The Grave Creek Mound in Moundville, West Virginia is a prehistoric burial site, a mound that was constructed by Adena people who lived in this area 2000 years ago. The mound that is today 19 m / 65 ft high, is one of the largest conical burial mounds in the United States. It contains thousands tons of earth.
The construction started to honor a very important deceased person, probably a leader, or a shaman. His tomb is at the base of the mound. Excavations also uncovered a second person in the same grave, probably a sacrificed victim. The tremendous community work began around 250 BC After 40 or 50 years of continues construction, a death of another important individual happened. The upper tomb located is in the middle of the mound. The work continued for another 50 years until round at the base, earthen cone reached a height of 21 m / 70 ft. It is estimated that the entire structure required the displacement of the earth in 3 million baskets on the backs of the workers, each weighing 40 lb /18 kilograms.
