Ages Undreamed Of vol 1.

This is the first of a series of post's about ancient sites and ruins-especially those that fire my imagination for the sake of writing. I am not writing a thesis nor will I stick to plain vanilla interpretations when speculation is possible for some answers and so much more fun.
"It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be....
War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War is god."
Blood Meridian

I am posting that quote from my favorite Cormac McCarthy novel because it illustrates my following belief about a certain site. Never mind that I am convinced that particular character speaking is Cain.

It took decades for the established scholars to stop believing and promulgating that
the Mayans were simply peaceful stargazing mathematicians, we now know (and should have from the beginning) that they were perpetually at war and that blood sacrifice was de rigueur. Now we have the same thing just a little further north in Oklahoma.

The Spiro mounds in east Oklahoma in the Arkansas river valley have been a curiosity since the Ok land rush in the late 1800's. The first archaeological inspections declared that great battles had taken place in the area between what appeared to be two distinct peoples-possibly the Mississippian-Hopewell types versus Tultecs from the south. More recent scholarship refutes those original claims testifying that Spiro was more of a spiritual/trading hub.While I think that explanation has merit, it seems that those proponents discount the possibility that war could have come to the area, citing that there is little if any evidence.


That is a weak argument considering the Spiro mounds were thoroughly looted back in the 30's virtually at every opportunity whenever the U of OK had their backs turned. Not to mention everything that was taken before their dig even started. The idea that lack of current evidence (despite old testimony) means no evidence is shallow.


My argument on what we do know and can deduce. The incredible amount of bodies and weapons found around the entire area. The very first researcher a Dr. Edwin Walters declared in the late 1800's that there may be as many as 2,500 to 3,000 skeletons per acre in an area of 30 acres. Over 10,000 arrowheads were pulled from a single mound. Some scholars would argue that these are merely trinkets for burial-good luck charms if you will or pennies we toss into wishing wells.

BAH! None of these guys have taken the time to chip away and make a single painstaking chert arrowhead, let alone 10,000 for one mound. Multitudes of pearls were also found that disintegrated into chalk because they were so ancient. Scores of carved stone pipes too, these people smoked a lot. I will soon do a post on the most amazing looking ancient american pipes.

The weapons found are staggering, spearheads, shields, breastplates, daggers and ax heads made from copper-green with age. And among the coolest looking weapons, brutal mace heads that are graphically depicted in art found all over the area.

These people fought wars, they may have all died in war. There is no concrete explanation on what became of them. Take for example this copper image of what is known as the Birdman.
He holds a mace and whats that in his other hand?

A human head.

Simple ritualistic trading folk?

I don't think so.

Barbarism triumphed over civilization.