Cultural Transitions
— Hopewell Culture National Historical Park — Mound City Group —
Mound 1, covered with trees in the woods before you, is much the way Squier and Davis found Mound City's earthworks in 1846. By 1,500 years ago the high ceremony of the Hopewell culture had declined. They stopped building large ceremonial centers and produced much less art. Within a few centuries hunting spears were replaced with bows and arrows.
But ties to past traditions remained. The new culture did not build mounds here but dug graves in the existing mounds. Within Mound 1, and many other mounds here, they dug graves, burying their dead there. Archaeologists named these people the "intrusive culture” based on their burial practices. Unlike their Mound City ancestors, they buried the body, not its cremated remains. They also placed commonly used objects as grave offerings with their dead.
Mound 2, the large mound ahead on your left, contained intrusive burials. As this sketch by Squier and Davis details, a new grave was dug 3 feet into the old mound and two bodies placed there.
[Captions:]
Tree-covered Mound 1 (above) is hidden by
thick foliage much of the year. This winter
scene
this page online
A club made of elk antler, similar to this one,
was uncovered in Mound 2 with the intrusive
burials. Tools made from deer antlers and a
buffalo's shoulder blade also were found here.
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° 22.535′ N, 83° 0.405′ 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. Casualties of War (within shouting distance of this marker); Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (within shouting distance of this marker); A Flourishing Culture (within shouting distance of this marker); Ancient Monuments (within shouting distance of this marker); Rustic Tobacco (within shouting distance of this marker); Maygrass (within shouting distance of this marker); Goosefoot (within shouting distance of this marker); Squash (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chillicothe.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
