CHILLICOTHE, OHIO—The Chillicothe Gazette reports that the remains of a mound dated to between 200 B.C. and A.D. 200 on the future site of a shopping mall is being excavated by archaeologists and volunteers from Ohio Valley Archaeology Inc., Heartland Earthworks Conservancy, the Ohio History Center, and the Cincinnati Museum Center. The site has been covered with a tent and a small shelter for the three-week excavation, which is being conducted in freezing temperatures. “It was known by many but, for some reason, wasn’t reported. Many mounds go unreported. …I was contacted by a number of people who said the developer was starting to dig, and we came to an agreement on excavation,” said archaeologist Jarrod Burks. A magnetic survey of the site revealed the footprint of a building. So far, the team has uncovered pottery fragments and burned human and animal bone. They may also find places in the structure where cremations occurred. “When the fire gets that hot, it burns the soil too. It’s pretty easy to see that in the ground,” Burks said. To read more about mounds in Ohio, see "The Newark Earthworks."
