Butler County, Ohio - Chapter 3: Sacpwed Enclosures, 1879

Chapter 3: Sacpwed Enclosures

The form and location of a very large number of earthworks render it evident that they were not erected for military purposes. These have been called Sacred Enclosures. In the careful examination of the works of defense it is discovered that they are adapted in every case to the natural features of well chosen hills, and their avenues guarded with consummate skill. On the other hand the Sacred Enclosures are situated on the level river bottoms, and seldom occur upon the tablelands, or where the surface is broken. Some of the reasons for ascribing a portion of the enclosures to a religious or superstitious origin are thus given: The small dimensions of most of the circles; the occurrence of the ditch interior to the embankment; the occurrence of altars within the enclosures, and the fact that many of the enclosures are completely commanded by adjacent heights. The works are generally regular in their structure, and principally found in groups. The circular works are generally small, having nearly a uniform diameter of from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet, and the larger ones reaching more than a mile in circumference. They are accompanied by a gateway usually facing toward the east. In the vicinity of largQ works, small circles varying from thirty to fifty feet in diameter, and consisting of a light embankment with no gateway, are numerous. The walls are, for the most part, comparatively slight, ranging from three to seven feet, though at times imposing and reaching a height of not less than thirty feet. The walls are composed of surface material and clay. Many of tliese Avorks are accompanied by parallel walls, of slight embankments, sometimes reaching a length of eight hundred feet. The square, circle, octagon, ellipse, and parallel walls are sometimes found in combination.

Neumrk Worhs. - The most elaborate and complicated of all the works of the Mound Builders occur at the junction of the South and Raccoon forks of Licking Ei ver, near Newark. They are situated upon a plain elevated from thirty to fifty feet above the bottom land bordering on the stream. They consist of an extensive series of square, circular, and polygonal enclosures, with mounds, ditches, and connecting avenues, extending over about four square miles. This wonderful series of works have not continued to remain as they were when first discovered. Some of the minor structures have been nearly obliterated, and others have perhaps undergone considerable change. Fortunately very accurate surveys have been made and minute descriptions given, so that by the aid of the plans something may be known of these gigantic works. In 1836 Col. Charles Whittlesey made a very accurate survey ; and since then additions have been made so that it may now be said that we have the works complete. Our engraving is drawn from the plan as given in Wilson's ^^Pre-Historic Man,'^ which may be said to contain all that has been discovered.

By the aid of the accompanying plan (Fig. 3,) the reader's attention may be called to the most interesting features, although only a general discrjption Avill be attempted. Beginning at the most Avestern point we first encounter a true circle tAventy-eight hundred and eighty feet in circumference, and six feet in height, with no ditch. On the southAvestern part of this Avail is a feature never before noticed. It seems to indicate that the builders commenced to carry out parallel lines from this point, bat after having reached one hundred feet abandoned the idea and closed the opening by erecting a mound one hundred and scA'cnty feet long and fourteen feet high. This mound overlooks the ^vhole series of these works, aiul has received the name of the ^^Observatory.'' At the northeastern part, or directly opposite the Observatory is the gateway leadinii into an avenue three hundred feet long and sixty broad, the walls of which do not exceed four feet in height. This avenue terminates in one of the eight gateways of an octagon enclosing upwards of fifty acres. The gateways of the octagon are at the angles of the wall, and each covered upon by a mound five feet high by eighty to one hundred feet base, and placed sixty feet interior to the wall.

From the octagon there extend three lines of parallel walls. The line extending toward the south has been traced a distance of about two miles. The others extend in an easterly direction, and are a mile in length. The walls composing these lines are tAventy feet apart. The most northern line terminates by being carried down the foot of the terrace, - the bank being tnwardly excavated upwards of one hundred and fifty feet, and the earth thus removed appropriated to form an elevated way over the swampy ground immediately at the foot of the terrace.

The middle line of parallel walls terminates in a square, enclosing an area of twenty acres, with seven mounds symmetrically disposed within the walls. On the southwest of this wall is a gateway leading into a wide avenue of dissimilar parts and constructed apparently without relation to each other. Passing along this avenue, to a distance of about nineteen hundred and fifty feet, we come to the gateway of an elli})tical work, whose diameters are resj)ectively twelve hundred and fifty and eleven hundred and fifty feet. The embankment is about twelve feet in perpendicular height by fifty base, and has an interior ditch seven feet deep by thirty wide. At the gateway the embankment is sixteen feet high, with a ditch thirteen feet deep, giving an absolute height, iVom the interior, of twenty-nine feet. The gateway is eighty feet wide between the ditches, and as the ends of the wall curve outward one hundred feet, it is of that length also.

Sacred Enclosures

111 the center of the enclosure Is a remarkable structure in the form of a bird with expanded wings. The length of the body is one hundred and fifty-five feet; width sixty-three feet; height seven feet. Length of each wing one hundred and ten feet; width, in center, forty-five feet; same next the body, forty feet; height five feet. From the tip of one wing to that of the other, in a direct line, two hundred feet. The head points directly towards the gateway of the enclosure. Upon opening tliis effigy it w^as found to contain an altar. Immediately in the rear of the effigy and one hundred feet distant is a semi-circular embankment two hundred feet in length, not represented in the engraving.

Passing back to the square, we again have it connected with an elliptical w ork, larger than the rest of the works, and is situated on the northeast. The dimensions are not given in the surveys in my possession. There are other parallel walls in the plan and not less than twenty small circles of eighty feet diameter, accompanied by the ditch, the gateway in nearly every case opening towards the east. There are eleven circles without the gateways, and five other circles of larger dimensions, three of which are two hundred feet in diameter, and interior to the ditch have still another embankment.

The material for the construction of these walls was taken from the immediate vicinity, the excavated places remaining, and usually called ^Svells." A trench was cut through the "Observatory,'' when it Avas discovered that this part was constructed entirely of clay. From this it has been concluded that originally it was built of sun-dried bricks, but during the lapse of ages, the external or exposed surfaces have crumbled away. It may be that all the larger works of this series together with the heavier walls were either composed of or else faced with sun-dried bricks.

The large pond no longer exists, having been drained in order to reclaim the land. In the circle containing the bird the fair grounds are now located.

designed for a military purpose. Every feature would disprove it. Fortifications, however, do occur within four or five miles; also a gigantic effigy supposed to represent an alligator, not far from Granville.

High Jjdnk 11 or/:.s\ - Five miles below Chlllicothe and on the right bank of the Scioto, the enclosures designated ^'High Bank Works'' occur. At this point the river has cut its way up to the third .terrace, which in consequence presents a bold bank rising not less than seventy-five feet above the water. This terrace spreads out into a beautiful level plain. The principal works located upon this terrace consist of an octagon and a circle, the former enclosing eighteen and the latter twenty acres. The octagon is nob regular, although its sides are equal, and its alternate angles coincident. These two works are connected by a gateway. The wall of the circle is from four to five feet in height, and the walls of the octagon about eleven by fifty feet base. The octagon contains seven gateways, each covered upon by a mound. It appears that originally there was still another, but afterwards closed, the accompanying mound still remaining. Almost contiguous to the octagon are two smaller circles, one two hundred and fifty feet diameter and the other three hundred. A half mile to the south, and connected with these works by lines of embankment, is a small group of works partially destroyed by the river. Besides these, not less than nine circles of fifty feet diameter are also found near the works.

Other Works. - The singular group of works at Hopeton, same county, is simihir to the one just described. Other interesting works occur in the vicinity of Chillicothe. In Liberty township, same county, is a singular work consisting of two j)erfect circles, a square, and one semi-circle, all in combination. The larger circle is seventeen hundred and twenty feet diameter, and the smaller eight hundred, and the scpiare work measures one thousand and eighty feet upon each side. The walls are interrui)ted at the corners and the middle of each side by gateways thirty feet wide. The gateways in the middle of each side are covered upon by mounds - the

Numerous other works of more or less interest occur in Ross County. Also in Athens, Pike, Washington, Scioto, Franklin, Fairfield, Greene, Montgomery, Butler and Clermont Counties.

Graded Ways. - Accompanying some of the enclosures is another class which has been denominated Graded Ways or Avenues, the purposes of which are not clear. They sometimes ascend from one terrace to another, and occasionally descend towards the banks of rivers. One occurs at Marietta (referred to on page 45), another at Piqua, another near Richmondale, and the most remarkable one near Piketon, Pike County. An illustration of the latter named is given in Fig. 4.

It consists of a graded ascent from the second to the third terrace, the level of the latter being seventeen feet above the former. The way is one thousand and eighty feet long, by two hundred and fifteen feet at the lower, and two hundred and three feet at the upper extremity. The earth is thrown outward on either hand - the embankments on the outer sides varying from five to eleven feet in height. At the lower extremity of grade the w^alls upon the interior are twenty- two feet in perpendicular height. Upon the third terrace the eastern line of embankment is extended two thousand five hundred and eighty feet, terminating near a group of mounds, one of which is thirty feet high. Fifteen hundred feet from the grade another wall starts off from the main line at right angles to a distance of two hundred and tw^elve feet, when it assumes a parallel course to the principal line, and continues for four hundred and twenty feet, and then curves inwardly two hundred and forty feet, and terminates near a group of mounds.

It is impossible to tell the use of this work. On first view it would appear to have been constructed to facilitate the ascent from the second to the third terrace. But the manifest connection of the Graded Way w^ith the mounds unsettles such a conclusion. A probable solu-

Bemarks. - In giving the foregoing examples of these ancient structures, the aim has simply been to give the reader a fair conception of the magnitude of these wonderful and stupendous works. A detailed list and description should be accompanied by plans, for without the drawings the particulars must of necessity be vague.

The structures coming under the head of Sacred Enclosures are supposed by archaeologists to be places devoted for purposes of worship and the homes of the priesthood. The diameters of some of the enclosures are so great that they could not have served as the walls of temples. Within these places, if we are to judge by the manners and customs of the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians, were erected the shrines of their gods, and the altars of this ancient people. Within the larger circles may have been their sacred groves, and the temples made of wood. The smaller circles may have been designed for the priesthood - the residence of the priest - situated in such an enclosure as was most compatible with his position in the priesthood. The parallel walls were possibly intended for protection during the mysterious marches from one enclosure to another. Possibly some of these structures Avere designed for purposes of sport among the athletic, or else council-houses for purposes of legislation. This idea, however, must necessarily be treated when their manners and customs are reviewed.

If we assign any or all these structures to religious purposes, there is nothing singular in the fact that these great walls were constructed, for it has been the custom among various heathen nations to protect their sacred places by walls, in order to preserve them from desecration by animals, or intrusion by the irreverent. Even among the ancient Hebrews sacred places were sometimes enclosed to prevent their profanation. '^And Moses said unto the Lord, the people cannot come up to Mount Sinai : for thou chargedst us, saying, ^set bounds about the Mount, and sanctify it/ '' (Ex. xix. 23.) We are also informed that the Tabernacle had its outer enclosure. It was supported by pillars of brass, seven and one-half feet in height, the whole being enclosed by canvas screens, and only l)roken on the eastern side by the entrance. A description of the Tabernacle is given in Exodus, xxvi., xxvii., and xxxvii. chapters. As Solomon's Temple was the counterpart of the Tabernacle, except double it in ilimensions, we have here also a protection.

It is true but few of these sacred enclosures contain temple mounds, but it does not follow that because elevated places were made fur the temples, consequently all temples must be situated on mounds especially erected for that purpose. Undoubtedly there were many temples w^hich were built upon the level surface of the ground. The sacred enclosures occur in various places where there are no temple mounds in that vicinity or region. Those places are well marked as having been densely populated. The people were not without their priesthood and their place of worship. Suitable structures were undoubtedly erected for these people. Where the temple mounds occur were probably the chief places of worship, the same as the temple at Jerusalem was the chief place for the Jewish people.

The altars found within the enclosures, and presenting positive evidence of having been used for sacriiice, and thus proving, at least, that some were sacred, Avill be fepoken of in their proper place.