Junction Group facts for kids

The Junction Group is a special place in Ohio, near a town called Chillicothe. It's a site with ancient earthworks, which are shapes and mounds made from earth by people long ago. These earthworks were built by the Hopewell tradition, a group of Native American people who lived in this area many centuries ago.

Archaeologists, who are like history detectives, find this site quite unique. Early studies in the 1800s suggested that these earthworks were not built for protection or as a fortification. Instead, they were likely used for important religious events and even as burial sites for the dead.

The mounds and earthworks of the Junction Group were built next to Paint Creek. Sadly, over time, most of these ancient structures have been flattened or destroyed because of farming. However, we can still see traces of them from the sky! Aerial photography shows what are called cropmarks. These are patterns in farm fields where plants, like corn, grow differently in the spots where the earthworks used to be. It's like the ghosts of the old mounds are still there, affecting the soil.

Discovering the Junction Group

Early Surveys by Squier and Davis (1845)

The Junction Group was first carefully studied by two important archaeologists, Ephraim George Squier and Edwin Hamilton Davis, in October 1845. They wrote about their findings in a famous book called Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley in 1848.

They described the site as having many different shapes made from earth. These included four circles, three crescent shapes, two square areas, and four mounds (which are like small hills built by people).

The biggest earthwork was a large circle on the eastern side. It was about 240 feet wide, with walls that were three feet high. Around this circle was a square ditch, about 160 feet wide. There was also a 25-foot wide entrance on the south side of the square.

Smaller Mounds and Crescents

Squier and Davis also found a smaller mound about 130 feet southwest of the main circle. This mound was three feet high and 30 feet wide. It had its own ditch and wall around it, with an entrance on the north side.

They also noted two crescent shapes nearby. One was very close to the small mound's circle and was 132 feet wide. The other crescent was a bit further away. They described it as ending at a "mound of sacrifice." This mound was seven feet high and 45 feet wide at its base. They believed this mound was a very important part of the entire site.

What They Found Inside the Mound

Squier and Davis dug into the "mound of sacrifice." They found that it was mostly made of clay. About three feet down, they found a layer of what looked like wood coals, which are like charcoal from old fires. These coals were also found outside the mound, suggesting the mound might have been disturbed or opened before.

Inside the mound, in the layer of coals, they found a human skeleton. It was very old and not in good condition. As they dug deeper, they found more coals mixed with soil. About seven feet down, they discovered three more human skeletons. These skeletons were in much better condition. They were placed side by side, facing west, and covered with a mix of soil and clay. This type of covering was often found in mounds used for religious ceremonies, sometimes called an altar.

Squier and Davis thought that this mound had been opened and changed after it was first built. They believed that the three well-preserved skeletons belonged to Native peoples who used the earthworks as a burial site long after the original builders had left the area. They also found some relics, which are old objects, in the mound.

After their discoveries, Squier and Davis concluded that the Junction Group was mainly used for religious purposes, not for defense. They even thought it might have been a place where games or other community events were held.