Archaeological Sites
A free guide to the major prehistoric sites of the United States, spanning 5,000 years of human history from the earliest earthwork builders through the great cliff-dwelling and mound-building civilizations.
Archaic
Hunter-gatherer societies of the Middle and Late Archaic periods (8000-1000 BCE), producing the earliest large-scale earthworks in North America.
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Hopewell
Middle Woodland ceremonial tradition (100 BCE–500 CE), characterized by geometric earthworks, long-distance exchange networks, and elaborate mortuary practices.
Eastern Woodland
Late Woodland traditions of the eastern woodlands and upper Midwest, including effigy mound builders and ceremonial enclosure cultures.
Mississippian
Platform mound builders of the central and southeastern United States (800-1600 CE), centered on chiefdom societies with Cahokia as the dominant center.
Ancestral Puebloan
Communities of the Colorado Plateau and northern Southwest (500-1600 CE), known for cliff dwellings, great houses, and road networks.
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Hohokam
Desert farmers of the Sonoran Basin (300-1450 CE), who constructed the most extensive canal irrigation systems in prehistoric North America.
Sinagua
Cultural synthesis tradition of the Arizona mountains and Verde Valley (600-1425 CE), incorporating Hohokam, Ancestral Puebloan, and Mogollon practices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the oldest archaeological site in the United States?
Watson Brake in Louisiana, constructed approximately 5,400 years ago (around 3500 BCE), is the oldest known earthwork complex in North America. It predates Stonehenge and was built by hunter-gatherers over 1,000 years before the construction of Egypt's earliest pyramids.
What is the largest prehistoric site in the United States?
Cahokia Mounds in Illinois was the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico, with an estimated peak population of 10,000 to 20,000 people around 1100 CE. Monks Mound at Cahokia is the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas by base area.
Which US archaeological sites are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
Several sites on this list hold UNESCO World Heritage designation: Cahokia Mounds (1982), Mesa Verde National Park (1978), Chaco Culture National Historical Park (1987), Poverty Point (2014), and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (2023, as part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks inscription).
Why were so many prehistoric sites abandoned around 1300 CE?
A prolonged drought documented in tree-ring records, known as the Great Drought of 1276 to 1299 CE, contributed to the abandonment of many sites on the Colorado Plateau, including Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Environmental factors combined with resource depletion, political instability, and population pressure drove widespread migration across the Southwest and beyond.
Research a specific location
Aubrey Research surfaces documented history at the address, parcel, or coordinate level — from prehistoric occupation to the 20th century.
Everything a full the United States report reveals
Pick any location and Aubrey pulls together 18 strands of its history, each drawn from the record:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.