Newark in Licking County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Octagon Earthworks

Photographed by Craig Doda, May 3, 2025

1. Octagon Earthworks Marker

Inscription.

Octagon Earthworks. . , A Place Of Ceremony , These earthen walls were once the center of a widespread belief system. The Octagon Earthworks were a focal point for the social and religious activities of the people of the Hopewell Culture., The Octagon Earthworks are part of the larger Newark Earthworks, a series of mounds, walls, and geometric enclosures, all built with great precision about 2,000 years ago and connected by long, wall-lined pathways. The Newark Earthworks are the largest set of earthen enclosures ever built., Built as a place for ceremony, the Octagon Earthworks also have alignments to the moon and stars. Many of the walls and openings in the Octagon itself correspond with key points on the horizon where the moon rises over the course of an 18.6-year cycle, during which the moon rises from a slightly different point on the horizon each night., The legacy of the Hopewell traditions shows the importance of ceremony in all aspects of life. By marking the path of the moon and stars, the Octagon Earthworks determined the times of ceremonies, when large gatherings included feasting, gift-giving, dancing, and ceremonial games, just as they do in Indigenous communities today.,

"Ceremonies convey traditions, knowledge, and philosophy; they emphasize the sacred, and the connectedness of people with their beliefs, families, and communities-and with the natural world., Ceremonies take place around food gardens to prepare the earth, planting at specific times, saving, protecting, and nurturing the seeds and seedlings. In these ceremonies the people affirm that there is a spark of life in everything around us. Our relationship with the land isn't abstract, but it is personal, essential, and it is about survival., Ceremonies are also acts of healing, and therefore "medicine" in Native traditions that continue to the present day-healing our minds, and maintaining strength in our bodies, our families, and our communities. Ceremonies instruct us on ways for living a good life, and maintaining harmonious relationships with other people and the natural world. We use dance, song, and drum to heal." , - Marti Chaatsmith- , Citizen Comanche Nation

, Timeline of Ohio's Prehistoric Cultures ,

Paleo Indian 13,000 BC - 9,000 BC , Early Archaic 9,000 BC - 6,000 BC , Middle Archaic 6,000 BC - 4,000 BC , Late Archaic 4,000 BC - 1,000 BC , Early Woodland 500 BC - 0 , Middle Woodland (Hopewell Culture) 0 - AD 500 , Late Woodland AD 500 - AD 1000 , Late Prehistoric AD 1000 - AD 1,500

A Place Of Ceremony
These earthen walls were once the center of a widespread belief system. The Octagon Earthworks were a focal point for the social and religious activities of the people of the Hopewell Culture.

The Octagon Earthworks are part of the larger Newark Earthworks, a series of mounds, walls, and geometric enclosures, all built with great precision about 2,000 years ago and connected by long, wall-lined pathways. The Newark Earthworks are the largest set of earthen enclosures ever built.

Built as a place for ceremony, the Octagon Earthworks also have alignments to the moon and stars. Many of the walls and openings in the Octagon itself correspond with key points on the horizon where the moon rises over the course of an 18.6-year cycle, during which the moon rises from a slightly different point on the horizon each night.

The legacy of the Hopewell traditions shows the importance of ceremony in all aspects of life. By marking the path of the moon and stars, the Octagon Earthworks determined the times of ceremonies, when large gatherings included feasting, gift-giving, dancing, and ceremonial games, just

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as they do in Indigenous communities today.

"Ceremonies convey traditions, knowledge, and philosophy; they emphasize the sacred, and the connectedness of people with their beliefs, families, and communities-and with the natural world.

Ceremonies take place around food gardens to prepare the earth, planting at specific times, saving, protecting, and nurturing the seeds and seedlings. In these ceremonies the people affirm that there is a spark of life in everything around us. Our relationship with the land isn't abstract, but it is personal, essential, and it is about survival.

Ceremonies are also acts of healing, and therefore "medicine" in Native traditions that continue to the present day-healing our minds, and maintaining strength in our bodies, our families, and our communities. Ceremonies instruct us on ways for living a good life, and maintaining harmonious relationships with other people and the natural world. We use dance, song, and drum to heal."
- Marti Chaatsmith-
Citizen Comanche Nation

Timeline of Ohio's Prehistoric Cultures

Paleo Indian 13,000 BC - 9,000 BC
Early Archaic 9,000 BC - 6,000 BC
Middle Archaic 6,000
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 3, 2025

2. Octagon Earthworks Marker
BC - 4,000 BC
Late Archaic 4,000 BC - 1,000 BC
Early Woodland 500 BC - 0
Middle Woodland (Hopewell Culture) 0 - AD 500
Late Woodland AD 500 - AD 1000
Late Prehistoric AD 1000 - AD 1,500

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1 CE.

Location. 40° 3.165′ N, 82° 26.749′ W. Marker is in Newark, Ohio, in Licking County. It is at the intersection of North 33rd Street and Parkview Road, on the left when traveling north on North 33rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 N 33rd St, Newark OH 43055, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Columbus Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. 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

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Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Glenna J. Wallace (a few steps from this marker); Chief Glenna J. Wallace (within shouting distance of this marker); Astronomical Alignments (within shouting distance of this marker); The Earthworks (within shouting distance of this marker); Experience Ancient Brilliance (within shouting distance of this marker); History of the Site (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Builders (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named The Builders (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newark.

Other markers no longer nearby. Octagon Earthworks (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Circle (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Octagon (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Builders (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); The Newark Earthworks (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named History of the Site (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 143 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 9, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.