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Articles

• Mickelson, Michael E.
• Lepper, Bradley T.

The Newark Earthworks are the largest set of geometric earthworks in the world. Built nearly2,000-years ago by the Hopewell culture of eastern North America, this ceremonial complex, is locatedin Newark, Ohio, and extended over more than twelve square kilometers. In 1982, Hively andHorn demonstrated that the main axis of the Octagon Earthworks was aligned to the northernmost risingof the moon, an event that occurs every 18.61 years. The period from 2004 through 2007 includesthis cycle's northernmost rising of the moon (14 September 2006) and many near-northernmost risingsthat afford a series of opportunities to attempt to use the earthworks as a device for making observationsof the moonrise. Direct observations made during this period indicate these earthworks functionadmirably and dramatically as a frame for observing the northernmost rising of the moon. Theseresults support Hively and Horn's argument that the architecture of the Newark Earthworks deliberatelyencodes lunar alignments and adds insight into how the Hopewell culture would have experiencedsuch astronomical events.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

Archaeoastronomy, Earthworks, Lunar alignments, Newark Octagon, Newark, Ohio, USA