It's called the Great Circle Earthworks and is one remnant of the largest complex of geometric earthen enclosures ever built. It is situated on a high terrace between the south fork of the Licking River and Raccon Creek. It once covered more than 4 square miles. At present, only the Great Circle, the octagon, circle combination and a small portion of the square are preserved on public land.
It was built about 2000 years ago by the Hopewell Indians. The Great Circle (upper left) was a center for religious, social and possibly economic interaction.
Located in the center of the Great Circle is a series of small conjoined mounds, referred to as Eagle Mound, which covers the remains of a large Hopewell house. It was not a dwelling , but rather an important religious and social gathering place.
Excavations of the wall of the Great Circle indicate it was built in 3 stages and different colored soils were used in each stage. Originally there was also a low outer wall which surrounded the Great Circle. Two segments of this outer wall are preserved at the Eastern end of the park where they converged into parallel walls leading to the square.
e didn't bother going there. |
