The Newark Earthworks

The Newark Earthworks, covering over 4 squire miles, is the largest geometric earthworks complex in the world. The site includes a combined circle and octagon, a square, and a second circle, all connected by earthen walls., One pair of earthen walls, probably marking passageways, extend at least 6 miles south from the octagon. A second pair stretched eastward to the lower ground near the junction of Raccoon Creek and the Licking River where there were additional mounds. A third pair connected the octagon with the square., This map, drawn by J.H. and C. Salisbury in 1862, shows a low embankment surrounding the entire circle and octagon and another one outside the second circle. It also includes a square enclosure on the opposite bank of the South Fork of the Licking River. Recent research suggests that this map is more accurate than earlier versions., In addition to being spread over a wide area, the individual earthworks are slap large. The octagon encloses over 40 acres and the attached perfect circle surrounds 20 acres. The second circle, actually an ellipse, encloses over 25 acres. The area of the square is 20 acres.