Refuting the sensational claim of a Hopewell-ending cosmic airburst

A recent study challenges the claim that a cosmic airburst over modern-day Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 3rd or 4th century CE, caused the decline of the Hopewell culture. The research refutes this sensational assertion by analyzing archaeological evidence from the Middle Ohio River Valley (MORV), which shows no support for a widespread cataclysmic event. Instead, burned surfaces identified in previous studies are reinterpreted as ceremonial or localized features, not indicative of regional burning. Chronological analyses and soil profiles also fail to support the notion of a single catastrophic event spanning 15,000 km². The study argues that such claims of cosmic catastrophism lack substantive archaeological or geological evidence and oversimplify complex human-environment interactions. It concludes that the Hopewell culture experienced gradual sociopolitical reorganization rather than an abrupt decline.

Nolan, K. C., Weiland, A., Lepper, B. T., Aultman, J., Murphy, L. R., Ruby, B. J., Schwarz, K., Davidson, M., Wymer, D., Everhart, T. D., Krus, A. M., & McCoy, T. J. (2023). Refuting the sensational claim of a Hopewell-ending cosmic airburst. Scientific Reports, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-39866-0