Bainbridge in Ross County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ceremonial Center

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Ceremonial Center Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018

1. Ceremonial Center Marker

Inscription. About 2,000 years ago a massive geometric earthwork was built here. Composed of a square and two circles, the earthwork served as a ceremonial center. One centrally located mound-excavated and reconstructed in the early 20th century-is still visible today. The mound stands as a monument to the ancient Hopewell buried here. But this place was not just about the dead, it was also about the living.

Hopewell people gathered in this 121-acre earthwork enclosure to exchange goods, conduct funerals, and take part in religious celebrations. Buildings stood nearby, inside craftsmen likely fashioned ornaments and tools from exotic materials for use in the rituals performed here. Hopewell men, women, and children likely worked side by side, building the earthworks that stood here so long ago. Follow the 1-mile trail (shown in red above) that leads past the buildings and Seip-Pricer Mound, through the interior of the earthworks, and to Paint Creek.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 39° 14.417′ N, 83° 13.25′ W. Marker

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is in Bainbridge, Ohio, in Ross County. It is on U.S. 50 0.1 miles west of Dill Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6969 US-50, Bainbridge OH 45612, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley

and in Southern Ohio Hill Country.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ohio's Protector (here, next to this marker); Ancient Artists (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Anatomy of a Mound (approx. 0.2 miles away); Last Battle in the Scioto Country (approx. 0.9 miles away); Bainbridge (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Cradle Of Dental Education (approx. 2.9 miles away); a different marker also named Bainbridge (approx. 3 miles away); Home of General Nathaniel Massie (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bainbridge.

Regarding Ceremonial Center. UNESCO inscribed the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a World Heritage Site on September 19, 2023, comprising the park and related sites.

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018

2. Ceremonial Center Marker

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018

3. Ceremonial Center Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 14, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.

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