Response 2

I was really impressed with the high level of inquisitive discussion that our class has achieved. I think we do a good job in both our blogs and the classroom really delving into the questions that are posed in the readings in relation to the existence of religion in our society. In particular, I was interested by the connection between social/culture changes on the religion that exists within a society. In studying the Effigy Mounds that are seen throughout the Midwest, researchers found that they were mostly created between 700 and 1200 A.D. We wonder why there was such a rapid decline in their creation after this period of time? Ted brought up a good point today in class refering to changes in societal focus. It is possible that the Late Woodland tribes' desires to become a more agriculture society may have deferred them from taking the time to create these elaborate burial mounds that clearly took many individuals a lot of effort to create. As community focus shifts over time, the culture's expression of religious beliefs could possibly be affected. I am almost positive that we will see similar shifts in religious belief and expression in more recent societies, such as countries dominated by Christianity (United States, Some European countries), or Islam (Numerous MiddleEastern countries).

It seems that the people of the Late Woodland period were experiencing very "rapid" changes in technology, economy and social structure. In the article, it is suggested that this instability may have been the catalyst for this burial ritual, as well as it's demise. These Native American tribes may have feared change, as suggested in the article, but they were also close-knit societies who's first priority was to find newer and more efficient ways to live on their land. These advances in technology, particularly agricultural, are a very logical answer to the abrupt lack of effigy mounds built after 1200 a.d. I completely agree with Ted's blog entry, which points out several examples of similar religious shifts in modern day religions.