Dominion Land Company Site facts for kids

The Dominion Land Company Site was an ancient earthwork built by people of the Early Adena Culture. It was also known as the Fort Reserve earthwork. This important site was located in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. In 1953, archaeologists studied the site. They did this just before it was destroyed by the Dominion Land Company. The company needed the land to build new houses.

Where Was the Dominion Land Company Site?

The earthwork site was found north of Glenmont Avenue. It was east of Overbrook Ravine and south of Adena Brook. The site was also west of Yaronia Drive South. Today, houses on Wynding Drive stand where the earthwork once was. This area is now part of the Fort Reserve neighborhood.

What Did the Earthwork Look Like?

The earthwork had two mounds inside a large circular wall of earth. In 1953, this circular wall was about 400 feet across. It was 17 feet wide and several feet high. The wall had an opening on its northwest side. There was also a ditch on the inside of the circular wall.

Old records from the 1800s say the mounds were cone-shaped. They were about 10 feet tall. By 1888, farmers had plowed the land. This plowing slowly made the mounds smaller.

The first mound was on the south side of the circular wall. It was partly damaged by bulldozers before the digging started. Its exact size was not recorded. What was left of it was only about one to two feet high.

The second mound was about 300 feet north of the first one. In 1953, it was six feet tall. It was also 60 feet wide.

What Did Archaeologists Find?

Archaeologists from the Ohio Historical Society studied the site. Students from Ohio State University helped them. They dug at the site from May to September 1953. Raymond S. Baby led this important work.

Near the first mound, they found several tools. These included two scrapers with handles. They also found a piece of a grooved axe and a projectile point. Two pieces of pottery, called potsherds, were also found.

The ditch inside the circular wall held many pottery pieces. They found one almost whole pot. They also found parts of six other pots.

Inside the second mound, archaeologists made an amazing discovery. They found the burial of a child. The child was six to eight years old. The burial was covered with stone slabs. Around the burial, there was a circle of 48 post molds. These are marks left by old wooden posts. Twelve more post molds were found inside this circle.

Scientists used Radiocarbon dating to learn the age of the site. They tested charred hickory nut remains. The tests showed the site was about 2402 years old. This means people lived there during the Early Adena period.

Some of the items found at the site are now on display. A restored pot and parts of another pot are at the museum of the Fort Ancient National Historic Landmark. Another piece of pottery is at the Ohio Historical Center.