Hopewell Township near Heath in Licking County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Flint Ridge
The history of American Indians in Licking County goes back 14,000 years, and countless generations of native people spent full and varied lives in this area. Probably the best known are those whom archaeologists identify as the Hopewell, who left their imprint in the form of monumental earthworks, including the Newark Earthworks located just 11 miles from here.
Flint - specifically, Vanport or Flint Ridge flint - contributed significantly to this rich human history. As you stand here today at Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve, you’re standing a few feet above a layer of flint 10-12 feet thick that stretches for 8 miles from east to west and for 3 miles from north to south. This flint deposit is so large that it actually shapes the landscape of Flint Ridge: First, it influences how and where trees grow and fall. Second, 14,000 years’ worth of quarrying by the people who originally lived changed the area’s ecology.
This Quarter-Mile Trail Shares The Story Of Flint Ridge
Flint: “Ohio’s Gemstone,” But Why?
Vanport flint formed at the bottom of an ocean millions of years ago, and its unique properties made it a valuable source of material for crafting tools for ancient American Indians and early European settlers. Today, Vanport flint, with its rich and varied colors, is prized as Ohio’s state gemstone.
Technology: Mining and Crafting Flint
The quarries and workshops at Flint Ridge are the traces of Ohio’s first industry. The flint was dug from the ground and shaped into many kinds of tools.
The People of the Ridge
Studying flint tools found in this area - how they were made and how they were used - provides insight into the American Indian people who lived in central Ohio prior to European contact.
Natural History: For Everything There is a Season
The ancient flint quarries have become vernal pools (temporary wetlands) that are now home to a variety of plants and animals. In addition, the presence of the flint layer just a few feet underneath the soil greatly influences the ways that trees in the area grow.
Erected by Ohio History Connection.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Horticulture & Forestry • Native Americans • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list.
Location. 39° 59.319′ N, 82° 15.695′ W. Marker is near Heath, Ohio, in Licking County. It is in Hopewell Township. Marker is on Flint Ridge Road (County Route 312) 0.3 miles east of Brownsville Road (Ohio Route 668), on the right when traveling east. The marker stands on the grounds of the Flint Ridge State Memorial. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9 Brownsville Rd, Heath OH 43056, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. For Everything There Is A Season (a few steps from this marker); People At Flint Ridge Through Time (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Flint Ridge (within shouting distance of this marker); People And Technology: Mining And Crafting Flint (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named People At Flint Ridge Through Time (within shouting distance of this marker); What Is Flint? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Vanport Flint (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Flint Ridge (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Heath.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. A nearly identical marker stands nearby.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 44 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.