The Hopewell Culture and Its Network
What “Hopewell” means, and the wide network of contacts that brought exotic materials to Ohio. This reading uses the second paragraph of the page. It leaves out the first paragraph, which is about how the national park was created.
This page is a simplified version of the original text (leveled toward 800L). Photos, maps, and other images are not on this page — use the original link above to see them.
The park protects the magnificent earthworks of a lively social and ceremonial tradition. It flourished in the woodlands of eastern North America from 1 to 400 CE. The term Hopewell describes a broad network. It joined economic, political, and spiritual beliefs and practices among different Native American groups. The culture built enclosures made of earthen walls and ditches, often in geometric patterns. It also built mounds of many shapes. The culture is known for a network of contacts with other groups. The network stretched from the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountains. It let these Native Americans gather materials such as mica, shark’s teeth, obsidian, copper, and marine shells.