Encountering Hopewell in the Twenty-first Century, Ohio and Beyond

The archaeology of the ancient American Indian Hopewell earthwork-builders of the Ohio Valley has intrigued scientists and the public alike for more than two hundred years. Since the dawn of the twenty-first century, professional inquiry into the Hopewell phenomenon has accelerated. Contemporary researchers are approaching old questions with new methods and interpretive perspectives, state-of-the-art survey technologies, and novel analytical techniques. As a result, our understanding of the Hopewell world has significantly deepened. This two-volume set presents some of the most current research on Hopewell archaeology within the Ohio Valley and beyond.

Among the topics covered in Volume One are refined uses of geophysics, LiDAR, and aerial (drone) photography data to better interpret ritual landscapes at famous centers such as Hopewell Mound Group, Fort Ancient, and Seip. The recent excavations at the enigmatic Moorehead Circle within the Fort Ancient Earthworks provides surprising new insights about Hopewell monumental construction. Another study explores the use of unusual copper ornaments found in a unique ritual deposit at the Seip Earthworks. Elements of the Hopewell worldview are explored through archaeoastronomy and careful study of mortuary contexts.