An Ancient Culture still at risk

2000 years of history are in danger of disappearing, much like the native tribes who inhabited Ohio around 100 B.C. The museum and grounds of the Fort Ancient people (see right, click to enlarge), located near Lebanon, Ohio, are part of the Ohio Historical Society that has seen tremendous budget cutbacks from the Ohio General Assembly. After June 30th, 2009, the site may no longer be open to the public, but is undergoing discussions with area sponsors in hopes of becoming an independent entity.

The Hopewell people first built a series of earthwork mounds between 100 B.C. and 500 A.D. The earthworks still exist (see left, click to enlarge) and are easily viewed throughout the grounds, but nature has taken its toll and trees, shrubs and other flora and fauna have grown along the mounds. Over the 1000 years of native inhabitants, the cultures of natives changed and different names have been given to those who lived in the area throughout that time. Fort Ancient was one of the later groups and it is their name which adorns the site.

The grounds holds a small, but excellent museum showing the adaptations the natives of the area underwent over time (see right & below left, click to enlarge). In such a small area, 2000 years of history unfolds between life-size dioramas, graphics, reproductions and actual artifacts. Unlike many museums where one can wander and not get a sense of time, the corridors wind you through the changes in a logical fashion.

There is on-going archaeological work happening at the site and hopefully it will continue regardless of the status of funding for the museum.






Outside the museum, as part of the exhibits, is a small native garden with plants (see below, click to enlarge) known to be grown by the various cultures that lived at the site and a small reproduction native hut (see right, click to enlarge). There is a sizable room used for outreach and education for local school field trips.

Much like the Serpent Mounds, not far from the Fort Ancient site, history can be confusing. The Serpent Mounds were thought to have been built by the Adena people (800 B.C. to 100 A.D.) with some adaptations by the Fort Ancient people (1000 - 1500), but recent research, including work by those from Fort Ancient site, points to use and adaptations by all the native cultures that inhabited the area.

Unfortunately, many children in Ohio learn of our native cultures through informal, and sometimes incorrect, textbooks. It leads to the misconception that a series of native cultures existed and disappeared throughout Ohio's history, when in truth the cultures transformed as new inhabitants joined the existing culture.

As the Ohio Historical Society is attempting to market and pitch to the public, "History Matters" and it would be a shame for one more site to shut down and leave the learning of Ohio to the inadequate textbooks rather than hands-on interaction.

- J.