Mound Builder is a general term referring to certain cultures of pre-Columbian American Indians. These cultures built various styles of earthen mounds. There were burial, residential and ceremonial purposes. The cultures cover a long period of time. This is from about 3500 BCE to the 16th century CE. This includes the Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian periods. Notable cultures were the Adena, Hopewell, Plaquemine, Fort Ancient, Coles Creek and Mississippian cultures. These groups were around the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi River.