Event – Oregonia, OH
October Maximum Northern Moonrise Viewing
Masterpieces of human creative genius, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are gigantic earthen enclosures built by American Indians 2,000 years ago. They were places of ceremony connected to the cosmos by alignments to key risings and settings of the moon and sun. Come and experience these sacred earthworks of the ancient Hopewell culture and gain a new appreciation of the achievements of Ohio’s Indigenous peoples—as well as a deeper connection to the world and our place in it.
Photo by: John Hancock
Photo by: National Park Service/Tom Engberg
Photo by: John Hancock
Photo by: John Hancock
Photo by: NPS
Masterpieces of human creative genius, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are gigantic earthen enclosures built by American Indians 2,000 years ago. They were places of ceremony connected to the cosmos by alignments to key risings and settings of the moon and sun. Come and experience these sacred earthworks of the ancient Hopewell culture and gain a new appreciation of the achievements of Ohio’s Indigenous peoples—as well as a deeper connection to the world and our place in it.
The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are complex masterpieces of landscape architecture. The huge squares, circles, and octagons, which are geometrically precise and align perfectly with the cycles of the sun and moon, were built by dispersed communities of American Indians who periodically gathered at these special places to worship and stay connected to one another. The earthworks are incredibly big to accommodate those large numbers of people.
Artifacts found at these sites are made from unusual raw materials such as mica from Appalachia, seashells from the Gulf of Mexico, and obsidian from the Rocky Mountains. This shows that people traveled here from the ends of the Hopewell world bringing with them rare and precious gifts. The immense effort this would have required further solidifies these earthworks as centers of human ingenuity.
Event – Oregonia, OH
October Maximum Northern Moonrise Viewing
Oct
Fort Ancient Earthworks & Nature Preserve
6 p.m.–7 a.m.
Every 18.6 years the moon completes its cycle and reaches its northern most rising point. This is the year the cycle reaches its end—come see the Northern Most Rising point alignment built into the 2,000-year-olds earthworks here at Fort Ancient marking the end of the current lunar cycle.
The Warren County Astronomical Society will be on site with telescopes for public viewing and to answer questions. The Orionid Meteor shower should be peaking too.
This is a family-friendly event with activities inside and outside for all ages. The museum and gift shop will be open until 11 p.m.
Admission is free for this event.
Event – Newark, OH
Newark Earthworks Open House
Oct
A few times a year, visitors are invited to fully experience all three segments of Newark’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. Inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2023, these massive artifacts of creative genius served social, ceremonial and astronomical functions for their builders.
The Great Circle Museum will be open from Noon–4 p.m.
Octagon Tours
Great Circle Tours
Information and Demonstration Tables
Present from Noon– 4 p.m.
The Great Circle Museum will be open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Octagon Tours
Great Circle Tours
Information and Demonstration Tables
Present from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Presentation
5–6 p.m.
Geometry and Astronomy of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks by Sarah Hinkelman
News
Framing Hopewell: A Photo Contest
Sep
To celebrate our one-year inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we invite you to join our photo contest, “Framing Hopewell”. This contest intends to highlight the abundant wildlife, natural beauty and people connected to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks World Heritage Site. This site holds profound historical and cultural importance, and we encourage you…
Blog
Road Trippin’ with Truda: Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks
Jul
Join me as I visit the sites in the Ohio History Connection network! This month’s road trip took me to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks sites in Oregonia, Chillicothe and Newark & Heath. For this month’s road trip, I definitely bit off more than I could chew. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the recent addition…