Ancient Monuments

When Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Jesus lived, the Hopewell culture built and used Mound City Group as a sacred place. The Hopewell's name for it is unknown, but early archeologists named it for the many mounds there. In 1846, Ephraim Squier and Edwin Davis of Chillicothe, pioneers of American archeology, excavated several mounds and greatly increased knowledge of Hopewell culture, although their conclusion that the mounds were places of sacrifice was later rejected. The Hopewell did carry out elaborate burial practices, but the earthworks also served other activities, including ceremonies and celebrations. Historical study once focused mainly on burial practices, while more recent research has taken a broader view of Hopewell life, including the nature and location of settlements. Objects recovered from Hopewell sites reflect a deeply spiritual, artistic, and nature-connected people. In 1846 Squier and Davis described Mound City as covered by a primitive forest. During World War I, Camp Sherman was built atop the mounds, completely destroying half of the mounds and earthworks and degrading the rest. Beginning in the 1920s, the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society managed Mound City Group National Monument for the War Department and later the Department of the Interior, and restoration quickly followed. In 1946, the National Park Service began administering the site.

Ohio · United States