UNESCO Lists 2000-Year-Old Ancient American Indian Burial Grounds in Ohio as World Heritage Site

The historic American Indian burial grounds constructed in Ohio over 2000 years ago are now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

New UNESCO World Heritage Site

The network of prehistoric American Indian ceremonial and burial mounds in Ohio, which have been compared to cathedrals, cemeteries, and astronomical observatories, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on Tuesday.

The Fort Ancient State Memorial in Oregonia, Warren County, is one of the locations in the network.

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were pushed for recognition for their good condition, distinctive style, and cultural relevance by preservationists, led by the Ohio History Connection, alongside indigenous tribes, many of whom had ancestral ties to the state. They were referred to as masterpieces of human ingenuity.

During a meeting in Saudi Arabia, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO gave their approval to the application. The enormous earthworks are now included on a list of famous sites that also include the Great Wall of China, Peru's Machu Picchu, and Greece's Acropolis.

Ancient American Indian Burial Grounds From 2,000 Years Ago

Based on archeological finds of raw materials carried as far as the Rocky Mountains, the earthworks, built by American Indians from 2,000 to 1,600 years ago along the central tributaries of the Ohio River, were the site of ceremonies that drew people from all over the continent.

The application stressed the magnificent ritual goods, spectacular offerings of religious symbols, and regalia found at the locations as evidence of the intricate ceremonialism tied to the order and rhythms of the universe. It said that the mounds were a combination of a cathedral, graveyard, and astronomical observatory.

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Ohio

The eight locations that make up the earthworks are dispersed over 90 miles of what is now southern Ohio. They stand out for their massive scope, geometric accuracy, astronomical breadth, and accuracy, including encoding all eight moon standstills during an 18.6-year cycle.

The addition of the earthworks to the list of World Heritage Sites, according to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, will increase awareness of this significant period in American history worldwide.

The United States has its 25th site listed on the World Assets List barely three months after re-joining UNESCO, according to the speaker, demonstrating the depth and variety of the nation's cultural and natural assets.

The fact that these remains date back 2000 years and makeup one of the biggest earthwork complexes in the world is highlighted by their induction onto the World Heritage List.

The National Congress of American Indians, the Inter-Tribal Council representing tribes in Northeast Oklahoma, and the Seneca Nation of New York State were among the tribes that supported the UNESCO designation.

The lengthy legal battle to allow the public access to a section of the land that had been rented to Moundbuilders Country Club for the development of a golf course delayed the application. The state's historical society, Ohio History Connection, was granted permission to move through with its attempts to seize possession of the Octagon Earthworks, a component of the Newark Earthworks complex, by the Ohio Supreme Court in a decision made in December.

Now Part of the Port Ancient State Memorial

Warren County's earthworks, now part of the Port Ancient State Memorial, is North America's largest hilltop enclosure.

Overlooking the Little Miami River, a large portion of the area is surrounded by earthen embankments that were built one basket of earth at a time. Embankments can be up to 23 feet high in some places.

Today's archaeologists and American Indians think Fort Ancient most likely served as a communal gathering spot for ceremonies and other events. Finely created ceremonial objects made of resources from far afield, such as silver from Canada or obsidian from Wyoming, provide proof that the area most likely hosted ancient American Indians from all over the continent.

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