Chillicothe in Ross County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Ross County Earthworks
The Arc Of Appalachia Junction Earthworks Archeological Park & Nature Preserve
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 10, 2019
1. Ross County Earthworks Marker
Inscription.
Ross County Earthworks. The Arc Of Appalachia Junction Earthworks Archeological Park and Nature Preserve. , The most spectacular concentration of ancient earthworks in the world. Of the three dozen major earthwork complexes built by the Hopewell Culture, a full two thirds of them fall within the boundaries of modern Ross County. Five of these sites, all ones that have been protected much longer in history than Junction, are on our nation's priority list for World Heritage Site nomination, along with Newark and Fort Ancient Earthworks. We are working to help Junction join this list.
Chillicothe 1847. The map to the left is a reproduction of Squier and Davis' earthworks survey of the greater Chillicothe region of Ross County. Note the remarkably high density of earthworks. Consider that what you see on the map represents just a small portion of the many earthworks that were built within the boundaries of modern-day Ross County. It is clear that the Chillicothe area was the most important ceremonial center in all of Eastern North America two thousand years ago.
Earthwork Destruction. All of the great earthwork complexes built by the Hopewell Culture have been damaged in the last two hundred years. Originally constructed on sites boasting rich, level soils, those that weren't obliterated by urban development have been degraded by nearly 200 years of plowing. Few are now visible to the casual observer. Fortunately the Hopewell builders dug below the topsoil before beginning their construction, allowing modern day archaeologists to reveal the earthworks with new technologies. One tool, the magnetometer, can detect disturbances under the surface of the ground, even ancient disturbances. With this technology, Archaeologist Jarrod Burks has revealed the location of Junction's nine earthworks as shown above right. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Burks
Ross County Earthworks Protection. , Of the two dozen earthwork complexes built in Ross County, seven have been fully protected. Two are under the stewardship of the Arc of Appalachia: Junction Earthworks and Spruce Hill, both in partnership with The Archaeological Conservancy. The other protected earthwork complexes in Ross County High Bank Works, Hopeton Earthworks, Hopewell Mound Group, Mound City and Seip Earthworks-are managed by Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
For over 30 years, The Archaeological Conservancy has been on the forefront of saving Ross County earthworks for posterity, playing a pivotal role in many of the sites that are safely protected today.
The most spectacular concentration
of ancient earthworks in the world. Of
the three dozen major earthwork complexes
built by the Hopewell Culture, a full two thirds
of them fall within the boundaries of modern
Ross County. Five of these sites, all ones that
have been protected much longer in history
than Junction, are on our nation's priority list
for World Heritage Site nomination, along with
Newark and Fort Ancient Earthworks. We are
working to help Junction join this list.
Chillicothe 1847. The map to the left is a
reproduction of Squier and Davis' earthworks
survey of the greater Chillicothe region of Ross
County. Note the remarkably high density of
earthworks. Consider that what you see on
the map represents just a small portion of the
many earthworks that were built within the
boundaries of modern-day Ross County. It is
clear that the Chillicothe area was the most
important ceremonial center in all of Eastern
North America two thousand years ago.
Earthwork Destruction. All of the great earthwork complexes
built by the Hopewell Culture have been damaged in the last two
hundred years. Originally constructed on sites boasting rich, level
soils, those that weren't obliterated by urban development have
been degraded by nearly 200 years of plowing. Few are now visible
to
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the casual observer. Fortunately the Hopewell builders dug
below the topsoil before beginning their construction, allowing
modern day archaeologists to reveal the earthworks with new technologies. One tool, the magnetometer, can detect
disturbances under the surface of the ground, even ancient disturbances. With this technology, Archaeologist Jarrod
Burks has revealed the location of Junction's nine earthworks as shown above right. Photo courtesy of Jarrod Burks
Ross County Earthworks Protection.
Of the two dozen earthwork complexes built in
Ross County, seven have been fully protected.
Two are under the stewardship of the Arc of
Appalachia: Junction Earthworks and Spruce
Hill, both in partnership with The Archaeological
Conservancy. The other protected earthwork
complexes in Ross County High Bank Works,
Hopeton Earthworks, Hopewell Mound Group,
Mound City and Seip Earthworks-are managed
by Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
For over 30 years, The Archaeological Conservancy has been on the
forefront of saving Ross County earthworks for posterity, playing
a pivotal role in many of the sites that are safely protected today.
19.042′ N, 83° 0.757′ W. Marker is in Chillicothe, Ohio, in Ross County. It can be reached from Belleview Avenue (County Road 377) 0.1 miles east of Plyleys Lane, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Bellcreek Ln, Chillicothe OH 45601, 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.
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 374 times since then and 18 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.
