From around 3,000 B.C. to the 16th century, central and southern Ohio was inhabited by the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures, collectively known as the Mound Builders. As a legacy, these people have left more than 70 burial sites, or Indian mounds, in Ohio.
Many of the sites are in public spaces and provide a fascinating insight into the lives of the tribes. Here are five of the sites within easy driving distance of Delaware, Ohio.
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Jeffers Mound
Jeffers Mound is located on Plesenton Drive, Worthington, just 16 miles south of Delaware. The 20-foot high mound is all that remains of ceremonial earthworks that overlooked the Olentangy River. It is believed to have been built by the Hopewell people between 100 B.C. and 400 A.D.
Pottery fragments, projectiles, and other artifacts found during an excavation suggest that the Hopewell culture used the area as a long-term settlement. Jeffers Mound is a public park, so everyone can visit this site.
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Shrum Mound
Ten miles further south, in Campbell Memorial Park on McKinley Avenue, Columbus, is Shrum Mound. Standing 20 feet tall and with a diameter of 100 feet, the mound was constructed by the Adena culture around 2,000 years ago. Shrum Mound is one of the last conical mounds remaining in Columbus. Around 18 trees were removed from the top of the mound in 2015 by the Ohio History Connection to aid its preservation.
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Alligator Effigy Mound
Alligator Effigy Mound is around 45 miles southeast of Delaware on Bryn Du Drive in Granville. It is one of Ohio’s only two effigy mounds, and early settlers thought it represented an alligator. It is now believed to be an effigy of an underwater panther, a powerful supernatural figure in Native American myth. Estimated to have been built around 2,000 years ago by the Fort Ancient culture, the effigy was measured at 250 feet from head to tail.
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Newark Earthworks
Located on Cooper Avenue in Newark, 4 miles east of Granville, are the Newark Earthworks. Built by the Hopewell culture, the site was once the biggest earthen enclosure in the world, covering around 3,000 acres. Only 206 acres have been preserved, with much of the site lost to agriculture and development. The remaining area contains the Great Circle, Octagon, and Wright Earthworks. As well as burial sites, researchers believe the earthworks were used as an astronomical observatory.
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Serpent Mound
To visit one of Ohio’s most fascinating Indian mounds, you’ll have to drive around 110 miles south of Cleveland. Serpent Mound, on State Route 73 near Peebles, is the largest effigy mound in North America. Shaped like a snake with an egg in its mouth, the mound extends for around 1,370 feet and is 20 to 25 feet wide. There is some debate as to whether it was built by the Adena or Fort Ancient culture. One theory is that the Adena constructed it, and the Fort Ancient took it over and refurbished it.
These are just some of the awesome examples of Indian mounds and Ohio’s Native American culture. Unfortunately, many more were destroyed by farming and construction before their significance was recognized. Visit the remaining examples of earlier peoples’ impressive feats today!
Image via pixabay.com | Licensed under Pixabay License
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