News

What does it mean to our Tribal partners? November is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Native American communities. For our Tribal partners, it is an opportunity to honor their traditions, preserve their stories and highlight their ongoing impact in society. It’s also a moment to reflect on…

  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…

  COLUMBUS – The Ohio History Connection will open the Octagon Earthworks in Newark for full public access Jan. 1, 2025, after reaching a settlement with Moundbuilders Country Club to buy out its lease on the property. The organizations have agreed to settle for a confidential sum, averting a jury trial in the Licking County…

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were featured on CBS Sunday Morning. Hear from Dr. Brad Lepper, senior archaeologist at the Ohio History Connection and Dr. John Low, director of the Newark Earthworks Center and citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.

The Ohio History Connection is seeking a qualified independent consulting firm for the purposes of conducting a feasibility study for Ohio’s only UNESCO World Heritage site, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks. For more information and how to apply, please refer to the linked document below. Proposals are due Monday, January 29. Request for Proposals for a…

The Newark Earthworks, and six other connected sites in Ohio, were recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, the first such listing in Ohio. On Sunday, October 15, a commemoration was held in Newark to mark that occasion. A formal ceremony was held at the Great Circle on Hebron Road. Both Jeff Hall, the…

On Saturday, October 14, over 600 people gathered at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. They were there to celebrate the creative genius of the American Indian people we now call the Hopewell culture, who designed and constructed earthen mounds and earthworks in southern Ohio along the banks and tributaries of the Scioto River. Among the…

On Sept. 19, the 21 countries on the UNESCO World Heritage Committee issued their decision to inscribe Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as the United States’ 25th addition to the World Heritage List. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, which include five locations managed by the National Park Service and three managed by the Ohio History Connection, were…

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – Eight of Ohio’s prehistoric monumental earthworks built 2,000 years ago by Native Americans are poised to become Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five of the earthworks sites are managed by the National Park Service, and three are managed by the Ohio History Connection; collectively they are named the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthwork….