A memorable and enriching experience

High Bank Works

Photo by: John Hancock

At ground level, High Bank Works may appear to be a large, open field. But the more we understand about this purposefully designed site and its relationship to the other Hopewell earthworks, the more amazing it becomes.

Visitor Info

High Bank is a research preserve and is open to the public only by special arrangement. Please contact the park at 740-774-1126 for more information.

At This Site

The High Bank Works are located in a nearly 200-acre field less than four miles away from Hopeton Earthworks and Mound City. Though 64 miles apart, High Bank Works and the Octagon Earthworks in Newark bear many similarities in that they are primarily made of large, nearly perfect circles and overlapping octagons. The primary axis of the High Bank Works and Newark’s Octagon Earthworks are 90 degrees to one another, which is impressive considering the distance separating them.

High Bank Map

Archaeology & Artifacts

Little archaeological research has been done at High Bank Works. Given the size, elaborate geometry, alignments, and probable connection to the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, High Bank Works is rich with potential for understanding more about the Hopewell culture.

High Bank Works

Human Genius

The large circle at High Bank has the same diameter as the Observatory Circle in Newark. Other seemingly divine measurements among the Hopewell culture are observed here as well, reiterating that these works are not separate, and were only possible due to a great collaborative effort.

Like Newark’s Octagon Earthworks, the High Bank Works encode the extreme rise and set points of the moon at its latitude—but that’s not all. High Bank also captures the solstice sunrises and sunsets. What appears to be an error or irregularity in the shape of the earthwork is actually an additional alignment to the sun and the moon. Though incredibly complex, the High Bank Works contain alignments to all 12 of the solar and lunar standstills along its horizon.