The Eads earthwork: Implications for Hopewell ceremonialism

Abstract

Eads (33Ct750) is a recently discovered Hopewell hilltop earthwork, which encloses ∼10 ha above the Bares Run-O’Bannon Creek-Little Miami River confluence area. Eads falls within the interquartile size range of other Ohio Hopewell earthworks. Like the nearby Foster's enclosure, Eads is a sub-meter earthwork with a single pronounced east-to-west berm, > 70.0 m in length and > 5.0 m in height. The peak of promontory aligns with the center of the Goodnough-Brock mound (33Ct751) at a compass direction of 300o, the summer solstice sunset azimuth for the Middle Woodland cultural period. The archeoastronomy alignment and artifacts recovered from a pedestrian survey and test excavations suggest that the Eads hilltop earthwork was designed, built, and used for ceremonial purposes.