RECALCULATING MOUND VOLUME AT MOUNDVILLE

Abstract

Volume is a critical measure in quantifying differences among earthen mounds. Previous methods for measuring mound volume are prone to error by oversimplifying the symmetry of earthworks. However, the wide availability of contouring software has made it simpler to calculate volume. The results obtained using a computerized technique referred to as the gridding method are compared with previous mound volume estimates at Moundville. The outcome shows that volumes calculated using the gridding method are much smaller than the original estimates. Inflation of the volume of earthen mounds may lead to misrepresentations regarding the degree of sociopolitical organization that existed at Moundville and at other prehistoric mound-building societies in the southeastern United States.