Malchow Mounds State Preserve

Malchow Mounds State Preserve features a prehistoric cemetery with a concentration of sixty conical and linear mounds probably constructed during the Middle Woodland period (100 b.c.–a.d. 300). This 6-acre preserve is located one mile north of Kingston and thirteen miles north of Burlington in Des Moines County. The mounds were surveyed in 1934 by famous Iowa archaeologist Ellison Orr and again in 1968 by the University of Iowa. They were donated to the state in 1974 by Charles A. Poisel and were dedicated as an archaeological state preserve in 1978. The area is named after Lewis H. Malchow, a previous owner. 

Directions

1. From Burlington, take Highway 99 north through Kingston. 
2. From Kingston the preserve is 1.25 miles on the west side of the road (sign: Malchow Mounds State Preserve). 
3. There is a parking lot. 
4. The uphill walk to the preserve is short but strenuous.

History

The Middle Woodland people are noted for their refined artwork, elaborate death ceremonies, and extensive trade networks. They probably lived in small villages or farmsteads near rivers and streams. They lived on game and plants gathered from the large river valleys and the squash, tobacco, and native grain crops harvested from their gardens. Middle Woodland peoples are also known for their stone effigy pipes depicting frogs, rabbits, birds, and other animals. 

They exchanged ideas and raw materials with other cultures in the Midwest in what is termed by archaeologists as the “Hopewell Interaction Sphere.” Items such as flint, volcanic glass, marine shell, copper, mica, pipestones, ceramic vessels, and possibly perishable materials came from as far away as the Yellowstone Park area, the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlantic coast, Lake Superior, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Rocky Mountains. 

Burial Mounds

Burial mounds of this period are more complex than earlier or later mounds. The earthen mounds are believed to have been constructed primarily for religious, ceremonial, and burial purposes. Conical-shaped burial mounds were built by basket loads of soil placed over the deceased lying either on the ground or on a specially prepared surface. On occasion, other burials were later added to a mound, increasing its size. Some individuals were buried with funerary offerings. Similar mounds are found from the Missouri River to New York and south to Florida. Burial mounds are protected by law. 

Nearby Archaeological Sites

Other archaeological sites within Iowa include:

• Effigy Mounds National Monument 
• Fish Farm Mounds
• Little Maquoketa River Mounds
• Slinde Mounds
• Toolesboro Mounds
• Turkey River Mounds