I'm lost here, who organized whom, who was looking for copper? I missed
something, maybe it's too early and I haven't had enough caffeine;)
The Indian "nations" that were here had extensive trade networks. We have
found copper ceremonial swords at Moundville in Alabama, copper artwork
throughout the Mississippi Valley area into Alabama and NW Georgia. We have
found sea shells as far north as Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan. Rock used to
make projectile points (arrows and spears) are found hundreds of miles from
where they were mined.
The Indian population was highly advanced socially and technologically as
far as astronomy and even some engineering feats. Europeans wiped them out
by bringing in diseases that the Indians had no immunities against. Small
pox decimated the North American groups as well as the Aztecs in Central
America. De Soto came through Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Georgia
again, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana before he finally died and his
men went home. He was followed by other explorers. Diseases they brought
killed large groups of people. Others that were not killed moved away
because of the upheaval in their culture. The Sioux used to live in the
Carolinas. They moved to Alabama and then Ohio before final removal by the
government.
The people that remained by the time the first real settlers arrived
couldn't even remember who had built the mounds, villages, and structures
like this observatory complex. Their history was lost.
As to why this structure was not grown over, it was used. The web site and
Gary's forwarded articles state that a settle owned it and lived there, your
post states that a colonist built his house there, and many historic
artifacts were collected from it. It was kept clear because someone always
lived there.
I'm sure someone has published on this structure. If nothing else, a
graduate student has researched it for a thesis or dissertation. I worked
only in the Southeast (and Ohio) so I have no idea who it might be.
I'm not sure I answered all the questions but I hope so. If not, let me
know and I'll try again.
Happy hunting, Darwin
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