Posted in West Virginia
November 27, 2018
The Native American Burial Site Found In West Virginia Is A Historical Wonder
The Mountain State has a rich Native American history with many families in some way descendants of one Native American society or another. And while our roots will always be entrenched in our home state of West Virginia (created in 1863), our heritage extends back thousands of years. Our state is home to numerous Indian Mounds, including the largest one in the world located in Moundsville (you can read all about that one in this previous article…).
It originally measured 33 feet high and a massive 173 feet in diameter. In comparison, the mound in Moundsville was nearly twice the size.
Not only has it managed to survive a colossal amount of urban growth in every direction, it also is the second largest such mound in the state.
In it, they found 13 skeletons; two were near the top and 11 were at the base. What's more: 10 of the skeletons at the base were laid in a circular fashion with their feet pointed at the 11th skeleton positioned in the middle of them all. When measured, that middle skeleton was estimated to be approximately 6-feet-9-inches tall!
Sometime around 1840, residents living in the area leveled the top and put a judges stand up there so they could run horse races around the base.
It's the centerpiece of a small city park (Staunton Park) fronted on one side by busy MacCorkle Avenue and by a retail district on the other side.
Considering this ancient Native American burial mound was constructed between 250—150 BC, it's nothing short of a miracle it's survived!
Want to visit? The next time you’re in South Charleston, head over to Criel Mound and feel the presence of the past. It’s located at
