Chillicothe in Ross County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Elliptical Mound
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Photographed By Craig Doda, March 10, 2019
1. Elliptical Mound Marker
A large number of spear-heads. .. beautifully chipped . had been placed here; but, out of a bushel or two of fragments, four specimens only were recovered entire.
Squier and Davis, 1846
Elliptical Mound (Mound 3) is the most unusually shaped mound of the Mound City Group. It is located between two circular mounds, suggesting some relationship among the three. Despite Elliptical Mound's size (140 feet long) only four burials were found here. One of the burials was surrounded by several hundred broken flint spearheads of unusual forms and fine craftsmanship.
Three intensively used crematory basins uncovered on the mound floor indicate that many cremations were performed here. Stone tools, pottery, copper objects, shell beads, and two platform pipes were found in one of the basins.
[Captions:]
Although most of the spearheads
found here were broken this one
(above, drawn by Squier and Davis,
1846) was found entire, chipped from
milky quartz. An obsidian spearhead
recovered here came from the Yellowstone
country, 1,430 miles away, attesting to
the wide-ranging exchange network the
Hopewell people enjoyed.
The clay pot (left), found here, was made with exacting precision. Its thickness is nearly uniform throughout,
this page online
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.
Location. 39° 22.57′ N, 83° 0.255′ W. Marker is in Chillicothe, Ohio, in Ross County. Marker is on Ohio Route 104, 0.3 miles north of Moundsville Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16062 OH-104, Chillicothe OH 45601, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ceremonial Places (within shouting distance of this marker); Effigy Pipes (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Mica Splendor (about 400 feet away); Mound 7 (about 400 feet away); A Sacred Purpose (about 600 feet away); Maygrass (about 600 feet away); Squash (about 600 feet away); Goosefoot (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chillicothe.
Photographed By Craig Doda, March 10, 2019
2. Elliptical Mound Marker
Photographed By Craig Doda, March 10, 2019
3. Elliptical Mound Marker
Photographed By Craig Doda, March 10, 2019
4. Elliptical Mound Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 193 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
