One of the northern derivatives of Hopewell of interest to a few scholars is the anomalous Effigy Mound culture of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. The remains attract attention because of the range of animal forms represented by the low effigy mounds. There are sometimes burials at the "vital" points - hips, head or heart area - of the animals, but there is only the simplest of grave goods.
{How these nature worship spiritual guide representations can be talked about as "anomalous" is beyond me. The Serpent Mound near Cincinnati is a key worldwide astrological figure. The Nazca Line effigies of animals are well known. The Dragon Project and other ley line and Gaian concepts of earth energy and center point location of the Mayan urban and pyramid complexes are definitely related. Stonehenge is recently shown connected to the Serpent Mound and certain astrological or astronomical observations are discussed in Ancient American magazine. Vortexes of energy are obvious in places like Sedona, Arizona. The Giza main pyramid is on such a vortex and some people talk about time warp effects there. But we must remember most archaeologists like their academic brethren the psychiatrists, don't believe in psychic visions, soulful interpretations and other spiritual things that all early people on earth clearly knew very well.
What good is there in denial of what others did or used as central to their lives, even if 'science' of this variety was right? They aren't right anyway, but please ask this question of the scholars who are interpreting these important cultural artifacts. Why avoid the actual beliefs of the people? The reason to locate the burial in points where the energy is collected relates to the cult of the individual involved and their tribal guide, as well as to their sex and specific power ally. It is part of many less dramatic rituals such as the Star of David and the pentagram.}