'It was sheer jubilation:' World Heritage designation for Newark Earthworks celebrated
NEWARK − The sound of a gavel hitting a table in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, early Tuesday morning completed a quarter-century effort to recognize Newark Earthworks as one of the world’s most significant cultural attractions.
The largest set of geometric earthen enclosures in the world, located in Newark and Heath, combined with ancient sites in Ross and Warren counties, became the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks nomination to the World Heritage List in January 2022.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage Committee approved the nomination Tuesday as Ohio’s first and the 25th from the United States to the World Heritage List.
It was an emotional moment for those who have pursued the designation for decades. Not only will it bring worldwide attention to Newark and Heath but will help redefine the ancient people who created this architectural marvel.
Chief Glenna Wallace, of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, traveled to Saudi Arabia with a 12-member Ohio delegation to witness and celebrate a historic occasion that left her with “tremendous pride.”
“Our ancestors were not savages, but geniuses, and for the world to see that is impossible to describe,” Wallace said. “Obviously, we are all thrilled. There are so many to thank. It’s been a great day.”
The Shawnee in Oklahoma came from Ohio. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 pressured the Shawnee of Ohio to relocate west of the Mississippi River. The legislaton, signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, authorized the president to grant lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders.
The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks nomination included the Octagon Earthworks in Newark and the Great Circle in Newark and Heath as part of eight large earthen enclosures built by ancient American Indian peoples in central and southern Ohio between about AD 1 and 400.
The Newark Earthworks also follow an 18.6 year moon cycle where the central axis of the entire Octagon aligns with the northernmost rising of the moon, with other walls aligning with different moonrises.
Brad Lepper, senior archaeologist with the Ohio History Connection World Heritage Program, said he’s not sure exactly when the World Heritage effort began, but after he became curator at Newark Earthworks in 1988, it became obvious the ancient site had been overlooked.
“It was every bit as important as any site on World Heritage list,” Lepper said. “I was doing management planning for Newark Earthworks and it came up that Newark Earthworks should be a World Heritage site. The ball started rolling slowly.”
Lepper said he was confident the nomination would be approved, but sometimes politics can enter into such decisions.
"I was reasonably sure what the decision was going to be," Lepper said. “We felt really good about it because we had such a strong recommendation, but I never want to be overconfident. Once the gavel went down, it was sheer jubilation. That moment was so emotion-filled.”
Jennifer Aultman, chief historic sites officer with the Ohio History Connection, said the Ohioans were clapping, cheering, smiling and accepting congratulations from other countries.
“It felt really surreal," Aultman said. "Pretty awesome. I was nervous, but I didn’t need to be. It’s really just the beginning of the next step, and that is really welcoming people to these places.”
Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statement saying, "Today’s inscription of Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a UNESCO World Heritage Designation will ensure that the earthworks created by American Indian Tribes over 2000 years ago will get international attention, drawing even more visitors to see these amazing places. I encourage Ohioans and people from across the globe to visit these eight sites to experience the awe-inspiring earthworks that are such a special part of Ohio’s history."
Dan Moder, executive director of Explore Licking County visitor center, did not attend the UNESCO event in Saudi Arabia, but got up early to see if the nomination gained approval.
“I got up at 3 in the morning to watch the live stream, and it was really quite remarkable to hear them talk about Licking County and the state of Ohio," Moder said. "We are very excited about the decision. It’s kind of been a long time coming.”
Moder said he does not know what the economic impact of World Heritage ststus will be for the area, but the future of the sites remain in the hands of state and local leaders.
“I think the thing we’ve learned over the years, a lot of what we feel is going to happen is what we choose to make it as a community,” Moder said.
John Low, the Newark Earthworks Center director and associate professor in the Department of Comparative Studies at Ohio State-Newark, looks forward to increased visibility, publicity, recognition and tourism.
“It’s fantastic news,” Low said. “It places these sites in the context that acknowledges their importance.”
Low, in his fourth year as the Newark Earthworks Center director, said the Great Circle visitor center building on Hebron Road should probably be replaced.
“The building is not big enough or worthy of a center for a World Heritage site,” Low said. “If you get 10 people in there, it’s crowded.
“I’d advocate if there is a visitor’s center in Newark, it should be close to the Octagon. The Octagon is the most special of the eight sites. There’s nothing else like it anywhere in the world.”
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If you go
On Oct. 15, Jeff Gill will lead a tour of the Newark Earthworks sites in Newark and Heath, starting at 9 a.m. at the Great Circle, and ending at noon at the same location. An open house is scheduled for 12-4 p.m. at the Octagon Earthworks on one of four golf-free days at Moundbuilders Country Club.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: World Heritage honor for Newark Earthworks emotional for supporters
