Rennert Mound Archeological District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rennert Mound Archeological District
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Early morning view of the mound site
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | West of Elizabethtown |
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| Nearest city | Elizabethtown, Ohio |
| Area | 40 acres (16 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001422 |
| Added to NRHP | March 4, 1975 |
The Rennert Mound Archeological District is a special area in Ohio, in the United States. It's located west of Elizabethtown in Hamilton County. This district is made up of several archaeological sites. An archaeological site is a place where people find old things from the past.
This area includes one large Native American mound that is still easy to see. There are also signs of two other mounds that were once here. All these sites are spread out over about 40 acres, which is like 30 football fields!
Contents
What is the Rennert Mound?
The main part of this district is called the Rennert Mound. Sometimes it's also known as the "Minnie Rennert Mound." This mound still looks much like it did when it was built. Even though some local people have dug around it in the past, its original shape is still there.
Who Built the Mound?
Archaeologists, who are like history detectives, have never professionally dug up the Rennert Mound. This means they haven't found many important artifacts (old objects) from inside it. Because of this, scientists don't know for sure which ancient group of people built it.
However, based on where it is and how it looks, experts think it was built by either the Adena or Hopewell peoples. Both of these ancient groups lived in Ohio a very long time ago. They often buried many people and special items, called grave goods, inside mounds of this size.
What Else Was Found Nearby?
In the fields around the mound, people have found many pieces of white and tan chert. Chert is a type of rock that ancient people used to make tools. But not enough of these rock pieces have been found to say for sure that there was a large village here.
Other Mounds in the Area
Originally, there were three mounds that made up the Rennert complex. Sadly, the other two mounds are now hard to see. They have blended into the land around them. But experts believe that if they did more archaeological research, they could find exactly where these two mounds were.
Nearby Archaeological Sites
There are other interesting sites close to the Rennert Mound. A smaller mound sits on top of a hill to the north. Also, the Wesley Butler Archeological District is just to the southwest. This district has several mounds and a village site, showing that many ancient people lived in this area.
Protecting History
In 1975, the Rennert Mound and the places where the two destroyed mounds once stood were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a special list that helps protect important historical and archaeological sites in the United States. Being on this list means these sites are very important for understanding the past.
