Tremper Mound and Works facts for kids
A 2003 photo of Tremper Mound
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 Location in Ohio
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| Location | West Portsmouth, Ohio, Scioto County, Ohio,  USA |
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| Region | Scioto County, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 38°48′05″N 83°00′35″W / 38.80139°N 83.00972°W |
| History | |
| Founded | 100 BCE |
| Abandoned | 500 CE |
| Cultures | Hopewell tradition |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1915 |
| Archaeologists | William C. Mills Ohio Historical Society |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | earthworks |
| Architectural details | Number of monuments: 1 |
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Tremper Mound and Works
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| NRHP reference No. | 72001041 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1972 |
| Responsible body: private | |
The Tremper Mound and Works are ancient earthworks built by the Hopewell people. These people lived from about 100 BCE to 500 CE. The site includes an earthen enclosure and a large, oddly shaped mound. You can find this important historical site in Scioto County, Ohio. It is about five miles northwest of Portsmouth, Ohio. The site sits on a flat area overlooking the Scioto River. In 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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Exploring the Tremper Site
The Tremper Works feature a large earthen wall shaped like a flattened oval. This oval measures about 480 feet (146 meters) long and 407 feet (124 meters) wide. There was an opening on the southwest side to enter the oval area. In the middle of this oval, you'll find a big, unusual mound. Some people think this mound might be an effigy mound. An effigy mound is a mound built in the shape of an animal. However, there is no clear proof of this idea.
Early Discoveries and Digs
In the 1840s, Charles Whittlesey studied the Tremper site. He did this for researchers E. G. Squier and E. H. Davis. A drawing of the site was even put in their famous book, Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley.
Later, in 1915, William C. Mills led an excavation. He was from the Ohio Historical Society. During his dig, he found many "postmolds" at the bottom of the mound. Postmolds are marks left in the ground where wooden posts once stood. These marks showed the outline of a large wooden building. It was about 200 feet (61 meters) long and 100 feet (30 meters) wide. The pattern suggested it was a big building with several smaller rooms at its eastern end.
Amazing Pipes Found at Tremper
One of the most exciting finds at Tremper was over 500 objects. These objects had been purposely broken and left in one of the eastern rooms of the building. Among these items were 136 smoking pipes. These pipes were made from a special stone called catlinite or pipestone.
Animal-Shaped Pipes
Ninety of these pipes were "effigy pipes." This means they were sculpted into the shapes of animals. You can see animals like bears, wolves, dogs, beavers, and cougars. There were also otters, turtles, cranes, owls, herons, and hawks.
For a long time, people thought the stone for these pipes came from Ohio. They believed it was quarried from pipestone areas across the Scioto River from Tremper. But new tests have shown something different. Most of the pipes were actually made from Sterling pipestone. This type of stone comes from northwestern Illinois. Many of these amazing Tremper pipes are now on display. You can see them at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
