- Ohio History in 2000 Words
- Mound Builders
- Native Ohioans
- The Ohio Company
- Ohio's Wood Forts
- Indian Wars
- War of 1812
- Ohio's Canals
- Ohio's Road
- Scenic Railroads / Museums
- Underground Railroad
- Civil War in Ohio
For most people, the Mound Builders were a really old culture that lived in Ohio and built mounds out of dirt. While this is true, it goes much further and scientists and archeologists are still exploring this peculiar social practice.
Mounds, those large conical shaped hills that were constructed are the most common mounds built throughout the state. These mounds were estimated to be more than 1000 in Ohio alone. These were further classified into burial mounds and platform mounds. The platforms really appeared to be just an elevated mound with a flat top with incline embankments, sort of like a stairway so a person, especially an older person, could easily climb to the top.
Then there is a special classification of mounded earth known as earthworks. Imagine an earthen wall anywhere from 5 feet to 12 feet in height that were precisely constructed so the top elevation was the same no matter how the land dipped or rose. They were also usually constructed in precise geometric shapes. While these shapes varied somewhat from location to location throughout the state, a number of them followed a precise formation of a very large circle and a square. If you could stretch a tape measure around the outer perimeter of these enclosures, the distance could be up to 2 miles in length.
Above is an 1847 survey of a Ross County Earthwork known as High Bank.
The High Bank Earthworks in Ross County were directly across the river from the Mound City National Park on the west side of the Scioto River. This site displays the typical configuration of a great circle and square enclosure. Not that the square is not really a square but an 8-sided structure with 7 openings in the outer walls with one wide opening into the Great Circle. There are also 9 elevated mounds at each of the openings. Drawing a line through the axis of this earthwork shows that it is oriented approximately 41 degrees from the north - south.
Above 1837 survey of the Newark Earthworks.
The Circle Square in the upper left of this Newark Earthworks survey in Licking County, still exists and is known as the Octagon Earthworks. As can be seen, this site is incredibly large. The connecting broad ways are completely gone today. It has been preserved from development because the land is being used as a country club golf course. In this preserved site note the size of the circle which is the same size as the Chillicothe High Bank circle, but the large square is 32 acres larger. Both squares have the 8 mounds in front of the openings. There are two other major differences between the two sites.
Above: Interior side of Observatory Mound
One item is a feature now called the Observatory Mound on the southwest rim of the Great Circle. Whether it was designed this way or merely coincidental, but standing on this mound looking down through the opening point between the circle and square, you would see the moon rise at its highest north latitude which occurs every sixteen years. It is the only circle square earthwork that is so oriented and is also the only known earthwork with the distinct Observatory Mound.
Exterior side of Great Circle Mound in Newark
What was the purpose of the Circle and Square?
Bottom line, we don't know. Any explanation for their purpose is at best, an educated guess. The enclosures were not year round villages. They seem to be places where people came periodically for one reason or another.
One idea that came to me when I was visiting the large Quaker Meeting House in eastern Ohio. This large structure was a place where Quakers came once a year to share their devotions, make plans, and establish goals for the coming year. The reason I mention this is because in this large brick structure, it is divided into two sections: one side for men, the other for women. They even have separate doors.
Could this social practice be applied to Ohio's Great Circle and Square Enclosures? When the Mound Builders arrived for their annual meeting, the large circles were for women and children, the smaller squares were for the men. This may be the answer that has evaded us for many decades.
A number of the large earthworks, particularly those surveyed in Ross County, were variations of the Great Circle and Square. Where these earlier or later earthworks? Did one type evolve from other or vice-versa? The connection between them is still striking even if they are not exact duplicates.
Above: Seip Earthworks west of Chillicothe in Ross County surveyed in 1846.
The Seip Earthworks in Ross County are a good example of one of the variations. In this earthwork, the square is similar in size to other square, but there are only 4 mounds in from the openings and not the 8 mounds found in other sites. The large circle also has multiple openings and an extremely large burial mound in the center of the Great Circle. This site also has a smaller circle attached to the larger circle with only one entry. A number of these variations have similar smaller circles. Much of the Seip Earthworks has been lost to farming except for the large burial mound. However, a plan is being developed to restore this site to its original size and shape.
Above: Liberty Earthworks in Ross County. Although the north arrow may be pointed due east instead of north.
One other point of difference between the Great Circle Square examples first given, is that these more irregular shaped sites also have what could classified as perfect squares. The Newark and the High Banks sites actually have 8 sides instead of the above example which has only 4 sides. The sides above are in a straight line compared with the Newark Earthworks.
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