The wonder of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Ohio is home to a remarkable archeological wonder, constructed by Indigenous ancestors thousands of years ago.

The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is recognized worldwide as a marvel of human ingenuity on par with the pyramids.

“Hopewell Earthworks: Stories Written on the Land,” is a six-part digital docuseries exploring the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.

Part III

What Made The Earthworks Worth The Journey?

Two thousand years ago, Indigenous people returned to these earthworks again and again, drawn to a landscape where belief was shaped directly into the land. What did they understand about the universe—and their place within it? 

Logan York, a citizen of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, travels to the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in Chillicothe, Ohio, to walk the land his ancestors once shaped, and considers what guided their decisions. What purposes were embedded in these vast designs? And what understandings still lie just beyond what we can fully grasp?