Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

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Exploring the Ancient Mysteries of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, offer a captivating glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of pre-Columbian North America. Situated primarily along the central tributaries of the Ohio River in present-day Ohio, these monumental earthen enclosures represent the pinnacle of the Hopewell culture, which flourished between 2,000 and 1,600 years ago.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

This property is a series of eight monumental earthen enclosure complexes built between 2,000 and 1,600 years ago along the central tributaries of the Ohio River. They are the most representative surviving expressions of the Indigenous tradition now referred to as the Hopewell culture. Their scale and complexity are evidenced in precise geometric figures as well as hilltops sculpted to enclose vast, level plazas. There are alignments with the cycles of the Sun and the far more complex cycles of the Moon. These earthworks served as ceremonial centres and the sites have yielded finely crafted ritual objects fashioned from exotic raw materials obtained from distant places.

Encyclopedia Record: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks is a World Heritage Site in the United States preserving eight monumental earthworks constructed by the Hopewell Culture. The sites consist of large geometric shapes covering several acres in area. Constructed between approximately 0 and 400 AD, the earthworks lie along tributaries of the Ohio River in the present-day state of Ohio. They depict the richness and depth of pre-Columbian culture, science, astronomy, and sacred monumental architecture. Many sites were plowed and reduced in size during almost 200 years of agricultural use.

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