Hopewell Mound Group

Hopewell Mound Group. . A great ceremonial center we now call Hopewell Mound Group once stood in the open field west of here. Covering more than 100 acres, it was a place of social and religious activities. Some 2,000 years ago people likely came here on pilgrimages, bringing exotic goods like obsidian, copper, shark and grizzly bear teeth, and mica., It was here in the 1890s that archaeologists uncovered remarkable prehistoric evidence enabling them to define a culture they named the Hopewell. Archaeologists distinguished the Ohio Hopewell culture by their elaborate burial practices, large geometric earthworks, array of exotic materials, artistic style, and innovations in making stone tools and ceramics. Their influence was far reaching, their accomplishments unprecedented., A highway, two railroads, three archaeological excavations, and years of farming took their toll on Hopewell Mound Group. Now the site is preserved and protected by Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. , Today National Park Service archaeologists avoid burial mound disturbances. Instead, much is being learned from non-intrusive technologies, archived collections, and limited excavations.