Native american artifacts in Moundsville, West Virginia

The Grave Creek Mound Historical Site, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville, West Virginia, is a museum and tourist attraction that is part of the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex. The complex includes a museum, an archaeological research center, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum showcases exhibits on fossils, ice age animals, archaeological sites in West Virginia, and the prehistoric Adena people who constructed the Grave Creek Mound. Visitors can also explore the outdoor Interpretive Garden featuring crops cultivated by indigenous people. The Grave Creek Mound itself is a massive burial mound constructed by the Adena people around 250-150 B.C. The mound, one of the largest of its kind, is a significant archaeological site and a physical reminder of the prehistoric Native American presence in the region. The museum also features exhibits on Adena lifeways, including replicas of Adena structures and artifacts from various time periods in West Virginia history.

Criel Mound, located at 301 7th Avenue in South Charleston, West Virginia, is a significant tourist attraction in the area. Standing at 33 feet tall and around 157 feet in diameter, it is the second largest Native American Burial Mound in the state, after the Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville. The mound is believed to have been constructed by the Adena Culture, a group of prehistoric Native Americans who lived in the region between 1000 and 200 B.C. Over the years, the mound has been extensively studied by archaeologists, revealing important insights into the Adena people and their way of life. Excavations have uncovered human burials, artifacts, and evidence of elaborate burial practices. The mound was even featured in the official Union Carbide Corporation publication in 1942, showcasing its historical significance.