Table of Contents
Who built the Newark Earthworks in Ohio?
the ancient Hopewell Culture
Built by people of the ancient Hopewell Culture between A.D. 1 to A.D. 400, this architectural wonder of ancient America was part cathedral, part cemetery and part astronomical observatory. The entire Newark Earthworks originally encompassed more than four square miles.
What were the Newark Earthworks used for?
Built by the Hopewell culture between 100 BCE and 400 CE, the earthworks were used by the indigenous Native Americans as places of ceremony, social gathering, trade, worship, and honoring the dead. The primary purpose of the Octagon earthwork was believed to have been scientific.
When were the Newark earthworks built?

The Newark Earthworks were constructed between 100 B.C. and A.D. 500 by a people we know today as the Hopewell Culture. Part temple, part astronomical observatory, and part cemetery, this is the largest set of geometric earthworks built anywhere in the world.
What Indians were in Newark Ohio?
The Paleoindian culture dominated the area for nearly 6,000 years while the climate continued to grow warmer still. The history of county picks back up again about 2000 years ago when the area was occupied by the Hopewell Tribe. They lived on the land for a number of years, before disappearing for no apparent reason.
Who owns Newark mounds in Ohio?
Since 1933, Ohio History Connection has owned the property, and leased it to the Moundbuilders Country Club. According to the Ohio History Connection, the Octagon Earthworks, enclosing 50 acres, has eight walls, each measuring about 550 feet long and from five to six feet in height.

Why did people build earthworks?
They are believed to have been used as monuments for spiritual ritual ceremonies. Platform mounds are pyramid or rectangular-shaped mounds that are used to hold a building or temple on top. An enclosure is a space that is surrounded by an earthwork. Long barrows are oblong-shaped mounds that are used for burials.
What was the most common Native American tribe in Ohio?
Many Native American descendants still living in Ohio today follow ancestry from these migrated tribes. The main migrated tribes include the Lenape (Delaware), Miami, Ottawa, Seneca and Wyandot. Several other tribes migrated in and out of Ohio, but these five represent the greatest share of the Indigenous population.
Who were the Hopewell tribe?
Hopewell culture, notable ancient Indian culture of the east-central area of North America. It flourished from about 200 bce to 500 ce chiefly in what is now southern Ohio, with related groups in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Pennsylvania, and New York.
What are ancient earthworks?
In archaeology, earthworks are artificial changes in land level, typically made from piles of artificially placed or sculpted rocks and soil. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features, or they can show features beneath the surface.
Which group from Ohio were known as Mound Builders?
The Adena people were one group of Mound Builders. They arose in the Ohio River Valley around 400 b.c. They were hunters and gatherers, and also fished. They settled in villages scattered over a wide area.
What was the first Native American tribe in Ohio?
Native Ohio Nations The original inhabitants of Ohio consisted primarily of three nations: the Erie, Kickapoo and Shawnee, the first two both residing in areas near modern-day Toledo.
What did the Hopewell mounds look like?
Eastern Woodlands mounds typically have various geometric shapes and rise to impressive heights. Some of the gigantic sculpted earthworks, described as effigy mounds, were constructed in the shape of animals, birds, or writhing serpents.
What are some examples of earthworks?
Typical earthworks include road construction, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms. Other common earthworks are land grading to reconfigure the topography of a site, or to stabilize slopes.
How many Native American mounds are in Ohio?
70 Indian mounds
The State of Ohio has more than 70 Indian mounds, burial sites of the Adena and Hopewell tribes–the “mound builders”–who inhabited central and southern Ohio from roughly 3,000 BCE until the 16th century. Many of these sites are open to the public, including the dramatic and fascinating Serpent Mound.