Abstract

Following the declaration of Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Newark Earthworks, in particular, the Great Circle and Octagon Earthworks, have garnered a lot of news attention from the Licking County Community and its local newspaper, The Newark Advocate. This attention frequently highlights the historical significance of the site, and litigation between the Ohio History Connection and Moundbuilders Country Club over access to the ancient Octagon Earthworks. In 2024, a settlement was reached with Moundbuilders Country Club to buy out its lease on the property. Although the Ohio History Connection owns the land, a number of Licking County residents have expressed displeasure over the verdict, namely because the Earthworks has for many decades, served as the Country Club’s private golf course. The resulting loss of the Club’s lease has forced relocation elsewhere in Licking County. However, my role as a lifelong resident of Licking County and previous member of the Moundbuilders Country Club has put me in a unique position. While I do remember spending summers at the Moundbuilders pool, my grandmother’s birthday in the clubhouse, and even trips out golfing with my dad on the mounds themselves, I am also aware of the significance of Newark’s Hopewellian Earthworks from both an archaeological perspective and from the perspective of those related to practitioners of the Hopewell culture. I would be wrong to say this was always the case, as I shamefully remember thinking very little of the mounds in my youth. To me, who knew nothing about them, they were piles of dirt there for reasons I could not understand. Even in our state mandated indigenous peoples’ history unit in the fourth grade, I remember processing very little. My own experiences have left me wondering if the opinions of other Licking County residents are fueled by a similar misinterpretation or lack thereof as to the history of the Earthworks. For this reason, I have made it my goal to further explore the responses of Licking County members and compare their thoughts with those of Wayne County, Ohio residents, located 63 miles away from the Earthworks, who may be affected differently by them. I would like to understand the opinions of both groups on the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in greater detail so that I may grasp how the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation has affected both local and state-wide populations. My research considers the process through which a UNESCO status is declared as well as the impacts of settler colonialism on Licking County to eventually inform my survey of the community which reveals a lack of overall knowledge and visitation of the Newark Earthworks outside of Licking County. I address these findings as they relate to racist nativism in the United States and propose potential solutions to bring more visitors to the Earthworks.

Advisor

Navarro-Farr, Olivia

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

Disciplines

Archaeological Anthropology

Keywords

hopewell ceremonial earthworks, hopewell, newark earthworks, licking county, ohio, nativism, racist nativism, unesco

Publication Date

2025

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2025 Finn Malishenko