Rock Hawk Effigy Mound is an archaeological site in

Putnam County, Georgia Putnam County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 21,218. The county seat is Eatonton. Since the early 21st century, the county has had a housing boom. It has pro ...

, United States. It consists of thousands of pieces of

quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...

laid in the shape of a large bird. Although it is most often referred to as a

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfa ...

, scholars do not know exactly what type of bird the original builders intended to portray. Only two such

effigy mound An effigy mound is a raised pile of earth built in the shape of a stylized animal, symbol, religious figure, human, or other figure. The Effigy Moundbuilder culture is primarily associated with the years 550-1200 CE during the Late Woodland Peri ...

s have been found east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

. The other, known as Rock Eagle, is also located in Putnam County, approximately thirteen miles to the northwest. () The physical condition of Rock Hawk is far below that of its 'sister' site. Viewers must use a degree of imagination to see a bird — let alone a hawk — in the remains. Scholars do not know if there was greater degradation of the Rock Hawk site, greater preservation or reconstruction at Rock Eagle (which is by far the more famous of the two and a greater 'attraction'), or a combination of these or other factors. Current archaeology suggests that the site was built between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago by

Woodland Indians The Eastern Woodlands is a cultural area of the indigenous people of North America. The Eastern Woodlands extended roughly from the Atlantic Ocean to the eastern Great Plains, and from the Great Lakes region to the Gulf of Mexico, which is now ...

. These Native Americans may have been part of the Adena or Hopewell cultures, although it is more likely that they represented a unique group. To protect the site, access to the mound is prohibited, and it is surrounded by a tall fence. The

Georgia Power Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was established as the Georgia Railway and Power Company and began operations in 1902 running streetcars in Atlanta as a successor to the Atlanta Consol ...

company manages the area. It maintains an easily accessible parking area near the mound, as well as a network of hiking trails and other recreational amenities in the area. Visitors are permitted to visit the mound free of charge. The site is located along Wallace Dam Road, off State Route 16, several miles east of

Eatonton Eatonton is a city in and county seat of Putnam County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War. The name co ...

, near the shores of the manmade Lake Oconee.

Gallery

File:Rock Hawk 1.JPG, Rock Hawk effigy mound File:Rock Hawk 2.JPG, another view of the mound File:Rock Hawk Head.JPG, the 'head' of the effigy

External links

Rock Hawk Effigy and TrailsNew Georgia Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock Hawk Effigy Mound Adena culture Native American history of Georgia (U.S. state) Rock art in North America Indigenous culture of the Southeastern Woodlands Protected areas of Putnam County, Georgia Archaeological sites in Georgia (U.S. state)