Near Sinking Spring in Adams County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Welcome To Serpent Mound
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
1. Welcome To Serpent Mound Marker
"Serpent Mound was purposefully built for a special, sacred purpose. I should think that anyone that views the Serpent will realize its sacredness and treat this place as they would any cathedral, synagogue, or mosque. When we see this place, this is our holy ground."
Ben Barnes, Second Chief of the Shawnee Tribe
Serpent Mound is a monumental earthen sculpture built by the ancestors of modern-day American Indians who lived in this region. It represents a serpent but not just any serpent. It is the Great Serpent who was the Lord of the World Below - a realm that lies beneath the surface of the earth as well as in lakes and rivers.
Many contemporary American Indians regard Serpent Mound and the surrounding landscape with its burial mounds and unmarked American Indian graves as a sacred site.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 39° 1.433′ N, 83° 25.767′ W. Marker was near
this page online
We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It was also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Serpent Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Welcome To Serpent Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); Burial Mound (within shouting distance
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
2. Welcome To Serpent Mound Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. The Serpent In American Indian Traditions (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Shawnee And The King Of The Serpents (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); What Is An Effigy Mound? (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Village Site (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Exploring Serpent Mound (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Serpent Mound Impact Crater (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been permanently removed);
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
3. The Serpent Mound
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
4. The Serpent Mound
Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018
5. Entrance to Serpent Mound
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 674 times since then and 41 times this year. Last updated on March 17, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
