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<< Our Photo Pages >> Serpent Mound, Ohio - Artificial Mound in United States in Great Lakes Midwest

Submitted by bat400 on Friday, 25 June 2021  Page Views: 53720

Pre-ColumbianSite Name: Serpent Mound, Ohio Alternative Name: Great Serpent Mound
Country: United States
NOTE: This site is 5.937 km away from the location you searched for.

Region: Great Lakes Midwest Type: Artificial Mound
 Nearest Village: Peebles
Latitude: 39.025000N  Longitude: 83.428W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4

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External Links:

I have visited· I would like to visit

GratefulDood would like to visit

anarchivist visited on 5th Aug 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5

eforrest25 visited on 21st Aug 2015 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 5 I visited this site back in 1993 or so. It is perhaps in better shape now than it was then. One addition to that time are markers for astronomical alignments that are based on the coils of the snake. Still very peaceful and worth the view.

mfrincu visited on 2nd Jul 2015 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Excellent preserved. The tall platform offers a great view of the mound except for the tail and part of the head. The alignments with the Sun and Moon are clearly marked. The museum offers a nice collection of books and souvenirs as well as a 20 minute movie.

Bandita visited on 1st Jan 1975 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4 Really well upkeep on grounds.

bat400 MelissaBWrite sitedowser Ahdzib have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 4.75

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by eforrest25 : Taken from the viewing platform toward the tail of the snake. It isn't possible to take the entire length of the snake in a photo. One change from earlier photos are the markers showing lunar and solar alignments. (Vote or comment on this photo)
An earthen effigy mound mound in the form of a snake located in Adams County, Ohio. Radiocarbon dating indicates the effigy is 900 years old, placing it within the time of the Fort Ancient Culture. The mound is at the top of a ridge line, overlooking a creek. If the snake were stretched out, the figure would be over 1200 feet long.

Some interprate the snake as devouring an egg. Others say the oval is the head of the snake itself, or the snake's eye or open mouth.
The site is owned by the state, through the Ohio Historical Society, but is operated by Arc of Appalachia Preserve System voluteers. The site is open year round. There is also a small museum and visitor's center, open in the warmer months. A modern metal tower stands to one side allowing a visitor to see an overview. A paved walkway allows you to walk around the effigy.
www.ohiohistory.org

Also on the site are smaller circular and oval burial mounds.

Originally dated to be part of the Adena Indian culture (800BC - 100AD,) 1991 radio carbon dating (of charcoal found within the mound) showed the mound to be from the Fort Ancient Culture (~1100 AD) as was a village hard by the site. However, a 2011 study by William Romain and other researchers dated organic materials in core samples taken along the central ridge of the mound. These most recent findings, again, produced radiocarbon ages that average around 300 B.C. Since the nearby burial mounds and other evidence of occupation date from the time of the Adena culture, it is also possible that the mound was built with some materials that contained charcoal and other organic material from an earlier time period.

This is in a beautiful area of Ohio with interesting geological formations that may have been associated with a meteor strike.

Note: Shawnee people reclaim the great Serpent Mound at the Solstice, details in the comments on our page
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Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by victoriagrimalkin : After seeing a PBS documentary which introduced me to the Ohio mounds, I painted "Snake Eating the Moon," which was inspired by the Serpent Mound. I found this site today via the fine article on the Newark earthworks. Picture is acrylic on 300 lb. rough watercolor paper, 22" x 31". (4 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by Bat400 : Serpent Mound, Ohio. Looking toward the "head" of the serpent from an observation platform. (Note the size of the people walking along the earthwork of the serpant "coils." Photo ca late 1990's. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by AKFisher : Photo courtesy Dr Greg Little, author of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Indian Mounds & Earthworks (2016). 1935 aerial photo of Ohio's Serpent Mound from seldom-seen angle & perspective. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature : Drawing, from "Ancient America" via archive.org (Vote or comment on this photo)

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature : Old picture from "Prehistoric America; The Mound Builders" via archive.org

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by bat400 : Serpent Mound, Adams County, Ohio. View looking toward the serpent "tail" which curls into a tight spiral. This view is to the west and taken from ground level. Note the size by the three figures walking between the coils of the tail. The horizontal line just above and beyond the mound is a guard rail installed to prevent people from falling down the steep face of the hillside and into Brush ... (1 comment)

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by Kurgan : Serpent Mound Ohio. Winter solstice sunrise and summer solstice sunset using serpent head as a guide.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by Kurgan : Serpent Mound Ohio. Sunset events using serpent coils as a guide

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by Kurgan : Serpent Mound Ohio. serpent coils in sunrise alignment Sunrise events using serpent coils as a guide

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by Kurgan : A recent review of the Serpent Mound in Ohio has shown that the effigy seems to have operated as a solar observatory. Using Google Earth it can be demonstrated that the alignment of the head and coils would have enabled its constructors to track the sun throughout the year to identify key times such as the solstices, equinoxes and the cross-quarter days of the 1st May and 2nd February. Whil...

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by anarchivist : The spiral tail.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by anarchivist : The serpent swallows the sun.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by anarchivist : The serpent's body.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by anarchivist : View from the viewing platform.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by anarchivist : Sign on the museum - no tripping allowed.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by eforrest25 : This is a close up of the serpent head with the "egg" in its mouth. It is about 10 feet long.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by eforrest25 : Close up of the tail which is well defined.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by eforrest25 : This is a photo taken at ground level which gives a sense of how large the coils really are. This is much better defined than the Serpent Mound in Keene, Ontario.

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature : Old photo, from "Mound Builders..." via archive.org

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature : Old cross section drawing from "Serpent Mounds..." via archive.org

Serpent Mound, Ohio
Serpent Mound, Ohio submitted by durhamnature : Map of the vicinity from "Archaeological History of Ohio" via archive.org

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 266m W 266° Serpent Mound Stone Standing Stone (Menhir)
 10.1km N 10° Fort Hill* Hillfort
 29.7km NE 37° Seip Mound* Artificial Mound
 29.7km NE 37° Seip Earthwork Enclosure* Misc. Earthwork
 35.1km NE 43° Baum Earthworks* Artificial Mound
 35.1km WNW 288° Fort Salem Misc. Earthwork
 35.5km E 85° Piketon Mounds* Artificial Mound
 37.4km NE 42° Spruce Hill* Vitrified Fort
 40.7km NW 321° Ratcliffe Mound Artificial Mound
 43.9km SE 124° Tremper* Barrow Cemetery
 47.0km NE 38° Hopewell Mound Group* Artificial Mound
 47.0km NNE 26° Frankfort Works Mound* Ancient Village or Settlement
 47.6km NE 46° Steel Earthworks* Misc. Earthwork
 48.3km NE 48° Junction Earthworks* Misc. Earthwork
 50.0km SE 129° Portsmouth Earthworks* Misc. Earthwork
 51.1km NE 46° Story Mound (Chillicothe)* Artificial Mound
 51.6km NE 44° Adena Mound* Artificial Mound
 52.7km ENE 56° High Bank Works* Misc. Earthwork
 53.3km NE 43° Hopewell Culture National Historic Site* Misc. Earthwork
 54.1km ENE 61° Liberty Earthworks* Artificial Mound
 55.8km NE 44° Hopeton Earthworks* Artificial Mound
 57.1km NE 43° Cedar Banks Works* Ancient Village or Settlement
 65.2km NW 318° Hillside Haven Mound* Artificial Mound
 68.0km SW 217° Shannon Mound* Artificial Mound
 70.0km NNW 326° Keiter Mound* Artificial Mound
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"Serpent Mound, Ohio" | Login/Create an Account | 28 News and Comments
  
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Re: Serpent Mound Still Puzzles Researchers by Anonymous on Sunday, 20 November 2022
Surely what the mound represents is a snake swallowing the sun, or more accurately it memorialises the memory of ancient impacts at the end of the Younger Dryas, of the same cometary debris that is part of the Taurid swarm. The hypothesis is that there were many such impacts at that time, resulting in a flood followed by a rapid freezing for 1000 years.

Since such impacts have the potential to produce ejecta that would have blocked out the sun for months or even years, causing that rapid refreezing, it would have seemed to the people of the time that the comet serpent in the sky had eaten the sun.

The fact that Serpent mound is directed towards the setting sun strongly suggests this to be the case.
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Shawnee people reclaim the great Serpent Mound by Andy B on Friday, 25 June 2021
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The Summer Solstice, June 20, the longest day of the year, marked the first time that the Shawnee tribe has officially returned to the Serpent Mound located in Ohio to present their history and connection to this place that they called home so many years ago.

Although it was certainly ancestors of the Shawnee people who built the magnificent serpent shaped mound, the largest earthwork effigy in the world, Ohio failed to involve the tribe in conveying its meaning to the public until now.

Glenna Wallace, chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma and Ben Barnes, chief of the Shawnee Tribe, also located in Oklahoma, spent the weekend telling visitors to the Serpent Mound historical site about their peoples' and ancestors' connection to Ohio and the mound.

Although the weekend was hot and muggy, visitors crowded quietly under a covered shelter to hear the chiefs talk of their tribes’ histories and connections to this remarkable place.

Wallace described the devastating impact of federal assimilationist policies such as removal on her tribe.

“The government’s assimilationist policies were almost a successful genocide for my people. By 1900, our numbers were reduced to 69 people,” she said.

According to Wallace, many Shawnee people lost their language, culture and ceremonies.

Both Wallace and Barnes, however, described their peoples’ deep connection to Ohio, the Serpent Mound and the surrounding series of earthworks in the region.

Their overwhelming message is one of reverence and respect for the sacred and a plea for visitors to appreciate and honor the Serpent Mound as they would a cathedral, synagogue or mosque.

In recent years, activities at the mound have taken on the quality of what Barnes describes as a minstrel show disrespecting and appropriating Native cultures.

Since the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, the mound has become a mecca for followers of New Age spirituality. The idea of the Convergence was created by author and art historian Jose Arguelles who claimed August 16-17, 1987, were significant dates in the Maya calendar and represented an especially auspicious time to meditate for global peace.

Some New Age activities such as digging and burying items in the mound, forwarding information purporting that the effigy was built by aliens from space or prehistoric giants and misrepresenting Native connections to the site has been of growing concern to tribal leaders like Wallace and Barnes. Of even greater concern was the way that past managers of the Serpent Mound site often turned a blind eye to these activities, sometimes allowing such practitioners to manage and stage events at the mound. This sent a message to the public that these wild theories were part of the official history of the site according to Wallace and Barnes.

Wallace reached out to the Ohio History Connection a few years ago, sharing her concerns. After several years of meetings and negotiations with leaders at the History Connection, they soon realized that it was imperative to involve the Indigenous people who once called the state home in creating the story of ancient places such as the Serpent Mound.

Read more, with photos, in Indian Country Today
https://indiancountrytoday.com/news/shawnee-relcaim-great-serpent-mound
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Re: Serpent Mound Still Puzzles Researchers by SpaceTravellor on Tuesday, 18 July 2017
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In several ancient myths the Great Serpent resembles the contours of the Milky Way and this image is closely connected to the Story of Creation.

Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_(symbolism)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes_in_mythology
http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/tracing-origins-serpent-cult-002393
http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Sa-Sp/Serpents-and-Snakes.html

As participating in many mythical cultural Stories of Creation (as well in the Bible too) this creation Serpent of course cannot be evil or malign.

Mytho-Cosmology - http://www.native-science.net/index.html
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Special Presentation on Ancient Forces and Earlier Peoples, July 22, 2017 by bat400 on Tuesday, 18 July 2017
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You're invited to a Special Presentation on Ancient Forces and Earlier Peoples by Archaeologist, Matthew P. Purtill
July 22, 2017 at 1:00 PM

At the Serpent Mound Picnic Shelter

No registration required.

Is the Sandy Springs Landscape at Rock Run Preserve Concealing A Big Secret about Ohio’s Past Climate and Native American Occupations?

In southeastern Adams County, Ohio, the natural landscape of Sandy Springs may be hiding a big secret. As part of his PhD research at Sandy Springs, Matthew Purtill has been documenting how this unique landscape evolved over the past 20,000 years and how Ohio’s earliest known inhabitants, Native American’s referred to as Paleo-Indians by archaeologists, lived upon the land.

The presence of large sand “hills” or dunes at Sandy Springs has long drawn interest from both the general public and scientists. Although once hypothesized to have been largely static and stationary since the end of the Ice Age, Purtill’s findings suggest that dunes have been dynamic and have actively “migrated” multiple times throughout the Holocene in response to specific climate conditions. This presentation will discuss these findings and elaborate on how Paleoindian groups may have interacted with this progressive landscape.

Other than the usual $8.00 parking fee to enter Serpent Mound, this event is free and open to the public without need for registration.

Sponsored by the Arc of Appalachia and Ohio Environmental Council.
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Serpent Mound vandal's punishment: Fine and Research paper? by bat400 on Tuesday, 25 August 2015
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A 19-year-old man, accused of taking a joy ride over an ancient Native American earthwork at Serpent Mound, has confessed to the crime and agreed to pay $3,790 in restitution for damages, according to Adams County authorities and park officials.

Adams County Assistant Prosecutor Ken Armstrong says he's seriously considering seeking a healthy dose of community service – and even a research paper on the site's rich history.
"He has been cooperative, so we're working with him," Armstrong said, "But I don't think he appreciates the significance of the site, the gravity of what he's done."

Daniel Coleman Dargavell allegedly jumped the curb in the parking lot in the middle of the night over the Fourth of July weekend and attempted to drive a large white pickup over a 2,000-year-old Adena Mound.

The damage is repairable, according to Park Manager Tim Goodwin, but the act of vandalism violated the sacred grounds and has prompted a discussion about how to better protect the site.
Torn up sod will be replaced and within a few months no one should be able to detect the tire marks that currently scar the ground, Goodwin said.

The Ohio Historical Site called Serpent Mound is actually a series of mounds. Grounds on the site and a conical Adena Mound were damaged. The Great Serpent Mound – which is world renowned and a National Historic Landmark – was not damaged.

Acts of vandalism are rare at the site, said Goodwin, who has been park manager for about a year and a half. Roughly three years ago a group of people tried to plant crystals in the Serpent Mound in the middle of the night, Goodwin said.
"It's one of a kind, very sacred. A lot of people lay claim to it," Goodwin said.
In this situation, it could have been worse. The vandal fortunately did not drive over Serpent Mound, Goodwin said.

Adams County Chief Deputy John Schadle, of the county sheriff's department, said one of his detectives saw surveillance images and "put two and two together," bringing Dargavell – who has had a series of traffic citations in recent years – in for questioning last week.

Dargavell was charged with two fifth-degree felonies for vandalism.
The first for causing physical harm to a property that is used in the course of business/trade, and causing more than $1,000 in damages. The second charge, a different section of the law, is for serious physical harm to a cemetery or grave-type property, again creating more than $1,000 in damage.

Court proceedings have just begun.
Prison time – if he's found guilty – is a long shot, said Armstrong of the prosecutor's office, who is unsure whether he'll ask that Dargavell do any time.

Dargavell is currently out on bond after spending a few days in jail.
"Someone else, a family member likely, is going to pay the restitution up front," Armstrong said, "but I want (Dargavell) to have a significant investment in this, that would mostly be community service."

Sometimes, when things like this happen, the party that was vandalized never wants to see the vandal again, Armstrong said.
Not Serpent Mound manager Goodwin.
"In fact, they were already coming up with a list of things they want him to do," Armstrong said.

For more, see http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2015
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Archaeology Day at Serpent Mound, Saturday, September 12, 2015 by bat400 on Saturday, 15 August 2015
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10am - 4:30pm, Under Shelter - Rain or Shine
Event is free with $8/vehicle parking fee

Latest Findings – Artifact Collections on Display – Living History
Atlatl Throwing – Flint Knapping – Pump Drills & Firebows – Kids Activities

Featured Presentations with Ohio Archaeologists
11:00am: Latest Research by Archaeologist Jarrod Burks
Hidden Mysteries of Serpent Mound Revealed
Archaeologist Jarrod Burks shares about an amazing and unexpected discovery made during a 2012 magnetic survey at Serpent Mound. Apparently, the Serpent did not always look as it appears today! We’ll also talk shop about some new radiocarbon dates that suggest the Serpent could be a lot older than previously thought. Far from being a done deal, the story of Serpent Mound continues to change and even more archaeological discoveries no doubt await.

1:00pm: Latest Research by Archaeologist Kathryn Jakes
Hopewell Textiles - The Fabric of Their Lives
Contrary to our idea of ancient American Indians as wearing only deerskin garments, the Hopewell possessed an extensive knowledge of how to use native plant and animal materials for fiber and dye, and a sophisticated technology for turning these into complex decorated fabric creations. Ancient textile expert Kathryn Jakes shares this presentation and demonstration of how fabrics might have been crafted 2000 years ago.

3:00pm: Latest Research by Archaeologist Bret Ruby
Art & Wood - Architecture of the Hopewell
Our view of ancient cultural landscapes has long been dominated by mounds and earthworks—the most prominent and visible elements. But now, new archaeological methods are revealing hidden landscapes in the spaces between the mounds and earthworks. Archaeologist Bret Ruby shares his latest research - evidence that the Hopewell people filled what was once thought to have been open space with ritual architecture built from wood and earth.

More Information
Event Details: http://arcofappalachia.org/events/archaeology-day.html
Directions to Serpent Mound: http://arcofappalachia.org/visit/serpent-mound-directions.html
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Short aerial film of Serpent Mound by bat400 on Saturday, 17 January 2015
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A You Tube film by Tim Anderson:
"Serpent Mound" by Tim Anderson Jr.
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New radiocarbon dates radically revise age of Ohio Serpent Mount to older than 300BC by Andy B on Wednesday, 24 September 2014
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[Note we have reported this previously but it has now been published and there is a new summary online]

Estimates of the age of the earthwork have been radically revised as the result of a new radiocarbon analysis, suggesting that the mound is about 1,400 years older than conventionally thought. The new date of construction is estimated at approximately 321 BCE, one year after the death of Aristotle in Greece.

Signs and other interpretive material have been made obsolete virtually overnight, along with ideas about the indigenous culture responsible for the astounding artwork. A paper by an eight-member team led by archaeologist William Romain has been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science with a free-access summary available on Romain’s website.

The new data alters thinking about three things: the culture responsible for the mound; the Native groups that are direct descendants of those builders; and the purpose and iconography of the work. Dispatching other theories about Serpent Mound’s origin, Romain’s summary concludes: “Both the consensus of opinion and radiocarbon evidence suggest an Adena construction.”

Traditionally, Serpent Mound was attributed to the Adena Culture or Civilization, based on an adjacent conical Adena burial mound, and the similarity of style of the effigy with many other Adena earthworks of the Ohio Valley. Just 30 miles southeast of Serpent Mound were the Portsmouth Works, with only a few surviving remnants, interpreted by the pioneering archaeoastronomer Stansbury Hagar as representing the effigy of a rattlesnake 50 times larger than Serpent Mound, both with species identification features indicative of the timber rattlesnake.

Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/08/07/rethinking-ohios-history-serpent-mound-older-some-its-dirt-156268

http://ancientearthworksproject.org/1/post/2014/07/new-radiocarbon-dates-suggest-serpent-mound-is-more-than-2000-years-old.html

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440314002465
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August 12, 2014: Bone and Stone Artifacts of the Prehistoric Peoples of Ohio by bat400 on Sunday, 03 August 2014
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More Than Arrowheads: New ideas about ancient tools; artifact identification
Presented by Gary Argabright, Vice President, Mound City Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Ohio
Saturday, August 16, 2014, 1:00 pm at Serpent Mound

Native American Artifacts Identification

Gary Argabright examines a stone tool.

When most people think about Native American stone tools, they usually think of arrowheads. Gary Argabright enjoys expanding people’s natural attraction to artifacts to include the immense breadth and diversity of stone tools crafted by Native Americans on Ohio lands. Gary will discuss how many ancient tools and artifacts were used, and what they reveal about the people who used them. Gary’s observations come from a life time of study and are both stimulating and thought-provoking. In some cases he challenges conventional wisdom on how many of these tools may have been used.

On display will be a large selection of prehistoric artifacts from Gary’s extensive collection which will aid in illustrating and documenting his teachings.The public is invited to bring any Native American artifacts they may have in their possession about which they wish to learn more.

Gary Argabright has researched, collected, conserved and cataloged Native American artifacts from the Scioto River Valley for more than 30 years and has given numerous lectures on this subject. He is currently curator of not only his own lifetime collection of extensive artifacts, but his most recent addition: the collection of the late Bob Harness, past owner of Ross County’s Liberty Earthworks. Gary has served on the Board of the Ross County Historical Society for three terms and continues to do volunteer work cataloging their extensive collection of prehistoric tools. He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary of the Mound City Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Ohio. Mr. Gary Argabright is a retired high school Latin teacher in Chillicothe. He has an M.A. in Classical Greek and Roman History from Ohio University.

Source: arcofappalachia.org/events
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12 July Lecture at Serpent Mound, Ohio by bat400 on Saturday, 05 July 2014
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SATURDAY, JULY 12 AT SERPENT MOUND!

From the Arc of Appalachia website:

How the “Hopewell” Built Their World - Ancient Land Managers in the Ohio Valley
Presented by Dr. Paul E. Patton, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ohio University

July 12 at Serpent Mound, 1:00 pm at the shelter house
Free to the public, no registration required, parking fee $8.00 per car
For More information: http://arcofappalachia.org/events/summer-lecture.html.
Directions: http://arcofappalachia.org/visit/serpent-mound-directions.html.

This Saturday is the second of three summer lectures composing Arc of Appalachia’s 2014 Indigenous Legacies’ Lecture Series. The theme for the 2014 presentations is: “Mysteries of Eastern America's Ancient Past.”

Managing and controlling the landscape is an important component of almost every human culture. Among the most conspicuous examples of landscape modification found in Eastern North America belong to the Hopewell Cultural era, when native peoples constructed large geometric earthworks and earthen mounds for ceremonial use.

Dr. Patton will explore new research results that indicate that many of the people associated with these earthworks were also practicing large-scale management and modification of the habitats surrounding their villages and hamlets in order to increase the benefit gained from their native food and architectural resources.

Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, 7660 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 45612 – http://www.arcofappalachia.org
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Lighting the Serpent A Winter Solstice Celebration by bat400 on Sunday, 01 December 2013
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From the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System Website:

Saturday, December 21, 2013; (rain or wind date on Sunday, Dec. 22),
A public event sponsored by the non-profit Friends of Serpent Mound
At Serpent Mound, 4:00pm - 8:00pm; sunset at 5:16 pm
Event is free with Parking Fee: $7.00/car

Celebrate the Winter Solstice at Serpent Mound by helping the Friends of Serpent Mound with the park’s most popular annual event. Visitors may volunteer to help set up and ceremoniously light over 1000 luminary candles around the serpent effigy and the 3 conical mounds; or they can come later in the evening and enjoy the moving spectacle of a the ancient serpent effigy outlined in candles during the longest night of the year.
For more, see http://www.arcofappalachia.org.
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Upcoming Archaeology Lecture at Serpent Mound: Adena Culture by Anonymous on Sunday, 14 July 2013
People of the Forest – the Adena Culture
Sunday July 14, 2013, 1:00 pm at Serpent Mound
Epic Mound Builders of the Eastern Forest: 1000 to 200 CE ; free to the public, $7.00 parking fee
Presented by Elliot Abrams, Professor of Anthropology, Ohio University

ohsweb.ohiohistory.org
This summer, the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System is proud to present a three-part lecture series at Serpent Mound: People of the Forest. For no less than 12,000 years preceding European contact, Native Americans were an integral community member of the rich and complex ecology of America’s Eastern Forest. This lecture series will explore three different ancient woodland cultures: the Adena Culture, the Hopewell Culture, and the Fort Ancient Culture with three of Ohio’s top archaeologists.

In these presentations we will step back in time, and take in a broad sweeping perspective. From this holistic view, within the limitations of the archaeological evidence we have, these lectures will address: Who were these peoples, what distinguished their cultural eras, what was each culture’s geographic reach, who were their contemporaries elsewhere in the continent and the world, and what were each culture’s most distinguishing artistic and cultural contributions? The most famous of known ceremonial and village sites in the East for these cultures will be shared, many of which are protected and can be visited.

Elliot Abrams is one of Ohio’s leading archaeological voices for the Adena Cultural era. Over the past 30 years, Elliot has conducted multiple research excavations not only in Ohio, but elsewhere in United States and Latin America, as well. He is currently co-editor of the book: The Emergence of the Moundbuilders: The Archaeology of Tribal Societies in Southeastern Ohio (Ohio University Press, 2005).

How to Attend: There is no need to pre-register for this lecture. Simply arrive by 12:45pm and join us in the shelter house building in front of Serpent Mound. There is no charge for this lecture, but there is a $7 parking fee per car at Serpent Mound – we are non-profit, your parking fees help us to maintain the beautiful park and visitor facilities at Serpent Mound – we appreciate it!
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Re: Serpent Mound, Ohio by AD on Thursday, 28 March 2013
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Apparently the Great Serpent Mound was in fact built by the Adena. In 2011-2012 a team led by Dr. William F. Romain recovered radiocarbon-datable charcoal from vertical core samples taken at several points along the structure's length, the charcoal being from within the mound but at a considerably greater depth than that of the two samples taken by the previous investigators. These yielded a calibrated date of roughly 300 BC. The previous dating, roughly 1100 AD, is likely from intrusive material introduced by more recent Fort-Ancient-era activity. Strangely enough, no Hopewell-era artifacts were observed at the site (Archaic Period material was very much in evidence near the Serpent), suggesting that the site was abandoned by the Adena, remaining so until the arrival of people of the Fort Ancient culture over a thousand years later.
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    Romain's 2011 Serpent Mound Project dates by bat400 on Friday, 29 March 2013
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    If AD is reviewing the posts, could they supplier a source for the dating results of the 2011 samples taken by Romain's project. I can find the published reports on the LiDAR survey, but not the dating study. Any information would be appreciated.
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      Re: Romain's 2011 Serpent Mound Project dates by AD on Saturday, 20 September 2014
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      Hi bat400...

      Sorry I'm so slow in getting back to you on this. Dr. Romain and associates have recently published their findings in the peer-reviewed Journal of Archaeological Science. Their investigation, in my opinion much more scientifically comprehensive and credible than the earlier one, is nicely summarized at http://ancientearthworksproject.org/blog.html, which also provides a link to the published article (pay-per-view, unfortunately).
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Authorities seeking mound vandals - ‘Small objects’ inserted into prehistoric mound by bat400 on Wednesday, 07 November 2012
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Ohio Historical Society officials are working with Adams County Sheriff K.R. Rogers to arrest those responsible for “desecration” of the Serpent Mound by inserting “small objects” into the centuries-old earthwork.

The earthwork effigy of a serpent located near Peebles was vandalized sometime in September, officials said. Alerted to “suspicious activity” at the mound, investigators found “numerous small objects had been inserted into the earthwork. The objects are being identified and the Ohio Historical Society is making every effort to retrieve all of the objects from the vicinity of the mound,” a statement said. The kind and number of objects was not specified.

Desecration of a historic earthwork is a violation of Ohio law, a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000.

“We take any vandalism and desecration of historic sites extremely seriously,” said Burt Logan, executive director of the Historical Society. “We are appalled at the irresponsible behavior and deliberate vandalism. Ohio’s history must be preserved and protected for future generations.”

For more, see The Columbus Dispatch article by Alan Johnson.
We remind our readers that the Megalithic Portal follows the Charter of Responsible Megalithic Webmasters, which reminds visitors that these sites are protected by law. Charter includes: "Do not dig or disturb the site in any way. .... do not move, mark or alter the monument in any way, even temporarily. This specifically includes moving or re-arranging stones, digging in or around the site or hiding caches within the immediate environs of the site."
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    Video about 'Activating' Ancient sites by bat400 on Thursday, 15 November 2012
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    The YouTube video referencing the burying of "organites" at Serpent Mound has been removed from that site, but news organizations have separately reported two different organizations associated with the video. Unite the Collective and Ashtar Command have both been mentioned by news websites and blogs. Both sites feature "spiritual videos."

    Unite the Collective appears to be a "New Age" type group, self termed as a "Light Team" of "divine beings" They have associated Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr presence. As is usual, it's difficult to determine how many people "belong" to this group. Their listed affiliate groups include Orgone Vortex" (which simply seems to be commercial site selling "orgonites"), and Phoenix Star Knowledge Conferences, the brainchild of Loren Zephier (a Yankton Sioux who calls himself Chief Golden Light Eagle.)

    They seem to be devoted to improving the 'positive energy of their vibratory states' to 'activate' the earth and bring the childish beings of lower energy states (that's all of the rest of us) to a higher level of energy. Their video speakers (the most active is RionOrion7, who seems to be Ryan DeRouen) use a terminology that is depressingly familiar. He is a star being, energized and awakened, operating in a white hot vibratory frequency. He is 'activated' and receives messages and is 'tested' in the 'dreamtime,' during which he views the whole world and dark entities try 'to hack his consciousness.'

    Unite the Collective has links to numerous videos. Many of these show people at ancient sites or at natural features, running to encircle structures (hilltops, cobble stone platforms) while carrying and motioning with wands in their hands. Several videos feature "activations" at ancient sites such as Chichen Itza. (I was unable to access one video labeled "Serpent Mound Activation" - I would guess the link is broken. Was this the video referenced in the news reports?)

    The Chichen Itza video includes Ryan DeRouen describing "running through the jungle" being pursued "by the federales" while they "got the job done". A female speaker describes the 'mission' including how they wore their 'armor' and carried their 'gear' and 'wands' while moving through the perimeter of the the site to 'do the activation' while describe how energy passed through her and 'everything changed'.
    She also claims that site guards were very happy to see them later (especially when they showed that they had bought tickets) and accepted gifts of orgonites. 'They kept smiling at us,' she says.

    During this video DeRouen also references 'videos we can't show you'. He also encourages that you have to separate yourself from family and friends, so you can achieve your evolution - a depressingly typical cult methodology.

    I didn't watch all the "activation" related videos. Nothing I saw explicitly show anyone digging holes or burying orgonite - although its referenced that they carry it on their missions.

    Ashtar Command also has a video link on the Activation of Serpent Mound. This one is attributed to "DeRo7" who I would also assume is also Ryan DeRouen. This video has been removed by the user.
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    Only 4 "orgonites" found in Serpent Mound by bat400 on Wednesday, 21 November 2012
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    Ohio Historical Society officials, after detecting suspicious activity at the ancient Native American site near Peebles, feared vandals might have planted hundreds of small muffin-like resin objects in an attempt to “activate it.”

    But after an extensive, two-week search of the 63-acre site, they’ve found just four objects, known as “orgonites,” plus some crystals, buried in the ground.

    “Having found so few, we believe either they buried them much more deeply than we expected, or they didn’t bury as many as we inferred from the video,” said Jane Mason, spokesman for the Historical Society, which oversees the Serpent Mound site.

    A video posted on YouTube — which has since been taken down — was a clue that there was a problem. Backed by New Age music, the video described Serpent Mound, the largest prehistoric effigy mound on Earth, and featured several people wearing “Light Team” T-shirts calling themselves “light warriors.” They said they spent several days in September planting orgonites at Serpent Mound to “ lift the vibration of the Earth so we can all rise together.”

    The video showed people running and leaping in slow motion across the Serpent Mound earthworks. It was posted by a group called Unite the Collective.

    Adams County Sheriff K.R. Rogers was looking into the matter as a serious vandalism case, but no charges have been filed because of a lack of evidence. Because the site is on the National Register of Historic Places, the perpetrators potentially face second-degree misdemeanor charges, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

    The original purpose of Serpent Mound, a 1,300-foot coiled-snake effigy atop a bluff in northern Adams County, is lost in time. It is believed to have been built by the Fort Ancient culture, which existed from A.D. 1000 to 1500.

    For more, see the article by Alan Johnson in the Columbus Dispatch.
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Serpent Mound Stunt - Vandals admit muffin-crystal-thingie assault by bat400 on Wednesday, 07 November 2012
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A group of “light warriors” buried what may be hundreds of small muffinlike resin objects, embedded with aluminum foil and quartz crystals, at Serpent Mound with the intent of realigning the energy of the ancient Native American site in Peebles.

The Ohio Historical Society and Adams County Sheriff K.R. Rogers haven’t arrested anybody yet in what they consider a serious vandalism case. But the people who apparently did it made it easy by laying out their actions in an extensive YouTube video where they acknowledge they “did some work” in September at the site in Adams County to help “lift the vibration of the Earth so we can all rise together.”

State officials aren’t seeing the light, however, and expect to file charges soon against three to five people who they say vandalized and desecrated the 1,000-year-old site that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The perpetrators face second-degree misdemeanors, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.

So far, only three small buried items, known as “orgonites,” have been located. But there could be hundreds on the site, said George Kane, director of historic sites and facilities for the Ohio Historical Society. “Adding things to the property is just not acceptable,” Kane said. “This is very serious.”

Kane said officials were tipped off to “suspicious activity” at the Serpent Mound site mid-September but learned more by watching a YouTube video, “Serpent Mound Reactivation 2012,” posted by a group calling itself Unite the Collective. [The video] ... has been removed from the ... site.

Orgonites are handmade objects crafted from metal filings, such as aluminum, and quartz crystals, cast in a resin base, often in a muffin tin. Items such as feathers are sometimes added. Several websites devoted to making and using the devices claim they draw in negative energy and exude positive energy.

Next week, Kane said a group of volunteers will go over the entire length of the serpentine earthworks to find the devices, most of which he said probably are buried just below the surface.

For more, see the The Columbus Dispatch article by Alan Johnson.
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Serpent Mound Lecture and Guided Hike by bat400 on Tuesday, 26 June 2012
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The Amazing Serpent Mound: Can we know what it meant to its builders? And does it matter?

Saturday, June 30th 2012
1:00 PM at the Serpent Mound shelter house.
Presented by Bradley Lepper, Curator of Archaeology for the Ohio Historical Society

Free to the general public, no registration needed, parking fee $7.00 per car

Serpent Mound is one of the most recognizable prehistoric monuments in the world! It is an immense and beautifully-proportioned earthen serpent whose heavy, sinuous coils hug the ridge-top’s rolling terrain making it seem to be a living serpent uncoiling and slithering across the landscape.

For nearly all those who behold it, the effigy’s physical resemblance to a serpent and its awe-inspiring size evoke an immediate and intense mental and emotional response. Our reactions are influenced by ethnic beliefs and serpent mythologies from the four corners of the world, from the Biblical narrative of the subtle serpent of the Garden of Eden to the great feathered serpent of Mesoamerica. As a result, it is hardly surprising that the Serpent has attracted more layers of speculative interpretation than any other ancient site in North America. Each of these interpretations has its own intrinsic interest, but the question asked in this program concerns the original, intended meaning of the Serpent. Is it possible for us to get past the modern cultural overlays to "see" the site through the eyes of its ancient Native American architects? And if it is possible, how might we go about doing it?

Following the presentation, Dr. Lepper will lead a guided hike around the effigy mound and the remarkable landscape in which it is situated.

Join us for an exploration of this special place and a discussion of what the science of archaeology can reveal about its original purpose and meaning.

- Arc of Appalachia News and Events.
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Re: Serpent Mound Brad Lepper talk by Aluta on Saturday, 26 March 2011
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Here's a great, informative talk by Dr. Brad Lepper about the Serpent Mound and "Alligator Mound".
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Serpent Mound shows monsters have long been with us by davidmorgan on Sunday, 21 November 2010
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From coldrum:

Serpent Mound in Adams County is one of the spookiest places in the state.

A giant snake slithering over the hills of southeastern Ohio with its mouth wide open, seemingly swallowing an oval-shaped earthen structure, is a creature worthy of anything that would haunt us at Halloween.

What must have been in the minds of the Fort Ancient people who are believed to have constructed the monster centuries ago, around A.D. 1000?

Edrick Thay wrote in his book Ghost Stories of Ohio that some archaeologists think it might illustrate what some American Indian cultures believed about the cause of eclipses.

"Many varied legends explain an eclipse as a result of a serpent attacking the sun and swallowing it," Thay wrote. "The serpent is a malevolent creature that rises from the depths of hell to challenge the light above.

"Seen in this light, the Serpent Mound is an expression of the duality of life, of a world where human beings inhabit a realm neither good nor evil, but one pitched between heaven and hell."

In Serpent Mound, although not haunted in the conventional sense, "one finds not only a connection to the past, but also a kinship with the anxieties and concerns that encompass all cultures," he wrote.

Brad Lepper, curator of archaeology at the Ohio Historical Society, has investigated Serpent Mound extensively. Equating the Native-American underworld with hell is wrong, he said. "I think this misunderstanding comes from Christian missionaries. ...

"The underworld in the Indian interpretation was a source of great power, and power is always dangerous but not necessarily evil," he said.

What does Lepper think Serpent Mound represents?

"The Great Serpent - or Mishebeshu, to use the Ojibwa name - was a fearsome creature that could rise from the depths of lakes and rivers to overturn canoes and eat people," he said. "Seeing the earthen incarnation of this force of nature must have been awe-inspiring for American Indians. And knowing what it represents, it can be a little scary to modern visitors to the site."

Lepper thinks the earthen snake represents Mishebeshu and that the oval, instead of being an egg or the sun or the moon, is the eye of the serpent.

So you see that monsters have been with us all through time, and regardless of which story resonates with you, they indeed were both monsters.

Retired weather columnist John Switzer writes a Sunday Metro column.

jswitzer@dispatch.com


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/24/serpent-mound-shows-monsters-have-long-been-with-us.html
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Arc of Appalachia assumes operations of Ohio's Serpent Mound by bat400 on Thursday, 30 July 2009
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From the Arc of Appalachia's e-newsletter:

On August 1st,2009, the Arc of Appalachia begins shouldering the day by day operations of Fort Hill and Serpent Mound in partnership with the sites’ owners and historical stewards, The Ohio Historical Society (OHS), and assisted at Serpent Mound by the worthy and time-tested volunteer group, Friends of Serpent Mound. To be in service to two important prehistoric earthwork sites, and, in the case of Fort Hill, the largest and most intact mature forest in all of south-central Ohio, is truly a sacred privilege for our organization.

A tribute to OHS. We commend the Ohio Historical Society for their staff’s courageous response to repeated budget cuts, cuts of such severity that they would have paralyzed a less innovative organization. OHS has applied dogged determination in keeping their numerous historical sites cared for and open to the public, overcoming nearly insurmountable hurdles in the process.
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    Re: Arc of Appalachia assumes operations of Ohio's Serpent Mound by eforrest25 on Wednesday, 11 November 2009
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    I am thrilled to read that that the Serpent and Fort Hill (among many other wonderful sites) will finally be protected. Kudos to all concerned. The last time I visited years ago there was talk of a golf course being built on the Serpent. For those who have never visited that area, it is a little akin to driving through Wilshire in the UK. Everywhere you turn there's an earthwork or special site. On the drive to the Serpent from Chillecote, I remember suddenly glancing off into a field to see a platform pyramid. For those of you in the US who have never done the Ohio River drive and are a fan of ancient sites, it is well worth the trouble. Nice going bat400.
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Hints of cosmic crash at Serpent Mound by Andy B on Monday, 16 March 2009
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Sifting through rocks snagged from twin boreholes punched deep into the planet's crust, scientists have detected an unearthly substance hidden for eons in Ohio's basement. And its presence 1,412 feet beneath the forests and farmlands near Serpent Mound in south-central Ohio - already one of Earth's most mysterious manmade structures - adds to a puzzle shrouded in legend and lore for centuries.

When scientists peered into the geo-strata that emerged from beneath the mound, they were confronted with pure, weird data. Under their microscope, they saw quartz crystals with flaws like those found at nuclear test sites and in moon rocks brought back by astronauts.

It pointed toward a massive energy burst that left behind telltale traces of a cosmic crash.

Now, those findings are rattling through the world of geology, shaking up long-held conceptions and misconceptions about Ohio's distant past.

"I think we can say with authority today that this is an impact from a meteorite," said Mark T. Baranoski, a state geologist. "It affected the region in a spectacular way."

Rock samples from beneath the mound contain significantly higher than normal concentrations of iridium, an extremely rare metal. Because it is so heavy, iridium seldom shows up anywhere but near the planet's molten core.

At Serpent Mound, the levels measured were 10 times beyond what is usually present in the Earth's crust.

Occasionally, volcanoes bring it up in lava. But there are no lava fields in Ohio. So the questions started. Where did the iridium-rich rocks come from?

While iridium is scarce on Earth, the silver-gray metal is common in asteroids and comets.

In other words, it often is a strong sign that the sky has fallen.

Geologists, including researchers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, describe the recent discovery as powerful new evidence that Serpent Mound sits upon a slightly oblong crater created when a massive extraterrestrial object slammed into Earth.

Source: The Plain Dealer - Cleveland, Ohio
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Ohio's Ancient Serpent Mound Linked to Summer Solstice? by Andy B on Monday, 16 March 2009
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By Barrett J. Brunsman The Cincinnati Enquirer

Viewed from the heavens, it might appear to be a battle between the forces of darkness and light. Some say this represents the dichotomy of nature: day and night, life versus death — and the underlying struggle between good and evil.

It is the great Serpent Mound of Adams County.

The earthwork was built by an ancient people, archaeologists tell us. But no one is sure who they might have been, what might have motivated them, or even how long ago they fashioned the monument.

This is the only thing we know for sure: On a ridge above the valley of Ohio Brush Creek, a 1 1/4 hour drive east of downtown Cincinnati, lies the largest snake effigy in North America. The serpent is almost a quarter of a mile long, as measured along the centerline of its coils and curves. The height of the mound varies from 2 to 6 feet, while the serpent's body is about 20 feet wide and 1,348 feet long.

Its mouth is thrown wide, as if striking at prey. Just beyond the mouth is a separate, oval mound — what some believe to be a depiction of the sun.

Why would a snake attack the sun? More to the point, why would anyone depict such a thing by fashioning an enormous mound out of clay, stones and dirt?

The most recent theory, popularized in the late 1980s, is that the Serpent Mound represents a solar eclipse. This gains credence from the fact that the mouth of the Serpent Mound is in direct alignment with the setting sun on the longest day of each year: the summer solstice.

This year, as usual, the summer solstice will be June 21. The Ohio Historical Society, which maintains the Serpent Mound and the surrounding 54 acres, has scheduled a special solstice program that Thursday from 8 p.m. until sunset, about 9:15 p.m.

A site interpreter will lead a tour of the mound and discuss the theories of its origins. The program will begin outside the museum and gift shop run by the historical society.

Typically, more than a dozen of the people who travel to Serpent Mound on the summer solstice spend the entire day, said Serpell Adkins, site manager for the Ohio Historical Society.

"We usually always have people here for the equinoxes and the solstices," she said. "Summer solstice is usually our biggest event because it's the most dramatic alignment" of the sun's rays with the Serpent Mound.

Site of Eden? - Since Serpent Mound first was surveyed and mapped by anthropologists some 155 years ago, theories about the mound have been abundant.

Near the turn of the 20th century, the Rev. Landon West of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, interpreted the effigy as a depiction of the serpent in the biblical Garden of Eden. He claimed that the oval mound at the snake's mouth represented the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The Rev. Mr. West believed Serpent Mound was created by God, or at least by people inspired by God, to mark the location of the Garden of Eden.

When I was a schoolboy in the 1970s, my Ohio history class was told that the mound depicted a snake swallowing an egg. The grade-school teacher could not explain why Native Americans would have devoted what must have been an enormous amount of time and labor to build — without the aid of even basic machinery — such a massive monument to an egg-eating snake.

Adding credence to the solar eclipse theory of the '80s, researchers have recently found that the outer curves of the serpent align with the rays of the sun at the four divisions of the solar year: sunrise on the summer solstice (the first day of summer); sunrise at equinox (the days when light and darkness are equal in duration, and therefore the first day of spring and the first day of fall), and sunrise on the winter solstice (the shortest day of the year, and therefore the first day of winter).

For many Native Americans, snakes symbolized death, and theref

Read the rest of this post...
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    Re: Ohio''s Ancient Serpent Mound Linked to Summer Solstice? by Anonymous on Monday, 27 July 2015
    I also believe the solar eclipse theory as to the origin of serpent mound. The native Americans of either period of the timelines did not live in large groupings but rather lived in small family clans, connected to othe clans only by a loose confederation of language and traditions. It would have taken a very substantial event to bring the number of tribes togather to build such a large structure. Considering the availables tools, and materials, it might have taken as many as one thousand natives over a year to constrct such a structure. And to what end do we build such a structure? This had to be a message to their God. Please don''t take our sun, our source of life away. The size of this structure makes perfect sense also. To write a letter to a God that lives in the sky; You MUST use VERY LARGE LETTERS! Letters? Serpent mound is only one letter... Where are the rest of the letters? Why do we think that this effegy is the entire message? Why can''t we see what is right under our feet? Something to think about. knoechelmanjohn@yahoo.com yahoo.com
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Serpent Mound Still Puzzles Researchers by bat400 on Wednesday, 20 June 2007
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Serpent Mound is perhaps the most recognizable icon of ancient America. The gigantic earthen serpent, eternally frozen as it uncoils, extends more than 1,300 feet along a bluff in northern Adams County.

Although it is clearly a snake, which makes it, to some extent, immediately accessible to modern visitors, the meaning of this particular serpent for its builders is not so readily apparent.

And this sense of familiarity can lead to overreaching interpretations, as when the Rev. Landon West foolishly concluded that the mound represented the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

In order to get some sense of what it might have meant to its original builders, George Lankford, an emeritus professor of folklore at Lyon College in Arkansas, has turned to an examination of the beliefs of the Native Americans whose ancestors would have been in a position to know.

Lankford's paper, "The Great Serpent in Eastern North America," appears in the book Ancient Objects and Sacred Realms: Interpretations of Mississippian Iconography, published this year by the University of Texas Press.

For more information about Serpent Mound, go to http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/serpent.
/>
For more of Dr. Lepper's essay, see the
Columbus Dispatch.
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