Ohio’s Serpent Mound is the largest prehistoric effigy in the world, and a National Historic Landmark. First recorded and surveyed in the mid-19th century by settlers of European descent, it has not always been clear how old the Mound is and who created it.
With several mounds from the Adena Culture nearby, it was a natural conclusion that they were responsible for the creation of this Mound, as well, and that it was built sometime around 300 B.C. But further research performed in the 1990s revealed through radiocarbon dating technology that it was more likely to have been built by the Fort Ancient Culture around 1100 A.D.
This Thanksgiving holiday weekend, take some time to learn about the many native cultures and peoples who lived on the the land we now call Ohio. And if you are in the neighborhood of the Serpent Mound, no matter what time of year, you can visit the site itself thanks to Ohio History Connection and the Arc of Appalachia organization.