Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are a serial ensemble of prehistoric earthworks in Ohio, United States, built by peoples of the Hopewell cultural tradition roughly between 100 BCE and 500 CE. The sites include geometric enclosures, conical burial mounds and earthen embankments laid out in complex ceremonial arrangements.

Notable features include large circular and rectilinear earthworks, shaped enclosures and groups of burial mounds; the constructed forms vary in scale, with some enclosures and embankments extending for hundreds of metres. The earthworks are archaeological monuments that document complex social and ceremonial practices of the Hopewell culture.

The earthworks were created by mobilizing large labour forces to move soils and shape the landscape for ceremonial, funerary and calendrical purposes. Many sites were later reused, altered or partially destroyed during historic periods of settlement and agriculture; conservation and interpretation are ongoing.

The monuments are scattered across central and southern Ohio, with well known clusters near Newark and Chillicothe and other locations in the Ohio River valley. Several sites are within roughly 50 to 80 kilometres of Columbus, Ohio, and are managed as protected archaeological parks.

• Best season to view: Earthwork outlines are most legible from above or in low-angle light; spring and autumn light and lower vegetation cover make geometric forms easier to perceive on the ground.