Views of the Hopewell world often center on the dead because many uncovered artifacts come from burial mounds, but four subtle plots here provide rare archaeological evidence of Hopewell daily life. Archaeologists found post-hole patterns of buildings that were not mortuary structures but likely workshops. The building sites were covered with soil containing tools, shells, food and animal bones. Hopewell artists fashioned highly decorated pottery from local clay, hammered Lake Superior copper into ornaments, cut Appalachian mica into iconic designs, and chipped massive knives from Rocky Mountain obsidian. These prized objects were most likely used in funerals, feasts, and religious observances. Their sophisticated art brought distinction to the Hopewell world and meaning to their lives, and it helps people some 2,000 years later visualize their world through their dress, the animals they hunted, the tools they used, and the symbols they used in worship.