The Road, The Stone and The Heavens
Nestled
by Ohio’s Capital city is another “wonder of the ancient world”.[1] The
2000 year old Newark Earthworks is a collection of mounds formed to make
geometric shapes that are the largest of their kind found anywhere in the
world. The site consists of a circle, an octagon and a square, all of which are
connected by roads. The site has been called the” Crown Jewel of the Hopewell
Culture” and one of the most traveled to destinations of the ancient world.[2] The
site is so large in scale that it can only be seen in its entirety from the air
and each geometric shape is so massive that they become nearly inconceivable
and almost impossible to photograph from the ground. To be honest this is one
of those ancient ruins that must be seen to be fully appreciated.
For
those who take the time to stop by Newark Earthworks Museum and State Park you
will be greeted by a long manicured grass hill that is visible from the main
parking lot.
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| (View from the parking lot) |
However once you have made your way up the path towards the museum you will find yourself standing at the entrance to the Great Circle.The nearly 14 ft. gateway that leads to the interior of the circle is made completely out of dirt and wood and gives the appearance that you are peering into something special. Once inside the Great Circle the vastness of the interior is revealed. Even though others may be wandering around it gives you the feeling as though you have the run of the place. Even though the circle is situated near the busiest section of town the walls of the Circle seem to drown out the noise of the city and provide a sense of seclusion. It is no wander why this place was once celebrated as a spiritual destination.
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| (View from the Trench and inner Circle) |
The
Great Circle is nearly 1,200 feet in diameter with 8 foot high walls set atop
of a 5 foot deep trench that is said to have once contained water. The interior
of the circle is nearly four football fields long and so spacious that the
Great Pyramid of Giza could sit inside its walls and never touch a side.
Most
of the Earthworks complex has been destroyed by modern expansion but the
Octagon Mound and the Great Circle Mound are still visible today. Unfortunately
the Great Circle Mound is the only remaining mound that is still open to the
public. A private golf course and country club currently reside inside the
Octagon Mound and because of this it is only open to the public a few times a
year.
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| (Artist recreation of the Newark Earthworks) |
Unlike
most of the mounds found throughout Ohio and Indiana, the Great Circle Mound
does not contain burials. Early explores believed that the mound was the ruins
of an ancient fort but modern researchers find this explanation unlikely do to
the fact that there is no evidence of construction beyond the current geometric
designs. The modern consensus is that the purpose of the Earthworks was
ceremonial and astrological. Basically the entire earthworks complex is a giant
calendar that doubled as a place of celebration.
Archaeoastronomy
The
Great Circle Mound and the entire Earthworks complex was laid out in a manner
that would allow certain elements to align with different movements of the sun
and the moon. Modern researchers have termed this type of architecture “archaeoastronomy”.
The Hopewell Indians and their Newark Earthworks were among the first
structures to incorporate this type of architecture.
The
gateway that leads to the inside of the Great Circle Mound is positioned to
align with the summer and winter solstice while the gateway to the Octagon
Mound is positioned to align with the seasonal rising and setting of the moon.
It is believed that the other geometric shapes that once existed followed this
same architectural style. Researchers believe that these alignments served as
markers for the changing of the seasons.[3] Considering
the tools that would have been used 2000 years ago, the precision of the
structures are truly amazing
How
these geometric shapes were so precisely designed remains a mystery to modern
researchers but that is not the only mystery to be had at the Earthworks complex.
Newark Earthworks may also have some of the earliest roads known to exist.
The
Hopewell Road
When
discussing ancient roadways it is highly unlikely that anyone would mention
prehistoric Native Americans however, modern research may provide an argument
for the Hopewell’s inclusion into the discussion. The Earthworks found in
Newark show evidence that they were once interconnected by roads that extended
well beyond their borders. Even though much
of the original landscape has given way to modern advancement, researchers have
discovered what appears to be the remnants of an ancient road. The remnants
have been dated to the time of the Hopewell Culture. This means that if the
road existed during the Hopewell Culture then it is one of the oldest roads in
the world.
The
Hopewell Indians existed from approximately 500 BC to 1000 AD. The Newark
Earthworks was constructed sometime prior to 100 BC. This means that the road
would have been built around the same time as the Romans were building their
first roads.
That is something I bet your high
school history teacher neglected to tell you while discussing the amazing
advancements made by the Roman Empire.
Currently
the Hopewell Road lies just below a thin layer of sod and grass. Researchers
describe the road as a straight line that stretches 60 miles with parallel
earthen embankments that are approximately 3 feet in height and 200 feet apart.[5] It
is unknown if the road was originally covered with soil or if it simply became
overgrown with time.
Things
that make you go Hmmm???
The
invention of the wheel and the use of horses is believed to have been brought
from Europe long after the Hopewell were gone. Because of this it is not
unusual to find roads in association with later cultures that use one or both
of those things. However, the Hopewell are believed to have had neither of
those luxuries so the discovery of a road is a bit compelling. It is well known
that the Hopewell Indians were long distance travelers and traders but artifacts
suggest that they did so on foot or by boat. So the logical question is…….Why
did the Hopewell need roads if their two primary forms of transportation were
walking and boating?
Perhaps
the road was simply a grand gesture fitting the grandness of the Earthworks
complex or maybe the goal of the road was to encourage travel to and from the earthworks.
The simple fact is that ancient America is so understudied and misrepresented
that places like Newark Earthworks makes people start to question what they
thought they knew about America prior to the arrival of the Europeans. It may
even be that the Hopewell did have other means of transportation that have yet
to be discovered. The only thing that is certain is that the Hopewell Road
demonstrates that there is much left to discover and explain about life in
prehistoric North America.
The
Newark Holy Stones
Located
near the center of the Great Circle is three small mounds called the Eagle
Mounds.They are said to be called this because they resemble an eagles claw.
However, that is not all these little mounds are famous for.
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| (Present day Eagle Mounds) |
In
1860 a man named David Wyrick found an inscribed stone while excavating near Eagle
Mounds. The stone contained a condensed version of the Ten Commandments written
in a style of writing most associated with the tribes of Israel. The stone is
one of the most controversial and debated artifacts to ever come out of North
America. The stone is even housed in a museum that is not supported or
connected to the Earthworks complex and the only thing that can be viewed at
the complex is a copy of an old newspaper clipping that describes the finding.
The
stone is approximately 6 inches long and is made of limestone. The front of the
stone contains an image of Moses while the outer edges and back of the stone
contain the Hebrew script. Because of the Hebrew script Wyrick believed that
the stone must have come from one of the tribes of Israel and thus began the
debate.
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| (Newark Holy Stone) |
The
age of the stone has never been determined and a definitive explanation for its
origin remains a matter of debate. Some experts say Wyrick faked the stone;
others say he was duped into believing that the stone is
real, while still others argue for its authenticity. [6]
Until more light can be shed on the artifact the true origin of the stone may
never be revealed. Like many things about the Newark Earthworks the Decalogue
Stone, more commonly known as the Newark Holy Stone remains a mystery.
If
you find yourself in the vicinity of Newark Ohio and you have some time to
kill, I highly recommend visiting the Newark Earthworks. This ancient example
of prehistoric America is well worth the trip and it is something that is best
seen rather than described.
[1]
Bradley T. Lepper, The Newark Earthworks: A Wonder of the Ancient
World' Columbus , (Ohio: Ohio Historical Society, 2002).
[2] Susan L. Woodward, and Jerry N.
McDonald, Indian Mounds of the Ohio Valley: A Guide to Adena and Hopewell
Sites, The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, (Blacksburg, Virginia,
1986) p.16-23.
[3] Lindsay Jones, and Richard D.
Shiels, The Newark Earthworks: Enduring Monuments, Contested Meanings.
Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2016, https://muse.jhu.edu/.
[5] Bradley T. Lepper, "Tracking Ohio's great Hopewell Road," Archaeology 48, no. 6 (1995): 52-56
[6]
J. Huston McCulloch,. The Newark, Ohio Decalogue Stone and
Keystone, Symposium, Nov. 6, 1999,
http://www.econ.ohio-state.edu/jhm/arch/decalog.html.
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