Aztalan in Jefferson County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Occupation and Abandonment

Aztalan National Historic Landmark

Photographed by Devon Polzar, 2021

1. Occupation and Abandonment Marker

Inscription. Stone tools indicate that Aztalan was occupied off and on for at least 10,000 years. A substantial Late Woodland village occupied this location for many years before the arrival of Mississippian people who built and inhabited Aztalan from about 1100 - 1250.

Evidence indicates that the Late Woodland people continued to reside at the site, interacting and perhaps living with the Mississippian newcomers. Sometime after A.D. 1250, the people of Aztalan appear to have abruptly left, but the reasons they did so are unclear. There is no evidence that the people of Aztalan simply moved to other locations in the region.

Cahokia itself seems to have been declining about this time, and the people of Aztalan may have moved back to Cahokia or other Mississippian villages, either of their own accord or after being pushed out by others,. The reasons for abandoning Aztalan remain one of the site's enduring mysteries.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 43° 3.838′ N, 88° 51.729′ W. Marker is in Aztalan, Wisconsin, in Jefferson

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County. It can be reached from County Road Q. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: N6200 County Road Q, Jefferson WI 53549, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin and in Greater Madison.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Platform Mounds (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Social Organization (about 500 feet away); Appearance and Manner of Dress (about 600 feet away); Conical Mounds (about 700 feet away); Leisure Activities (about 800 feet away); House Structures (approx. 0.2 miles away); Prehistoric Pottery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Other Artifacts (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Aztalan.

More about this marker. The marker is along the

Photographed by Devon Polzar, 2021

2. Occupation and Abandonment Marker

trail that runs throughout Aztalan State Park. The marker is just south of the Southwest Mound.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 207 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 7, 2021, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.