The Newark Earthworks: One of the World’s Ancient Wonders

The Newark Earthworks are the remnants of the largest set of geometric enclosures and mounds in the world. They are the work of the Hopewell culture, which lived in Ohio between A.D. 1 and 400. These amazing geometric earthworks covered nearly five square miles and were built using more than seven million cubic feet of earth. The Indigenous builders incorporated a rich knowledge of geometry and astronomy in this ancient architecture. The two best preserved components of the Newark Earthworks, the Great Circle and the Octagon Earthworks, became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2023. Join Brad Lepper, senior archaeologist at Ohio History Connection, to learn about these earthworks.