In North American archaeology, intaglio () is a term from art applied to
burial mounds
A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. ...
that refers to a design cut into a hard surface. In this case, the burial mounds have designs cut into the ground, though ''intaglio'' broadly applies to burial mounds which are raised above the natural surface of the terrain. There are much more rare forms where they are left as indents below the natural terrain. These are typically in some effigy shape such as the
Panther Intaglio Effigy Mound
The Panther Intaglio Effigy Mound is a ground depression in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. The effigy is a reverse mound: a depression in the shape of a panther or water spirit created by Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans before ...
, which can be seen in
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It lies along the Rock River (Illinois), Rock River a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. The population was 12,579 at the 2020 census. Fort Atkinson is the largest city ...
, where it is the last remaining intaglio mound in the state.
See also
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Blythe Intaglios
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Geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif – generally longer than – produced on the ground by durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth. A positive geoglyph is formed by the arrangement and alignment ...
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Nazca Lines (famous example)
References
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Types of monuments and memorials
Italian words and phrases
Archaeology of the United States