We decided to take time out for an Ohio history lesson and discovered the Newark Earthworks in Licking County. Already designated as a National Historic Landmark, in 2006 the State of Ohio named the location the “official prehistoric monument of the state” according to the official website.
Newark Earthworks
The park is managed by the Ohio History Connection. It is the largest set of geometric earthen enclosures in the world. The on site Great Circle Museum offers information about the site and provides an interactive video about the builders. Due to COVID-19, the museum was unfortunately not open during our visit.
Hopewell Culture
According to the site, the earthworks were built by people of the Hopewell Culture between 100 BC and 500 AD. The term “Hopewell Culture” does not refer to any particular tribe, rather it a culture observed through artifacts that spread throughout the Midwest. Ohio was the culture’s epicenter, particularly in the Southeastern region of the state.
Hopewell communities were usually small, temporary villages. Groups would live on them for a short time and then move on to a new area. The homes were rectangular with thatched roofs. In addition to hunting and gathering, the Hopewell peoples farmed including sunflower, squash, and maygrass. Their extensive trade routes allowed them to source material from as far away as Florida.
Mounds at Newark Earthworks
The earthworks at Newark are divided into three separate, but linked areas. The separate works were linked by parallel walls stretching between the formations.
The Great Circle
The Great Circle Earthworks is almost 1200 feet in diameter. The walls are eight feet tall and on their interior there is a deep moat. There is only one break in the circle, the entrance. As the walls approach the entrance, they taper even taller.
In the center of the Great Circle is a series of smaller mounds, known as Eagle Mound. In the 1920s Eagle Mound was excavated. Evidence of a ceremonial long house was discovered. Wing-like walls projected from one end of the structure. A fire basin was discovered and evidence of copper and mica ornaments. At some point the structure was removed and replaced with the present day Eagle Mound.
The Octagon
The Octagon Earthworks encloses 50 acreas of land. Each wall is 550 feet long and approximately five feet tall. The walls are astronomically aligned to four moonrises and four moonsets, part of an 18.6 year cycle. Currently the Octagon is also the site for the Mound Builders Country Club golf course and open for exploration only a few times annually.
The Wright Earthworks – the Square
And finally, the Wright Earthworks exist as a nearly perfect square. The walls are between 940 and 950 feet in length, enclosing about 20 acres.
Purpose of the Newark Earthworks
While the exact purpose of the earthworks in Newark is unknown, the culture often built mounds for use in religious practices. At one point, people thought the Great Circle might be a fort due to the fact that there exists a five foot deep moat around the entire interior. However that notion has been debunked, mostly due to the fact that the moat is on the interior of the circle. For a moat to be effective, it would need to be on the exterior of the enclosure. It is now believe, instead, that the water in the moat served a purpose in the ceremonial use of the Great Circle.
Visit
To visit the Newark Earthworks and the Great Circle is a learning expedition. It is quite a bit of walking, beginning with a set of stairs up over the mound near the parking area. There are signs throughout the property, many of which I’ve included in this piece, giving additional information about the earthworks and some information about the Hopewell Culture in Ohio.
Newark Earthworks with Kids
If you’re bringing young children on the walk with you, know that this property doesn’t have the oooh and aaah effects of a spot like the Hocking Hills. For kids it’s a lot of flat land with some mounds interspersed. Do a little bit of research on the Hopewell people ahead of time, find some picture of artifacts. Explain that these people lived here in Ohio long before we did and that no written history was kept at the time, therefore they are a mystery we are still trying to figure out.
And more importantly, try to include some fun in your trip. There are shelter houses, grills, and shady picnic tables. Plan for some fun after your walk. Bring a ball or frisbee and let your little one run off some energy while you set up a picnic. Try to keep it fun so your kids will want to continue to explore Ohio with you.
Tell us About Your Visit
Have you visited any of the Hopewell mounds in Ohio? Perhaps you’ve visited nearby Flint Ridge, important for its impressive flint quarry and the part in played in trade. Or maybe you’ve visited the Hopewell Mound Group, near Chillicothe. The Serpent Mound, near Peebles, is impressive but actually built by the ancient Adena culture, a culture that predates the Hopewell people.
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If you’ve found this information useful or interesting, please share on social media. Don’t forget to check back regularly in our Day Trips section to join us on our next Ohio adventure. And as always, thanks for joining us in Finding Ohio.
