Great Mound (Middletown, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Great Mound
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Western side of the mound
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Middletown, Ohio |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000633 |
| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1971 |
The Great Mound is a huge ancient earthwork built by Native Americans in the southwestern part of Ohio, United States. It's located in Butler County, near Middletown. This amazing mound is a special place that tells us about the people who lived there long ago.
What is the Great Mound?
The Great Mound is very large! It stands about 88 feet (27 m) (which is like an 8-story building) and measures about 511 feet (156 m) around its base. It contains nearly 825,000 cubic feet (23,400 m3) of earth. This makes it the biggest mound in Butler County and one of the largest in southwestern Ohio.
Because the mound is so tall and sits on a high ridge, you can see for a very long distance from its top. Long ago, people thought that mounds like this might have been used as lookout points. They believed the builders could light fires on top to send messages across wide areas.
Ancient Communication
In 1990, some volunteers showed how these mounds could have been used for communication. One group climbed the Great Mound and saw another group on the Hill-Kinder Mound in Franklin, which is more than 11 miles (18 km) away! From there, the second group could see and contact a third group on the Miamisburg Mound near Dayton. This showed that ancient people might have used these mounds to send signals over long distances.
Who Built This Mound?
The Great Mound was built by the Adena culture. These were Native American people who lived in this area a very long time ago. The huge size of the mound suggests that the Adena people were a stable group and that they worked together to honor those buried inside the mound.
Protecting History
Over the years, parts of the Great Mound have been disturbed by people digging into it without permission. In 1879, some local people dug a small part of the top and found things like bones and signs of old fires. Later, even more of the top was damaged. Today, about 75% of the mound is still untouched.
Even with these disturbances, the Great Mound is considered a very important archaeological site. An archaeological site is a place where scientists study human history by digging up old objects and structures. Because of its historical importance, the Great Mound was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. This listing helps protect the mound and recognize its value.
