When the sun rose over Ohio’s rolling fields on September 19, 2023, it illuminated a new chapter in human memory. Across the quiet contours of ancient mounds, long hidden from global view, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks were officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The air that morning carried acknowledgment—not only of Ohio’s first UNESCO designation, but of a legacy that reaches back two millennia, calling us to listen more deeply to the voices of the land.
A Hidden Cathedral Of Earth
Imagine stepping into a vast cathedral not of stone, but of earth—sinuous walls drawn with the precision of sacred geometry, imbued with alignments tuned to the moon’s subtle dance across centuries. These are the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: eight monumental enclosure complexes built between roughly 2,000 and 1,600 years ago along tributaries of the Ohio River.
Their creators spoke through land itself, sculpting plazas, hills, and embankments whose shapes echo the greatest mathematical and astronomical sophistication of their time. Mounds, circles, octagons—each was composed with architectural mastery, each aligned with the cycles of sun and moon. Archaeologists call them among the finest surviving expressions of what we now call the Hopewell culture.
This network of earthen monuments spans over 150 kilometers in southern Ohio, weaving together sites in counties such as Licking, Ross, and Warren. Among the eight are Fort Ancient (Oregonia), Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks (Newark/Heath), and five locations within the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe: Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Seip, High Bank, and Hopeton.
More Than Ohio’s First: A Global Recognition
Ohioans already knew these earthworks as sacred places, but UNESCO’s designation gave them a new voice on the world stage. The inscription makes these earthworks the first and only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the state.
Across the United States, they became the 25th acknowledged World Heritage site. That number is especially striking: of the over 1,100 global sites, only a few dozen reside in America, and even fewer recognize Indigenous architecture in pre-contact settings.
For many, this was overdue validation. The inscription places the Hopewell earthworks in the same reverent company as Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, and the Acropolis—monuments of universal human significance.
Voices Rising: Tribes, Advocates, Governors
At the heart of the celebration was the Eastern Shawnee Tribe’s Chief Glenna Wallace, whose words bridged past and present. “Tears came to my eyes… knowing that the world will now see and recognize the commitment, spirituality, imaginative artistry and knowledge of complex architecture to produce magnificent earthworks.” Her emotion echoed decades of work by Indigenous communities, archaeologists, historians, and state officials, all insisting that these sacred sites be honored as they deserve.
Megan Wood, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio History Connection, emphasized that the recognition represents the outcome of more than ten years of dedicated efforts and serves as an opportunity to present these historic sites to both local residents and international visitors.
Similarly, Governor Mike DeWine welcomed the designation, noting that it is expected to draw more people to witness the remarkable beauty and cultural significance of the earthworks. Together, their reflections highlighted how voices at the state, national, and global levels have converged in celebration of this achievement.
The Fourth Point — And Its Challenges
The journey to UNESCO status was not without obstacles—and perhaps the most delicate is still unresolved: legal and financial control over some of the earthworks, especially the Octagon Earthworks, leased to a private golf club.
The Moundbuilders Country Club in Newark has long held a lease on part of the Octagon Earthworks. In 2023, the Ohio Supreme Court cleared the way for Ohio History Connection to reclaim that lease—but valuation disputes remain.
A trial scheduled for May 2024 to settle the compensation required to regain full public access was postponed to July. The state historical society estimated the site’s lease value at about $2 million; the country club has pushed for a higher figure.
This legal standoff is not a footnote—it strikes at the heart of access and stewardship. If the public cannot freely walk among these mounds, the promise of UNESCO status rings hollow. To fully honor the designation, these sites must remain open to the people whose imaginations and heritage they most deeply serve.
Stories That Matter: Fragments And Artifacts
What draws visitors today are the whispers embedded in stone, soil, and sediment. At these earthworks archaeologists have unearthed materials from lands far beyond Ohio—the Gulf Coast, the Rocky Mountains, Appalachia. These exotic artifacts signal that the Hopewell sites were points of gathering, exchange, and pilgrimage—a nexus in a continent-wide network.
Annual lunar standstill alignments encoded into the structures hint at ritual complexity and cosmic reverence. Some earthworks frame precise lines for moonrises that return only every 18.6 years.
Walking through the Great Circle or gazing out from the Octagon’s observational deck today, one can feel the gravity of human attention and intention. Sites like Mound City (within the Hopewell National Historical Park) have visitor centers and exhibits that help tell the stories of the people who molded this land.
What Lies Ahead: Honor, Tourism, And Memory
UNESCO designation is not the end of the story—it is an invitation. On October 14, 2023, a public commemoration was held at Mound City, with free tours, speeches by tribal and governmental leaders, and community events to reinforce bonds between the earth and the people.
Advocates hope that this recognition will do more than draw tourists. It may spur stronger preservation funding, collaborative stewardship with Indigenous communities, and deeper educational engagement.
Yet the path forward must also resolve practical concerns: legal ownership and access (especially to Octagon), sustainable visitation, and the balance between protection and interpretation. If those pieces fall into place, Ohio’s earthworks could become more than monuments—they might become living bridges between centuries, cultures, and human hope.
Conclusion: Listening Beyond Time
Standing amid these ancient mounds, we are reminded of something profound: that human knowledge, beauty, and reverence often ripple outward in time.
The Hopewell people left no written record, but they recorded what mattered—in earth, in alignment, in geometry, in ceremony. Today, as the globe pauses to recognize their achievement, we have a rare chance to listen.
Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage site is not just a local milestone—it is a gesture of respect, continuity, and possibility. It says that human stories can persist, that sacred knowledge can survive, that the pulse of memory lies beneath our feet.
If we protect it, if we share it responsibly, then visitors from near and far may leave changed, carrying with them the weightless wisdom of the land.
