Syllabus
INTRODUCTION
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Sacred Places
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An exploration of how and why places become invested with SACREDNESS and how the SACRED is embodied or made manifest through ART and ARCHITECTURE
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BURIAL MOUNDS, SCREAM MOUNTAIN
Perhaps two dozen or more Native American burial mounds are located on Scream Mountain in Virginia. Approximately half of them, primarily those on the eastern side of the mountain have been wrecked by bulldozers during recent logging activities.
The mounds are ovoid in shape and range from approximately six feet to ten feet in length. They are perhaps three to four feet wide at the widest point, and stand about two feet high. Each mound is composed of a pile of a particular type of grey rock not otherwise seen lying about in the local area (in other words, they were deliberately brought to the site). The rocks are of manageable size.
one the few relatively intact mounds on the east side
mounds on the western side
There seems to be good reason (including local oral tradition) to believe that the mounds are in fact Native American and not those of early white settlers in the area. It is presumed that they belong to the local Monacan Indian tribe.
Without proper archaeological investigation, it is difficult to estimate their age. However, a sizable oak tree growing directly through one of the mounds would suggest that they are at least 150 to 200 years old.
oak tree growing through one of the mounds
The mounds are situated not on the summit of the mountain but, as in the case with a number of prehistoric burial mounds in England and elsewhere, they lie on the slope just off the summit. They are arranged more or less along an east-west line forming the segment of an arc around the curve the mountain. As far as could be judged at present, the line appears to align with the east-west movement of the sun. Perhaps significantly, when looking along the line of the mounds to the east, a distinct notch can be seen in the hills along the line the horizon. When facing west, another notch can be seen in the hills on the horizon in that direction. It seems likely that the mounds were deliberately aligned along an east-west axis, following the course of the sun, and perhaps also deliberately aligned with the sun on those days when it rose in the horizon notch to the east and set in the horizon notch to west.
notch in the horizon line to the East
Scream Mountain appears to be the highest peak in the immediate area. This fact, and the presence of the burial mounds, suggests that it may have been sacred to the Native American population. Certainly the area occupied by the burial mounds would be regarded as sacred.
Please Note: In the interest of preserving the site from vandalism and 'treasure-seekers', the real identity of the mountain and its precise location have been concealed. However, if you are interested in the site, please contact me, Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, for more information.
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Lascaux, France
Giza, Egypt
Stonehenge, England
Newgrange, Ireland
Abu Simbel, Egypt
Delphi, Greece
Athenian Acropolis, Greece
Holy Sepulchre, Israel
Dome of the Rock, Israel
Chartres, France
Lourdes, France
Shrine at Ise, Japan
Bodh Gaya, India
Teotihuacán, Mexico
St. Peter's Basilica, Italy
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Mosque of Córdoba, Spain
Kata Tjuta, Australia
Sacred Symbols
and Shapes
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