Fort Ancient Earthworks
All Entries > ASLA Planning & Analysis
Project Narrative
Ancient American Indians have inhabited Ohio for over 10,000 years. Fort Ancient is a “Hopewell Cultural Site” constructed from 100 BC until approximately 450 AD. Hopewell sites are slated to become World Heritage Sites, the highest cultural place designation on Earth. This document is the foundation for the UNESCO submission. The SMP creates a framework for preserving those “intrinsic universal values” embodied in the site’s cultural and natural resources. The SMP provides direction for the site master plan and for the next steps of research, interpretation, restoration, facility planning and conservation. A team of archaeologists, ecologists and planners, led by the landscape architect, documented existing conditions at the 775-acre site and outlined steps to protect this site from multiple impacts in the centuries ahead. Planning + technical analysis and impacts assessment included: • Prehistory - archaeology • Natural conditions • Astronomical alignments • Site history - planning • Future planning - access • Landforms - remote sensing - LIDAR • Earthwork protection • Viewshed impacts • Strategies - Acquisition, Interpretation, New Facilities locations, Archaeological research This World Heritage Site will tell a unique story of a past American Indian culture whose genius becomes more recognized with each new discovery. The Site Management Plan will protect this site and guide decision-making.