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Stubbs Earthworks facts for kids

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Stubbs Earthworks
33 WA 1
Illustration by Charles Whittlesey, 1852
Stubbs Earthworks is located in Ohio
Stubbs Earthworks
Location in Ohio
Alternative name Bigfoot Earthworks, Warren County Serpent Mound
Location Morrow, Ohio USA
Region Warren County, Ohio
Coordinates 39°21′24″N 84°9′36″W / 39.35667°N 84.16000°W / 39.35667; -84.16000
History
Founded 100 BCE
Abandoned 500 CE
Cultures Ohio Hopewell culture
Site notes
Archaeologists Frank Cowan
Architecture
Architectural styles earthworks, timber circle
Responsible body: private

The Stubbs Earthworks (also known as Bigfoot Earthworks or Warren County Serpent Mound) was a huge ancient site built by the Ohio Hopewell culture. These people lived in the area from about 100 BCE to 500 CE. You can find the site near Morrow, Ohio in Warren County, Ohio.

What Was the Stubbs Earthworks?

Stubbs Earthworks aerial view
Aerial view of the "W" shape in 1951

The Stubbs Earthworks was a special place where the Hopewell people held ceremonies. It had a large area surrounded by earth walls, shaped like circles and rectangles. There was also a smaller, separate circular area that once held a timber circle. A timber circle is like a big ring made of wooden posts.

East of the main earthworks, on a high hill, there was a large earthwork shaped like the letter "W". For a while, people thought this "W" shape might be a snake mound, similar to the famous Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio. However, archaeologists today do not believe it was a snake shape.

Discovering the Timber Circle

In September 2005, an archaeologist named Frank Cowan led a dig at the smaller circular area. He found a timber circle that was about 240 feet (73 meters) across. This circle was made of 172 large wooden posts.

Scientists used a method called carbon dating on charcoal found near the posts. This helped them figure out that the timber circle was built between 200 and 300 CE.

The History of the Site

Even though the Stubbs Earthworks was a very large site, it was not included in a famous book about ancient sites in 1847. However, Charles Whittlesey, a geologist, visited and mapped the site in 1851.

Over the years, much of the Stubbs Earthworks has been destroyed. This happened because of farming, digging for gravel, and new buildings being built. For example, Little Miami High School was built over part of the earthworks in 2000. Luckily, some parts of the ancient site are still safe on the school's land.

In 1978, the Stubbs Earthworks was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important historical places in the United States that are worth protecting.

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