Ruby: Hopewell Mound Group to be Nominated to the World Heritage List newarkadvocate.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newarkadvocate.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hit the Road: Ohio earthworks nearing World Heritage Site recognition
Answer: The
Octagon Earthworks, a portion of a larger complex known as the Newark Earthworks, a system of ancient earth mounds in Licking County, Ohio. Archeologists theorize that these mounds and earthen berms were an astronomical observatory, cemetery and ceremonial grounds for the area’s early inhabitants.
The Newark Earthworks originally encompassed about 4.5 square miles, but the growth of modern-day cities destroyed some portions. However, much did survive and today, the earthworks are a National Historic Landmark on the way to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The portion of the site known as the Octagon Earthworks is marked by eight 550-foot-long earthen walls, from 5 feet to 6 feet high, and accounts for 6 million cubic feet of dirt. The entire Newark Earthworks crosses the boundaries of two central Ohio cities: Newark and Heath.
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The High Bank Works are among the most beautiful of all the American Indian sacred landscapes built in the Ohio Valley nearly 2000 years ago.
These works are masterpieces of landscape architecture: earthen sculptures built at a monumental scale, with elegant geometry, and precisely aligned to the cyclical movements of the Sun and Moon. The High Bank site is one of five earthwork complexes included in Hopewell Culture National Historical Park near Chillicothe, Ohio (not to be confused with the Highbanks Metro Park north of Columbus). These National Park sites are being nominated to the World Heritage List as “Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks” alongside three other earthworks managed by the Ohio History Connection: the Octagon Earthworks and the Great Circle in Licking County; and the Fort Ancient Earthworks in Warren County.
Ruby: Seip Earthworks to be nominated to the World Heritage List
Bret Ruby
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One of the wonders of the ancient world lies just 12 miles west of Chillicothe, Ohio. Seip Earthworks is one of five monumental American Indian earthwork complexes included in Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. These National Park sites are being nominated to the World Heritage List as “Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks” alongside three other earthworks managed by the Ohio History Connection: the Octagon Earthworks and the Great Circle in Licking County; and the Fort Ancient Earthworks in Warren County.
There are only 24 World Heritage Sites in the United States, and just over 1,000 in the world. The international community recognizes these as places of such outstanding universal value that all of humanity has a stake in their preservation. The United States was the first nation to propose the idea of an international treaty to protect globally significant natural and cultural herita