Newark Earthworks
The Newark Earthworks in Newark and Heath, Ohio, consist of three sections of preserved earthworks: the Great Circle Earthworks, the Octagon Earthworks, and the Wright Earthworks. This complex, built by the Hopewell culture between 100 BCE and 400 CE, contains the largest earthen enclosures in the world, and was about 3,000 acres in total extent. Less than 10 percent of the total site has been preserved since European-American settlement; this area contains a total of 206 acres (83 ha). Newark's Octagon and Great Circle Earthworks are managed by the Ohio History Connection. A designated National Historic Landmark, in 2006 the Newark Earthworks was also designated as the "official prehistoric monument of the State of Ohio."
Newark Earthworks | |
View along the main wall and the moat from the outside the Great Circle. The break in the wall - the traditional entrance - is visible in the far distance. | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by Union, 30th, James, and Waldo streets, and OH 16, Newark, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°2′31.8″N 82°25′48.4″W |
| Area | 190 acres (77 ha) (landmarked area) |
| Architectural style | Hopewell culture |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000614 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 10, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 19, 1964 |
This is part of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, one of 14 sites nominated in January 2008 by the U.S. Department of the Interior for potential submission by the United States to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was officially designated a World Heritage Site in September 2023 together with the earthworks at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and Fort Ancient.