On view in the Storyteller's Gallery from October 27, 2025 - January 2026.
The present-day area of Ohio is at the heart of a dynamic and lasting phenomenon of shaping the earth for spiritual, scientific, and aesthetic purposes. The overlapping cultures today known as the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient first created these works between 800 BCE and 1750 CE. The recent listing of eight Hopewell earthworks in present-day Ohio as UNESCO World Heritage Sites put a spotlight on the built heritage of Native Americans in the area. However, these relatively well-preserved sites only represent a small fraction of the earthwork sites in the Ohio Valley.
No systematic representation of these earthworks and their existing context has been conducted since the mid-nineteenth century. A rapidly changing pattern of land use in the region makes it important to document the current state of the earthworks. Fortunately, current technologies make it easier than ever before to sensitively gather and present this information, balancing building awareness with an acknowledgement of the need to keep these sites undisturbed. Over the past few years, the U.S. Geological Survey has funded a series of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) surveys that describe the landforms of the state at an unprecedented level of detail. This exhibit translates this data, along with up-to-date aerial information and little-seen archival material, into detailed maps, models, and drawings.
This exhibit focuses on a subset of twenty indigenous earthworks sites in the Ohio Valley to exemplify larger trends in how these sites have persisted and changed over time. Contemporary photographs of each earthwork help to capture the site in its current state. A unique modular table design allows visitors to engage the sites through touch. These case studies suggest the continuing meaning and value of these sites for those connected to them, as well as the challenges they face.
About the Team
Faculty
- Justin Parscher, Washington University
- Jake Boswell
- Beth Blostein
- Bart Overly
- John Low
Students
- Gabbie McCreary (BSLA ’27)
- Kate Broussard (MLA ’25)
- Varun Gulavane (MLA/MArch ’24)
Visit
The Storyteller's Gallery is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
The Storyteller's Gallery is located on the second floor of Louella Hodges Reese Hall (formerly Founders), 1179 University Drive, Newark, Ohio 43055 .