Some highlights:

The earthworks, an archipelago of eight sites sprinkled through central and southwestern Ohio, were built 1,600 and 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell tradition, a sophisticated network of Native American cultures that extended from southern Canada to Florida.

The earthworks are the largest set of geometric earthen enclosures in the world, many extending for hundreds of feet in the shape of circles, squares, or animals. Some are built in alignment with the movements of the sun and moon.

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The eight sites include the Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks in Licking County, the Fort Ancient Earthworks in Warren County, and the Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Hopeton Earthworks, Seip Earthworks, and High Bank Works in Ross County.

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As white settlers moved into Ohio after the Revolutionary War, many destroyed parts of the earthworks. Some plowed mounds under to plant crops; other earthworks were destroyed by railroads or canals built through them.

But others were saved by landowners, including the eight World Heritage sites.

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The World Heritage designation didn’t come without some controversy. The Octagon Earthworks near Newark is on a country club golf course, and in 2018 the Ohio History Connection, as the state’s historical society, used its eminent-domain powers to break its lease with the country club.

The country club sued, claiming the Ohio History Connection low-balled its offer to break the lease. In 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the History Connection could break the lease, but there’s still ongoing legal action about how much money the country club should be compensated.

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The Great Circle Earthworks today are surrounded by a residential neighborhood, as well as a sprawl of businesses along nearby State Route 79. But inside the Great Circle, it’s easy to forget about those modern distractions, said Sarah Hinkelman, the site’s manager.

“I think that’s exactly what it was intended to be,” Hinkelman said. “A sacred space, very separate from the everyday.”

❤️

I haven’t been to any of the mounds in 20+ years, definitely past time for another visit!