The Village Site

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018

1. The Village Site Marker

Inscription.
Frederic W. Putnam, the Harvard University archaeologist who studied Serpent Mound in the late 1800s, described this area as a village site - actually two overlapping village sites, one earlier and one later.

Here he found "sites of dwellings," hearths, animal bones, stone tools, broken pottery and "many thousand chips of flint." Putnam wrote that "all these things showed beyond question that here had been an ancient village."

The artifacts found near the surface belong to the Fort Ancient culture and date to around 1100 CE. The artifacts from deeper layers belong to the Adena culture and date to around 300 BCE.

Though Putnam referred to this as a village site, it is possible that one or both of these sites were not ordinary villages. They may, instead, have been the places where people stayed only while they took part in ceremonies or community events focused on the mounds.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 300 BCE.

Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 39° 1.45′ N, 83° 25.75′ W. Marker was near Peebles, Ohio, in Adams

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County. It could be reached from Horner Chapel Road (Ohio Route 73) 0.9 miles west of Horner Chapel Road (County Road T-116), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 521 Horner Chapel Rd, Peebles OH 45660, United States of America.

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: Welcome To Serpent Mound (a few steps from this marker); Serpent Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); Exploring Serpent Mound - Frederic Ward Putnam (within shouting distance of this marker); Burial Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Village Site (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Burial Mound (within shouting distance of this marker); Astronomical Alignments at Serpent Mound? (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Who Built Serpent Mound? (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Peebles.

Other markers no longer nearby. The Serpent In American Indian Traditions (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); The Shawnee And The King Of The Serpents (was here, next to this marker but has

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 18, 2018

2. The Village Site Marker

been permanently removed); What Is An Effigy Mound? (was here, next to 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 Welcome To Serpent Mound (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Serpent Mound Impact Crater (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Who Built Serpent Mound? (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Astronomical Alignments At Serpent Mound (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

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 554 times since then and 24 times this year. Last updated on March 17, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 4, 2021, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.