Ross County, Ohio's Lost Nephilim Sun Temple

Ross County, Ohio's Lost Nephilim Sun Temple

Sun Temple or Henge located on the North Fork of Paint Creek in Ross County, Ohio is clearly seen in this early 1990s aerial photo.To see all of the visible burial mounds and earthworks in Ross County, Ohio

A wider view shows Paint Creek to the south where the North Fork Henge site was located.

Over 100 Adena Hopewell Burial Mound and Earthworks Photographed

Prehistoric Burial Mounds and Earthworks in Ashtabula County, Ohio

Prehistoric Burial Mounds and Earthworks in Ashtabula County, Ohio

ASHTABULA COUNTY, ARCHAEOLOGY

Ashtabula, the extreme northeastern county of the state, was 
traversed by the old original trail which skirted the southern 
shore of Lake Erie. Throughout the northern part of the county, 
are found evidences of the great importance of this trail as a 
passageway from east to west, south of the great lakes. Man}' im- 
plements of stone and other materials have been picked up along 
the course of this old highway and numerous burials have been 
noted. 

The principal earthworks are in Conneaut, Wayne and Wind- 
sor townships. Several mounds are located along the Ashtabula 
and Grand rivers and their tributaries. An aboriginal cemetery 
of considerable importance existed on the Present site of  Conneaut                        

Archaeology Map of the Mound Builders Works in Ohio

Archaeology Map of The Mound Builders Works in Ohio

Coming down to a smaller scope of territory, can it be shown that in the case of any one state the early Indian mound builders occupied the portions most heavily populated today? It has been said that, in Ohio, four counties contain evidence of having been the scenes of special activity on the part of the earliest inhabitants: Butler, Licking, Ross, and Franklin. These are interior counties (at a distance from the Ohio and Lake Erie) and, of the remaining sixty-three interior counties in the state, only seven exceeded these four in population in 1880—when the cities had not so largely robbed the country districts of their population as now. Thus the aborigines seem to have been busiest where we have been busiest in the last half of the nineteenth century.

                 Map showing the location of the mound builders works in ohio

Over 200 Burial Mound and Earthwork Sites Photographed and Directions Listed

Wisconsin Native American Mound Builders Archaeology Map

Wisconsin Native American Mound Builders Archaeology Map

In Wisconsin the early Native American mound-building Indians labored most in the southern part of the state, where the bulk of that state’s population is today—seventy-five per cent being found in the southern (and smaller) half of the state.

Archaeologists Corrected on Position of the Liberty Works in Ross County, Ohio

Map from "The Nephilim Chronicles: A Travel Guide to the Ancient Ruins in the Ohio Valley," shows the position of some of the largest geometric earthworks constructed by the Hopewell Sioux in the Ohio Valley. None of these were preserved, even Mound City is a reconstruction.
What little was left has been destroyed by archaeologsts.  The Liberty Works is the last earthwork of the group along the Scioto River.

 Just what the archaeologists have been digging in to the last 30 years at the Liberty Works, south of Chillicothe, in Ross County, Ohio, has alluded them to this day.  The Liberty Works was a large, geometric shaped earthwork that consisted of a large circle, 1720 feet in diameter along with and attached square and circular work. It was constructed between 200 B.C. - 200 A. D. by the Hopewell Sioux.  It was just recently that the archaeologists realized that the Squire and Davis map of the Liberty Works, , done in 1848 and published  in, "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley." was printed backwards. Recent archaeological appears point out this error, and have now flipped the map into its correct position, or did they?
   For the record this is the correct position of the Liberty works located to the southeast of Chillicothe, Ohio.

The original map of the Liberty Works was done by Squire and Davis is 1848 in "Ancient Monuments of the Ohio Valley."  The plate was published backward, which was undetected until archaeologists corrected the map recently. The dimensions of the works included a small circle that was 800 feet in diameter, a large circle 1720 feet in diameter and a square that was 1080 feet per side.

Picture of the large burial mound within the 1720 foot circle.  

Moorehead and his gang digging and destroying what had been called the Harness Mound

After numerous excavations, archaeologists realized that the road depicted on the Squire and Davis Map was going the wrong direction.  The earthwork is located to the southeast of Chillicothe as the corrected map depicts.  But it is still wrong!

This is the corrected archaeological map of the Liberty Works.  The square work is located southwest of the road.  Why wouldn't the archaeologists use aerials to at least have clue of what they were digging in to???  Such zeal to dig, but so little understanding of what they are digging into.
While there are papers on the  mound, there is nothing about what the earthwork symbolized.
The square represents the Earth Mother.  We know this by the measurement of the sides of 1080 feet and where else this number occurs in the Ohio valley works.  The smaller circle represents the Sun Father.  It is believed from the study of Sioux religion that the large circle represents "The totality of the people."  The diameter of the circle at 1720 feet is also expressed as 215 X 8 = 1720.  The length of 215 occurs at Mounds State Park's vesica shaped earthwork and within a similar shaped work at New Castle Indiana that is also 215 feet.  The vesica pisca shape has been symbolic of the Earth Mother.  The use of the number 8 has been the number interpreted as "new beginning." in nearly all of the ancient religions.
   An interpretation of the symbolism of the earthwork would be the "Rebirth of Mother Nature." There is also Solar deity aspects contained within the lengths and geometric shapes within the Work.

Aerial photo of the Liberty Works clearly shows that the square is on the western side of the road.  I also discovered a "graded " or "sacred via"emanating from the northwest corner of the work,  that was not depicted in Squire and Davis's original survey.  The angle of the "sacred via" appears to be aligned to the Summer Solstice sunset.  The rounded corners on the northwest part of the square are similar to those at the Hopeton works.  The smaller circle is slightly perceptible on the eastern side of the road.

Here is an archaeological investigation of the Liberty Work that was done in 2005. A map is featured on the page that shows the position of three large earthworks along the Scioto, south of the Paint Creek confluence.  The map shown of the Liberty Work is the archaeologists "revised" map.  Still ain't right.  
Who knows how much money was received in grants for this project? Wherever they thought they were digging, they were not.  What ever conclusions were drawn from this are invalid, as are all of the other digs done in the last 40 years by the Ohio Historical Society.  


Link to the Ohio Archaeologists Map and Dig at the Liberty Works

An Archaeological Survey of Adena Indian Burial Mounds and Earthworks in Wayne County, Indiana

An Archaeological Survey of Indian Burial Mounds and Earthworks in Wayne County, Indiana

A map showing the locations of burial mounds and earthworks in Wayne County, Indiana

Eighth Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Indiana, 1876

      The high table-lands of this county, and its deep canon-like river valleys, afforded the Mound Builders favorable sites for their settlements, and we constantly find the remains of a number of large and interesting earthworks and a great many mounds scattered along the bluffs of the streams. Prof. J.C. MacPherson, county superintendent of schools of Wayne County, has kindly furnished me with a sketch of these ancient works, and as he has given considerable attention to the study of archaeology, his report is a very valuable acquisition to our knowledge on this subject, and I take pleasure in presenting it to the public.

“Observations on the Prehistoric Earthworks of Wayne County, Indiana”

     The surface of Wayne County presents many evidences of occupancy by the Mound Builders. Mounds are found in all parts of the county-situated on the uplands and along the courses of the streams. The plowshare has leveled many, and some have been removed in opening roads to the material used in making brick. Twenty-five mounds have been located on a map of the county prepared in connection with the geological report.

The works in the county seem to be a continuation southward from the works along White River in Randolph County, and follow the branches of the White Water. Perhaps, when all the works located in this part of the Ohio Valley are mapped, some systematic arrangement may be discovered.

Three miles north from Fountain City (formerly called Newport), on a rise overlooking the wooded valley of Noland’s fork, is a mound seventy-five feet in diameter, (section 19, township 18, range 15 east).

A slight undulation in this field still marks the site of this burial mound.  

Another is on the farm of Daniel Hough, adjoining Fountain City. A third is said to have been removed in making the principal street of that town.

One mile northeast from Fountain City, on level ground, between Noland’s fork and a small tributary-Buck run-is an embankment enclosing eleven acres. The figure (Plate C) of this earthwork is a square with curved corners. The length on the inside of the embankment is 780 feet. The embankment has been plowed over for years, yet can be plainly traced. A gateway is discernible on the west side, and hollows are found in the vicinity, which some suppose were made by the builders when collecting material for the embankment. Since the accompanying map was made, a more careful survey has discovered the fact that the direction of the embankment is not due north and south, but at an angle, with the west side nearly parallel with the road.

Making the correction stated above about the position of the earthwork, if it was parallel to the road the gateway would be aligned to the summer solstice sunset and would again align to the west on the winter solstice sunrise.   

Undulations in this field are the only remnants of the once massive 50 feet wide earthen wall that enclosed this sacred temple. I have a LIDAR image of this fort where you can see the wall perfectly. https://adenahopewellmoundbuildersohiovalley.blogspot.com/2019/03/wayne-county-indiana-adena-square.html

A large mound stood two miles north from Chester (Section 4, Township 14, and Range 1 west). The greater part was removed in making the Arba road. A copper ring was found therein, and is now in the collection at Earlham College. (Judge N.R. Overman informs me that four copper bracelets were found. He has one in his cabinet. He also has three flint implements taken from this mound.)

Several mounds are situated in the neighborhood of Middleboro. Some have been opened, but no contents worthy of notice have been obtained.

One mile north from Richmond, on the Hoover farm, and in the vicinity, several small mounds were located. In one, when removed, was found a copper ornament.

The map shows two burial mounds and a square enclosure within the city limits of Richmond

One of the burial mounds near the square enclosure is still visible in some dense thickets. The mound is unique in that a graded way leads to second terrace below.

A mound near Earlham College was opened by President Moore and the usual contents of mounds found-pieces of pottery, ashes, and other evidences of fire.

On the J.C. Ratliff farm a mound was opened, and some small articles, which were at first supposed to be beads, but are now thought to be parched corn, found therein. L.B. Case, of Richmond, has some grains of corn, which were found in a jar some distance below the surface of the ground, in the vicinity of that place.

A large mound south from the town of Centreville was deemed of sufficient note to be marked upon an early map of the State, but has since been destroyed.

In the southwestern part of Boston Township is a mound hidden away in a “hollow”; and one formerly stood south from Richmond near the Boston pike.

A small burial mound located in a holler next to a small creek.  Small burial mounds like this that are tucked away far from the road are in the greatest danger of being destroyed by University archaeologists. 

Traces of a mound are to be seen on the farm of James W. Martindale, adjoining Washington. This mound was opened in early times, and charcoal found near the original surface of the ground. A great quantity of arrowheads has been found around a spring (long since dry) near this mound.

A circular embankment was found near Green’s fork, east from Jacksonburg, twenty-five feet in diameter. It was long since plowed down.

Two mounds are to be seen a short distance northwest from Jacksonburg.

Overlooking Martindale’s creek in Jefferson Township (section 18, township 17 north, range 13 east,) is a mound. Also two in the bottom land along West River, at Hagerstown.

Two miles southeast from Milton (section 6, township 15, range 13 east,) is a beautiful mound, fifteen feet in diameter. Forest trees are still standing upon it; also a stump measuring two feet across.

Headwaters to creeks were Sacred Grounds to the early mound builders.

The burial mound is still visible in this field, but it is now under cultivation.  It appears that this mound is of natural origin, but was used for burials.  

Near the county line, about one-mile north of Waterloo, Fayette County, is a mound upon high ground, and about a mile to the southeast, in Fayette County, is a curiously shaped.

This mound is visible across the road from the holler.  According to the landowner it was much more conical years ago before being plowed.

The most notable mounds (Plates A and B) in Wayne County are located on the left bank of the west branch of the White Water River, one and a quarter miles north of Cambridge City. They consist of a series of circular embankments, continued over half a mile of ground.

Earthwork cox near Cambridge City, Indiana

The south circle (Plate A) is in the best state of preservation. The embankment was made of the earth taken from the trench, which is on the inside of the embankment. Within, the ground has been made to slope gently from the center to the bottom of the trench, except to the east, where there was left a roadway leading from the center through a gateway in the embankment to the level ground beyond. The embankment is four feet above the surface of the field, and seven feet above the bottom of the trench, and wide enough on the top to allow two carriages to pass each other. The gateway is one rod wide. This circle is made of gravelly soil, while the north circle is composed of a loam, and has yielded more to the destroying influence of plowing.  It is not as symmetrical as the other, being more oval in outline.

Two large henges of the Cambridge City earthwork complex.  The north henge is aligned to the summer solstice sunrise, and would align again on the winter solstice sunset.

Henge complexes at Mounds State Park in Anderson, New Castle Indiana, and Athens, Ohio all contained 8 works in the group. From the previous map, the Indiana Geological Survey placed 7 north along the river and the two main henges.  In this aerial photo the 8th earthwork is revealed next to the southern henges northwest side.  A similar, smaller circle also occurs at Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana. I have a LIDAR image of this site that reveals a new revelation about the north work that was not a circle but a Panuriform.  To see the photo https://adenahopewellmoundbuildersohiovalley.blogspot.com/2019/04/wayne-county-indiana-panduriform-henge.html

Despite being plowed for years the central platform and exterior ditches are still visible of the Southern Henge. The gateway also still visible and marking the yearly equinoxes as it has done for the last 2000 years.

The class of works to which these belong is described in “Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley,” page 47, and are denominated “Sacred Enclosures.”

These two circles on Plate A, are about fifteen rods apart, and about the same distance from the bluff of the stream. In the bluff, equally distant from both the circles, is a passageway cut from the top of the bluff to low ground bordering the water, some twelve feet below. This cut is evidently not a water-wash, for along the sides can be seen the earth which was removed in making it thrown up as dirt is thrown up along the sides of a ditch.

This "cut" is still visible between the two henges that leads on a gradual descent to a small creek that runs to the west of the earthworks.  It is evidence of an important concept at most earthworks sites that will have elements of both the Sky Father (sun) and the Earth Mother (creek)

The bluff here spoken of is the edge of the first terrace. The rounded margin of the second terrace can be seen a quarter of a mile to the east.

Several hundred feet north from the second of the above-described circles is a group of five small circles (Plate B). With one exception these are about sixty feet in diameter, and are now from one to two feet high. The circle numbered 3, on Plate B, is at the point of a tongue of higher ground, and affords an outlook over the other works.  The embankment of the largest work in this group (numbered 7) can not be traced on the south, that part being in a field which has long been cultivated. Trees of large size were, until recently, standing upon the embankments of these works.

Burial places and remains have been found in various localities within the county. A number of years ago, in removing the gravel from a bank in the northwest part of Jefferson Township, nine feet below the surface, eight skeletons were discovered. They had been buried in an upright position. These bones were gathered together by the workmen and reburied in a common grave. In constructing the Valley Railroad from Hagerstown to Cambridge City, human remains were exhumed; also some at the latter place.

O. Beeson communicated to the local papers some twelve years ago an account of the discovery of a burial place in the extreme southwest corner of the county. Many skeletons were found in a gravel bank, some having been placed in a sitting posture and some with the head downward.

Recently some twenty or more skeletons were unearthed in a gravel pit on George Jordan’s farm, about two miles northwest from Economy. These bodies seem to have been buried in graves a few feet apart, and six feet below the surface. Some of them were in a sitting position, while others were in various positions.

The discovery of a human skeleton in a mound on the bank of White Water, near Richmond, many years ago, was the occasion for the following lines from the pen of the late John Finley; author of the “Hoosier’s Nest,” and other poems, and once Mayor of Richmond.

“Year after year its course has sped,

Age after age has passed away,

And generations born and dead,

Have mingled with their kindred clay,

Since this rude pile, to memory dear,

Was watered by affection’s tear.

* * * * * * * * * *

“No legend tells thy hidden tale,

Thou relic of a race unknown!

Oblivion’s deepest, darkest veil

Around thy history is thrown;

Fate, with arbitrary hand,

Inscribed thy story on the sand.”

Stone and flint implements were formerly found in great numbers in this region. Wayne County, like the rest of our State, has suffered in being robbed by collectors and traffickers, who have carried away many specimens to grace the museums of other states. But recently more interest has been manifested in the subject of archaeology, and the collection at Earlham College, and several private collections, are beginning to assume interesting proportions.

“Setzler’s Survey”, Indiana Historical Society

The Indiana Historical Society is in leauge with the university archaeologists and the DNR to destroy every mound in Indiana. Despite a historical legacy than spans thousands of years the Indiana Historical Society has not saved, preserved or even noted any of these antiquities as historic sites. They have given millions of dollars to universities to desecrate burial mounds across the State.

The following list is a good example of the mindless destruction done to Indiana's antiquities by the Indiana Historical Society.

These are mounds in his report in addition to mounds reported by McPherson.

1.) Schroeder Mound. On the east bank of the Green Fork. Diameter of mound twelve feet, six inches. Located in the southeast one quarter of Section 21, Green Township.

Very little remains of the Schroeder mound after Setzler and the Indiana Historical Society were done with it.

*If mound found in frac.-Section 19 of New Garden Township, mound was originally forty feet in diameter and three feet high.

2.) Teetor Mound. Located one mile east of Hagerstown on Highway 38. Originally the mound was 43 feet in diameter and eight feet high.  Southeast quarter of Section 23, Jefferson Township.

3.) Wolford Mound. Measured 45” in diameter and five and half feet high. One-quarter mild northeast of the circular earthwork. Mound’s location was the northeast one quarter of Section 15, Jefferson Township.

4.) This mound was used by surveyors as a base for survey measurements. It was described as being 45 feet in diameter and nine feet high. Located in the northwest one quarter of Section 5, Jackson Township.

5.) Secrist Mound. Was located in a woods, one half mile southeast of Jacksonburgh. Mound was originally 42 feet in diameter and eight feet high. Located in the southwest one-quarter of Section 8, Harrison Township.

6.) Davis Mound. Near the edge of the east bank of the Green Fork stood a mound 43 feet in diameter and 5 feet high. Located in the northeast one quarter of Section 16, Harrison Township.

7.) No physical descriptions exist of two mounds located in the northeast one quarter of Section 6 and the northwest one quarter of Section 5, Harrison Township.

8.) In the northeast one quarter of Section 6 and the northwest one quarter of Section5, Harrison Township.

9.) Hodgins Mound. Original dimensions were thirty-nine feet north and south, forty-eight feet east and west and was three to four feet in height. Located in the southeast one quarter of Section 21, Wayne Township.

Burial mound is still visible on a table of high ground that descends into an aquifer. The mound is located within the city limits of Richmond.

10.) Richmond City Waterworks. Mound originally was thirty-five feet in diameter and nearly six feet high. Located in the northeast one quarter of Section 34, Wayne Township.

After an hour of clearing brush from the earthen heap, we were able to photograph the Waterworks mound.  It would be visible from the road if it were cleared.

11.) Mound once stood roughly 11,000 feet from the west bank of the East Fork of the Whitewater River in the northwest one quarter of Section 8, Wayne Township.

12.) One mile south of the City of Milton was a mound forty-nine feet in diameter and five feet high in the northwest one quarter of Section 11, Washington Township.

13.) A small mound was located in the northwest one quarter of Section 12, Washington Township.

14.) Doddridge Mound. Located on a sharp bend of Noland’s fork. Originally the mound was thirty-eight feet in diameter and three feet high in the southwest one quarter of Section 16, Washington Township.

15.) Robbins Mound. Mound used to be visible from the road that divides Section 17. Its size was forty-five feet east, west, and 35 feet north-south with a height of four feet. Location was the northwest one quarter of Section 17, Abington Township

Direction to 85 Ancient Burial Mounds and Earthworks in Indiana