian culture and has the form of a serpent. It potentially had connections to astronomy and marked celestial events, with ongoing debate surrounding its function. The mound is associated with the ancient Native American cultures of the region.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Serpent Mound, located in Southern Ohio and built by the Mississippian culture in 1000 C.E., is a complex mound in the shape of a serpent. It measures approximately 1,300 feet in length and ranges from one to three feet in height.
The form of the mound consists of numerous mounds forming the shape of a serpent, with an egg or eye shape at the head and a tail pointing towards the winter solstice sunrise.
The content of the mound includes potential connections to astronomy and celestial events. The head of the serpent aligns with the summer solstice sunset, and the curves in the body may parallel lunar phases or align with the solstices and equinoxes.
The function of the mound is subject to ongoing debate among scholars. It has been suggested that the mound was used to mark time or seasons, potentially indicating when to plant or harvest. It may have also served as a compass, aligning with the Pole Star, or a place of worship for a supernatural snake god or goddess. However, no definitive function has been determined.
The context of the Great Serpent Mound is associated with the ancient Native American cultures that flourished along the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri Rivers a thousand years ago. It is believed to have been built by the Fort Ancient Culture, influenced by the contemporary Mississippian culture.