A sign and mound at Fort Ancient Earthworks, Tuesday, September 19, 2023, in Oregonia, Ohio. Fort Ancient is part of a network of ancient Native American ceremonial and burial mounds around Ohio that have been added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A network of ancient Native American ceremonial and burial mounds in Ohio described as “part cathedral, part cemetery and part astronomical observatory” was added Tuesday to the state’s list of sites. Unesco World Heritage.
Preservation advocates, led by the Ohio History Connection, and native tribes, many of whom have ancestral ties to the state, have pushed to recognize the Hopewell ceremonial earthworks for their good condition, distinct style and their cultural significance – describing them as “masterpieces of human genius”.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the nomination at a meeting in Saudi Arabia.
The massive earthworks include eight ancient sites spread across 90 miles of what is now southern Ohio, including one located on the grounds of a private golf course and country club. This designation puts the place in the same category as the wonders of the world, including the Greek Acropolis, Peru’s Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China.
“Pure excitement and elation” were the immediate reactions of Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma.
“Tears came to my eyes and elation turned to reflection, knowing that the world will now see and recognize the commitment, spirituality, imaginative art and knowledge of complex architecture to produce magnificent earthworks,” she said in a statement. “Our ancestors were true geniuses.”
Built by American Indians between 2,000 and 1,600 years ago along the central tributaries of the Ohio River, the earthworks hosted ceremonies that drew people from across the continent, based on archaeological findings of raw materials from as far west as the Rocky Mountains.
Elaborate ceremonial linked to “the order and rhythms of the cosmos” is evident in the “beautiful ritual objects, spectacular offerings of religious icons and regalia” found at the sites, the application states.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said the designation is a “tremendous” recognition of America’s indigenous people.
“World Heritage designation is an opportunity for the United States to share the full history of America and the remarkable diversity of our cultural heritage, as well as the beauty of our land,” she said in a communicated.
The eight Hopewell sites are notable for their enormous scale, geometric precision, and astronomical scale and accuracy, such as coding the eight lunar stops on an 18.6-year cycle.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said listing the earthworks as a heritage site “will make this important part of American history known around the world.”
“Just three months after joining UNESCO, the United States inscribed its twenty-fifth site on the World Heritage List, illustrating the richness and diversity of the country’s cultural and natural heritage,” he said. she declared. “This inscription on the World Heritage List highlights the important work of American archaeologists, who discovered remains here dating back 2,000 years, constituting one of the largest earthworks in the world.”
The National Congress of American Indians, the Inter-Tribal Council Representing Tribes Living in Northeastern Oklahoma, and the Seneca Nation of New York State were among the tribes that supported the designation of the UNESCO.
The application process has been slowed by a lengthy court battle to restore public access to one of the earthworks leased from Moundbuilders Country Club, whose members-only golf course sits inside. In December, an Ohio Supreme Court ruling allowed Ohio History Connection, the state historical society, to continue its efforts to take control of the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, one of eight recognized sites .
Megan Wood, CEO and executive director of History Connection, said Tuesday’s listing of the site was the culmination of more than a decade of work by her organization and its partners, including tribes and the National Park Service.
“We are excited to share these sites with more and more Ohioans, Americans and travelers from around the world,” she said.
Other sites included in the new designation are: Fort Ancient Earthworks in Oregonia and Great Circle Earthworks in Heath; and five sites in Hopewell Cultural National Historical Park in Chillicothe: Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Seip Earthworks, High Bank Earthworks and Hopeton Earthworks.
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he anticipated Ohio’s first World Heritage Site would attract “even more visitors to see these incredible places” and “experience the impressive earthworks that make up such a special part of Ohio history.”
