Butler County, Ohio Archaeological Map Detailing the Ancient Mounds and Earthworks
The Great Mound in Butler County with the middle of the structure removed by the Ohio Historical Society, giving it the appearance of having two peaks.
Let us bring figures to bear upon this question of labor. The largest mound in Butler county, is in Madison township. " Its altitude is forty-three feet with a circular base of five hundred and eleven feet. The hypothenuse is eighty-eight feet, the contents being eight hundred and twenty-four thousand four hundred and eighty cubic feet. At twenty-two cubic feet per load, this would give thirty-seven thousand four hundred and seventy-six wagon loads, which allowing ten loads per day, would take one man twelve years (not including Sundays) to remove the mound say a distance of one mile. — (Dr. J. B. Owsley.)" —McLean, 224.
An archaeological map showing the locations of burial mounds and earthworks in Butler County, Ohio
This large mound was once encircled by smaller mounds. Like most of the 2500 year old antiquities of Butler county, this is left overgrown and does not even warrant a historical marker.
The largest Adena stone mound in Ohio is located in Butler County, near Jacksonburg. This ancient site also does not warrant any kind of historical marker.
Adena burial mound located within a cemetery in Butler County, Ohio. Only if the burial mounds can be purchased and cared for by private enterprise is there any hope of preservation of these antiquities. Any mound or earthwork that ends up under the protection of the Ohio Historical Society will soon be handed over to university grave robbers for complete destruction.
Butler County, Ohio townships and the number of mounds located in each
Two enclosures located in Butler County, Ohio. The earthworks depicted on top is a Serpent Mound, with two heads of the Serpent facing a central sun disc.
One of Ohio's most enigmatic serpentine works is still visible within Rentschler Forest Preserve in Butler County, Ohio.
The embankments of the two serpent effigy mounds are still clearly visible along with the circular work that represents the sun disc or egg.
Another Serpentine works located in Butler County, Ohio
Fort Hill in Butler County, Ohio
Fortified Hill " in Butler county, shown in figure 69 (S. & D., 16, plate VI) is "on the west side of the Great Miami River, three miles below the town of Hamilton. * * * The hill, the summit of which it occupies, is about half a mile distant from the present bed of the river, and is not far from two hundred and fifty feet high, being considerably more elevated than any other in the vicinity. It is surrounded at all points, except a narrow space at the north, by deep ravines, presenting steep and almost inaccessible declivities. The descent toward the north is gradual; and from that direction the hill is easy of access. * * * Skirting the brow of the hill, and generally conforming to its outline, is a wall of mingled earth and stone, having an average height of five feet by thirty- five feet base. It has no accompanying ditch ; the earth composing it, which is a stiff clay, having been for the most part taken up from the surface, without leaving any marked excavation. There are a number of 'dug holes,' however, at various points, from which it is evident a portion of the material was obtained. The wall is interrupted by four gateways or passages, each twenty feet wide ; one opening to the north, one on the approach above mentioned, and the others occurring where the spurs of the hill are cut off by the parapet, and where the declivity is least abrupt. They are all, with one exception, protected by inner lines of embankment, of a most singular and intricate description. The The stone mounds, S. and W., are each about eight feet high. The mound at the north contained a quantity of stone which seemed to have been burned. " The ground in the interior of this work gradually rises, as indi cated in the section, to the height of twenty-six feet above the base of the wall, and overlooks the entire adjacent country." — S. & D., 16.
Let us bring figures to bear upon this question of labor. The largest mound in Butler county, is in Madison township. " Its altitude is forty-three feet with a circular base of five hundred and eleven feet. The hypothenuse is eighty-eight feet, the contents being eight hundred and twenty-four thousand four hundred and eighty cubic feet. At twenty-two cubic feet per load, this would give thirty-seven thousand four hundred and seventy-six wagon loads, which allowing ten loads per day, would take one man twelve years (not including Sundays) to remove the mound say a distance of one mile. — (Dr. J. B. Owsley.)" —McLean, 224.
Fortified Hill " in Butler county, shown in figure 69 (S. & D., 16, plate VI) is "on the west side of the Great Miami River, three miles below the town of Hamilton. * * * The hill, the summit of which it occupies, is about half a mile distant from the present bed of the river, and is not far from two hundred and fifty feet high, being considerably more elevated than any other in the vicinity. It is surrounded at all points, except a narrow space at the north, by deep ravines, presenting steep and almost inaccessible declivities. The descent toward the north is gradual; and from that direction the hill is easy of access. * * * Skirting the brow of the hill, and generally conforming to its outline, is a wall of mingled earth and stone, having an average height of five feet by thirty- five feet base. It has no accompanying ditch ; the earth composing it, which is a stiff clay, having been for the most part taken up from the surface, without leaving any marked excavation. There are a number of 'dug holes,' however, at various points, from which it is evident a portion of the material was obtained. The wall is interrupted by four gateways or passages, each twenty feet wide ; one opening to the north, one on the approach above mentioned, and the others occurring where the spurs of the hill are cut off by the parapet, and where the declivity is least abrupt. They are all, with one exception, protected by inner lines of embankment, of a most singular and intricate description. The The stone mounds, S. and W., are each about eight feet high. The mound at the north contained a quantity of stone which seemed to have been burned. " The ground in the interior of this work gradually rises, as indi cated in the section, to the height of twenty-six feet above the base of the wall, and overlooks the entire adjacent country." — S. & D., 16.
