Between A.D. 700 and 1100 Native Americans built more effigy mounds in Wisconsin than anywhere else in North America, with an estimated 1,300 mounds-including the worldrs"s largest known bird effigy-at the center of effigy-building culture in and around Madison, Wisconsin. These huge earthworks, sculpted in the shape of birds, mammals, and other figures, have aroused curiosity for generations and together comprise a vast effigy mound ceremonial landscape. Farming and industrialization destroyed most of these mounds, leaving the mysteries of who built them and why they were made. The remaining mounds are protected today and many can be visited.Spirits of the Earth: Effigy Mound Landscapes of Madison and the Four Lakesexplores the cultural, historical, and ceremonial meanings of the mounds in an informative, abundantly illustrated book and guide.