Last month, the National Park Service announced the nomination of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service’s Hopewell Culture National Historical Park have worked with Tribal nations and stakeholders from across Ohio and the U.S. for over a decade to achieve World Heritage Inscription for eight different sites.
These Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks sites include:
- Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, including the Mound City Group, Hopewell Mound Group, Seip Earthworks, High Bank Earthworks and Hopeton Earthworks
- Newark Earthworks State Memorial, including Octagon Earthworks and Great Circle Earthworks
- Fort Ancient State Memorial
The nomination will be considered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in the summer of 2023. Here in Ohio, we know just how special these sites are. By having them named as UNESCO World Heritage sies, the rest of the world will understand their importance as well.
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On the Ohio History website, they why these sites deserve to be recognized.
“Nearly two thousand years ago, American Indians created an awe-inspiring culture rooted in the land we now call Ohio. They built vast earthworks as gathering places that aligned to the sun and moon. People came from near and far, traveling across land and sea to join together. Here, earth, water, sky and people met in sacred connection.
Today, we seek to honor these Ancient Ones and the places they built by inscribing eight Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Inscription on the World Heritage List would underscore the cultural significance of these sites and call international attention to these treasures long known to Ohioans. For over a decade, Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service’s Hopewell Culture National Historical Park have worked with stakeholders from across Ohio and the U.S. to seek World Heritage this meaningful designation. This effort would create Ohio’s first World Heritage site.”
For more information about UNESCO and the World Heritage List visit whc.unesco.org.
