Entrance to fort at Fort Ancient

Photograph showing the entrance to the fort at Fort Ancient. Fort Ancient Earthworks and Nature Preserve is located on the Little Miami River in Warren County, Ohio. The earthwork encloses 100 acres and is delineated by nearly 3.5 miles of earthen walls punctuated by 67 irregularly spaced gaps or gateways. Rather than an immense defensive location, current thinking maintains that it is actually a ceremonial precinct with astronomical alignments incorporated into its design. The site is subdivided into North and South Forts connected by a causeway-like Middle Fort. Fort Ancient was constructed in phases by the Hopewell culture between 100 B.C. and A.D. 400. Centuries later the South Fort was re-occupied by a different American Indian culture, themselves referred to as the Fort Ancient people. This inconsistency in names quickly became a source of confusion among students of Ohio archaeology and remains so to the present day. Fort Ancient was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 2008 it was included as one of seven Hopewell Ceremonial Earthwork sites in Ohio under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site also features hiking trails, a picnic area and a museum with interpretive exhibits about Ohio's ancient past