About 2,000 years ago, a massive geometric earthwork composed of a square and two circles was built here as a ceremonial center. One centrally located mound, excavated and reconstructed in the early 20th century, is still visible today and stands as a monument to the ancient Hopewell buried here. This place was not just about the dead but also about the living, as Hopewell people gathered in this 121-acre earthwork enclosure to exchange goods, conduct funerals, and take part in religious celebrations. Buildings stood nearby, and inside them craftsmen likely fashioned ornaments and tools from exotic materials for use in the rituals performed here. Hopewell men, women, and children likely worked side by side to build the earthworks that once stood here.