Washington Township near Morrow in Warren County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Middle Fort Ditch Construction
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 6, 2009
1. Middle Fort Ditch Construction Marker
Archaeologists cite three reasons why Fort Ancient is not a fortification. First, there is no evidence that a large number of people lived inside the earthworks, definitely not the thousands needed to defend such a large area. Second, there are 67 openings in the earthen walls with no known way to close them. Finally, the ditch is on the inside of the walls not the outside where it would be an effective defense.
The purpose of the interior ditch is unknown. The ditch probably provided soil for the construction of the earth walls and may be only a borrow pit. It may have served as a water collection area. Early records indicate that a spring once fed water into the ditch. It has also been suggested that water had an important symbolic relationship with American Indian religion.
Erected by The Ohio Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Man-Made Features • Religion & Religious Structures.
Location. 39° 24.274′ N, 84° 5.452′ W. Marker is near Morrow, Ohio, in Warren County. It is in Washington Township. It can be reached from Ohio 350. Marker is in the Middle Fort
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cincinnati and in the Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds 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 marker: Astronomical Alignments (approx. 0.2 miles away); Interpretive Stations - Trail Guide - Other Points Of Interest (approx. 0.2 miles away); Stages of Construction / Crescent Mounds (approx. 0.2 miles away); Changes at Fort Ancient (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Ancient (approx. 0.4 miles away); Twin Mounds & Parallel Walls (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Civilian Conservation Corps (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Great Gateway (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Morrow.
Also see . . . Fort Ancient State Memorial. Ohio State Parks website entry (Submitted on July 24, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 6, 2009
2. Middle Fort Ditch Construction Marker
Ditch and earthen wall evident behind marker.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 6, 2009
3. Middle Fort Ditch Construction Diagram on Marker
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., December 6, 2009
4. View of Middle Fort from Marker
Looking southwest.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 828 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 25, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
