Ancient Earthworks, Day 2 -- May 20, 2011

The second day of OLLI's Ancient Earthworks learning trip began with an early morning visit to Fort Ancient State Memorial in Oregonia, Ohio. Park archeologist Jack Blosser welcomed our group and provided an in-depth look of the 9,000 square-foot museum and adjacent grounds, which feature more than 18,000 feet of earthen walls.

Next, we drove to Peebles, Ohio for a walking tour of Serpent Mound, known as the largest and finest serpent effigy in the United States. Nearly a quarter of a mile long, Serpent Mound represents an uncoiling serpent whose head is aligned to the summer solstice sunset. This public park, in operation for more than a century, also contains exhibits on the effigy and the geology of the surrounding area.

Archeologist and national park ranger Bret Ruby met our group at the day's third site, Seip Mound. Seip, the central mound in a group of geometric earthworks, is 240 feet long, 130 feet wide, and 30 feet high, and was built by the Hopewell Indians as a burial site.

Following lunch at the Chillicothe Country Club, we enjoyed a private tour of the Adena Mansion and Gardens, a 2,000 acre estate once owned by former Ohio governor and United States Senator Thomas Worthington. Our last stop of the day was a look at Story Mound, a large, rounded earthen mound located on just under an acre of ground in the heart of a residential neighborhood in Chillicothe.

Day Two ended with a delicious dinner at the Pump House Center for the Arts, catered by Old Canal Smokehouse.