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What is the Serpent Mound?
Serpent Mound is located on a high plateau overlooking Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio, about 73 miles east of Cincinnati. It’s on the site of an ancient meteor impact dating to around 300 million years ago; the crater, measuring 8 to 14 km (5.0 miles to 8.7 miles) in diameter, is known as Serpent Mound crater.
When did the Ohio Historical Society Archive the Serpent Mound?
Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. ^ a b "Serpent Mound". Ohio Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2010-12-27. Retrieved 2011-03-05. ^ Fletcher, Robert V.; Terry L. Cameron; Bradley T. Lepper; Dee Anne Wymer; William Pickard (Spring 1996). "Serpent Mound: A Fort Ancient Icon?". Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. 21 (1).
What happened to Serpent Mounds Park?
The entire Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley regions were filled to the brim with effigy and burial mounds. Serpent Mounds Park used to be a historical and recreational park located in Keene, Ontario, Canada. The park was abruptly closed in 2009. Its name comes from the Serpent effigy and burial mounds within the site.
Should the Great Serpent Mound be added to the World Heritage List?
Serpent Mound (along with multiple other Ohio American Indian earthworks) is being considered for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Herrmann et al. (2014). “A new multistage construction chronology for the Great Serpent Mound, USA.”
When was the Serpent Mound built?
But in 2014, another research team carbon-dated a number of other charcoal samples, placing the construction of Serpent Mound between 381 B.C. and 44 B.C., with a mean date of 321 B.C. The new evidence suggests, once again, that the Adena were the original builders of Serpent Mound.
Who built the Serpent Mound?
An article published in July 2014, titled "New Radiocarbon Dates Suggest Serpent Mound is More Than 2,000 Years Old", provides evidence supporting the mound's creation by the Adena culture around 300 BC (2300 years ago).
Who built the Serpent Mound and when was it built?
When it was first discovered by European explorers, the indigenous Adena people were cited as the builders. Carbon dating done in 1996 placed the age of the Serpent Mound at 1070 A.D., meaning it was most likely the work of the Fort Ancient people.
Did Native Americans build the Great Serpent Mound?
Archaeologists agree that the ancestors of American Indians built the mound, but disagree about which particular ancestors. We think the available evidence supports a Late Precontact period age of around AD 1100, whereas some other archaeologists think it was built at around 300 BC during the Early Woodland period.
What Indians built Serpent Mound?
Serpent Mound is an internationally known National Historic Landmark built by the ancient American Indian cultures of Ohio. It is an effigy mound (a mound in the shape of an animal) representing a snake with a curled tail. Nearby are three burial mounds—two created by the Adena culture (800 B.C.–A.D.
Is Serpent Mound worth visiting?
Unknown to many, Ohio is home to the world's largest effigy mound. The Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, is surrounded by mystery, wonder, and tradition. It is a National Historic Landmark that should be on every Ohio Bucket List.
Can you visit the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio?
The museum is open daily April – October and weekends March, November and most of December. In addition to the Serpent, the park preserves three burial mounds of the Adena and Fort Ancient Cultures, and ancient village sites.
How many Indian mounds are in Ohio?
The State of Ohio has more than 70 Indian mounds, burial sites of the Adena and Hopewell tribes--the "mound builders"--who inhabited central and southern Ohio from roughly 3,000 BCE until the 16th century. Many of these sites are open to the public, including the dramatic and fascinating Serpent Mound.
How did Serpent Mound form?
Serpent Mound is located in a meteorite impact crater mostly in Adams County, Ohio, formed approximately 3oo million years ago and today known as Serpent Mound Crater.
Are there still Shawnee in Ohio?
In 1830, the Shawnee and other tribes were removed from Ohio by the federal Dawes or Indian Removal Act. The Shawnee eventually settled in Oklahoma; there are no federally recognized tribes located in Ohio. The current Native American population in the state is around .
Are there any Shawnee left?
The Shawnee Tribe is a federally recognized sovereign nation with about 3,200 tribal citizens as of 2020. Shawnee citizens reside not only in Oklahoma, but also live and work throughout the world.
Is Serpent Mound a World Heritage Site?
Serpent Mound - UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
How did Serpent Mound form?
Serpent Mound is located in a meteorite impact crater mostly in Adams County, Ohio, formed approximately 3oo million years ago and today known as Serpent Mound Crater.
Can you visit the Great Serpent Mound in Ohio?
The museum is open daily April – October and weekends March, November and most of December. In addition to the Serpent, the park preserves three burial mounds of the Adena and Fort Ancient Cultures, and ancient village sites.
Who built Fort Ancient?
the Hopewell cultureBuilt by the Hopewell culture, who lived in the area from the 200 BC to AD 400, the site is situated on a wooded bluff 270 feet (82 m) above the Little Miami. It is the namesake of a culture known as Fort Ancient who lived near the complex long after it was constructed.
How many Indian mounds are in Ohio?
The State of Ohio has more than 70 Indian mounds, burial sites of the Adena and Hopewell tribes--the "mound builders"--who inhabited central and southern Ohio from roughly 3,000 BCE until the 16th century. Many of these sites are open to the public, including the dramatic and fascinating Serpent Mound.
How long did Putnam work on the Serpent Mound?
He worked for four years excavating the contents and burial sequences of both the Serpent Mound and two nearby conical mounds. After his work was completed and his findings documented, Putnam worked on restoring the mounds to their original state.
Why was the serpent mound important?
Fletcher and Cameron argued convincingly for the Serpent Mound's coils being aligned to the two solstice and two equinox events each year. If the Serpent Mound was designed to sight both solar and lunar arrays, it would be significant as the consolidation of astronomical knowledge into a single symbol.
What is the significance of the Conical Mound?
One of the conical mounds that was excavated by Putnam (1890) yielded a principal burial which has grave goods that associate it with the Adena period (800 BC-100 BC). He also found and excavated nine intrusive burials in the mound. Additionally, Putnam discovered an ash bed north of the conical mound that contained many prehistoric artifacts. After the excavation, the conical mound was reconstructed and is today standing south of the parking lot at Serpent Mound State Memorial.
How tall is the Great Serpent Mound?
The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long (411 m), three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound on a plateau of the Serpent Mound crater along Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio. Maintained within a park by Ohio History Connection, it has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of Interior.
How many acres did Putnam purchase?
In 1886, with help from a group of wealthy women in Boston (such as the noted Glass Flowers ' patroness Mary Lee Ware ), Putnam raised funds to purchase 60 acres (240,000 m 2) at the Serpent Mound site for preservation. The purchase also contained three conical mounds, a village site and a burial place.
What is the alignment of the serpent mound?
In 1987, Clark and Marjorie Hardman published their finding that the oval-to-head area of the serpent is aligned to the summer solstice sunset. William F. Romain has suggested an array of lunar alignments based on the curves in the effigy's body. Fletcher and Cameron argued convincingly for the Serpent Mound's coils being aligned to the two solstice and two equinox events each year. If the Serpent Mound was designed to sight both solar and lunar arrays, it would be significant as the consolidation of astronomical knowledge into a single symbol. The head of the serpent is aligned to the summer solstice sunset and the coils also may point to the winter solstice sunrise and the equinox sunrise.
When was the Adena mound discovered?
Historically, researchers first attributed the mound to the Adena culture (1000 BC – 100 AD). William Webb, noted Adena exponent, found evidence through carbon dating for Kentucky Adena as early as 1200 BC. As there are Adena graves near the Serpent Mound, scholars thought the same people constructed the mound. The skeletal remains of the Adena type uncovered in the 1880s at Serpent Mound indicate that these people were unique among the ancient Ohio Valley peoples.
What is the name of the mountain that was once the burial place of Ossian?
The Ben Cruachan are sacred mountains associated in legend with the Cailleach Bheur, the old hag of the mountains, while the serpent mound itself was once said to be the burial place of the Scottish folk-hero Ossian, son of Fingal.
How old are serpent mounds?
All of these Serpent mounds are in close proximity to impact craters that are millions of years old. These impact craters are not easily identifiable and would have been virtually impossible to identify by whomever these ancients were.
What does the serpent symbol represent?
Also, these serpent symbols may represent sperm, especially in the light of these connections to impact craters and the probability that microorganisms may have first arrived here in such a way. Added to that, is the frequency with which prehistoric cults focused on fertility as well.
When was the Serpent Mound crater photographed?
Aerial photo of Ohio's Serpent Mound crater, with the red oval showing the approximate perimeter according to K. Milam, 2010. Photo taken in 1974. (James Stuby based on USGS image / Public domain )
Why are impact craters important?
And it was for this reason, that they regarded these patches of land as sacred, erecting ceremonial sites , and consecrating them as places of reverence.
Where is the Holleford crater?
The Holleford Crater is a 550-100-million-year-old meteor crater in Holleford, Ontario, just a stone’s throw from Serpent Mounds Park. The landscape of the area is depressed, which is what led geologists to discover the crater, but despite the depression, the crater itself is not visible at the surface.
Where is the Great Serpent Mound?
View of the Great Serpent Mound, one of the most important prehistoric effigy mounds of Adema Culture, located on the Ohio Brush Creek, Ohio, USA.
What is a serpent mound?
Serpent Mound is a 1,348 foot-long effigy mound in the shape of a snake with a curled tail. An effigy mound is a mound in the form of an animal made of earth. These giant earthen sculptures may be shrines to honor the powerful spirits they represent. Ohio’s effigy mounds were not typically used for burials.
How was the serpent mound built?
It appears that both parts of this particular earthwork in Ohio were first outlined upon a smooth surface along the ridge of the hill. Then along the steeper portions of the hill, the base mixed with stones prevents the structure from being washed away by heavy rain.
What does the serpent mound represent?
However, the Serpent mound doesn’t represent any serpent; it represents the Great Serpent, the Lord of the World Below. Serpent Mound is a National Historic Landmark and is a current nomination to be on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Where is the largest effigy mound in the world?
Unknown to many, Ohio is home to the world’s largest effigy mound. The Great Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio , is surrounded by mystery, wonder, and tradition. It is a National Historic Landmark that should be on every Ohio Bucket List. Here are five fun things to do during a visit to Serpent Mound.
Where are the burial mounds in the Serpent Mound?
Discover Ancient Burial Mounds. Visit two burial mounds near Serpent Mound. One is located near the east end of the parking lot, the other near the west end. The larger mound began with the burial of an important man more than 2,000 years ago. The community added more burials later, which increased the mound size.
How much does it cost to visit Serpent Mound?
What Does It Cost To Visit Serpent Mound. There is an $8.00 parking fee only. Be sure to check the hours as things can change quickly. As of this article, the park is not open on Mondays. There are picnic spots, a shelter, and restrooms available.
When was the Adena mound excavated?
The large mound was excavated in the late 1880s and was deemed the work of the Adena culture that lived in Southern Ohio between 600 BCE and 100 CE. The smaller mound is thought to be built by the Fort Ancient Culture.
Description
The Great Serpent Mound is a 1,348-foot-long (411 m), three-foot-high prehistoric effigy mound located in Peebles, Ohio. The mound itself resides on the Serpent Mound crater plateau, running along the Ohio Brush Creek in Adams County, Ohio. The mound is maintained through the Ohio History Connection, a non profit organization dedicated to preserving historical sites throughout Ohi…
Origin and chronology
In previous years, the civilization responsible for the creation of the Serpent Mound had been highly disputed amongst archaeologists, as can be seen in the material published in 2002. Its construction was often attributed to different civilizations. Very little additional evidence, such as artifacts and burials, can be found at the site of the mound, leaving it hard for archaeologists to trace its construction back to one civilization. Archaeologists generally acknowledged that the A…
Prehistory of Ohio
Several groups of Paleo-Indians (13000 B.C. to 7000 B.C.) occupied the land in Ohio prior to the Adena and Hopewell cultures. Evidence shows that numerous civilizations of Paleo-Indians occupied the land in Ohio, thriving through hunter-gatherer techniques, and ranged throughout the land. The Paleo-Indians hunted large game such as mastodon. Archaeologists have found remains of more 15…
Civilizations of the Midwest
The Adena culture consists of the pre-contact American Indian culture that lived throughout the midwest in states such as Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and most predominantly Ohio. The majority of these civilizations inhabited the Scioto River and Hocking Valleys in southern Ohio, as well as the Kanawha Valley near Charleston, West Virginia. This period is often referred t…
Meaning of the mound
Having been built around 1070 A.D., many archaeologists believe that the mound's creation could have been influenced by two different astronomical events: the light from the supernova that created the Crab Nebula in the year 1054 A.D. and the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1066 A.D. The light of the supernova would have been visible for two weeks after it first reached earth, w…
Preservation
Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley fascinated many across the country, including Frederic Ward Putnam of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University. Putnam spent much of his career lecturing and publishing on the Ohio mounds, specifically the Serpent Mound. When he visited the Midwest in 1885, he found that plowing and development were dest…
See also
• Cahokia
• Crooks mound
• Glades culture
• Hopewell culture National Historical Park
• Indian Mounds Park (disambiguation)
Further reading
• Fletcher, Robert V., Terry L. Cameron, Bradley T. Lepper, Dee Anne Wymer, and William Pickard, "Serpent Mound: A Fort Ancient Icon?", Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, Vol 21, No. 1, Spring 1996, University of Iowa.
• Putnam, Frederic Ward, "The Serpent Mound of Ohio: Site Excavation and Park Reconstruction.", Century Magazine Vol 39: 871–888. Illustrations by William Jacob Baer.