EarthWorks: Virtual Explorations of the Ancient Ohio Valley

Closed exhibit which displayed from
September 29, 2007 — February 10, 2008

Location: Kahn Hall
Eight to 24 centuries ago, Native American cultures living in Southern Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia were building earthworks in geometric and animal shapes. It was some of the most spectacular ancient architecture in the world – some earthworks stretched for miles and were as much as 15 feet tall; others rivaled Stonehenge in their astronomical accuracy.

Only a few of these earthworks still exist. Most were destroyed by European settlers, who gouged them out or plowed them under. In more recent times, they were paved over by development.

Now, thanks to the work of a team of architects, historians, technical experts, archaeologists and Native Americans, Museum visitors can see 39 of these earthworks as they were when they were built. The earthworks have been re-created electronically as part of the exhibition EarthWorks: Virtual Explorations of the Ancient Ohio Valley, which goes on display in Corning Gallery on September 29.

At the heart of the exhibition is an interactive video navigation system created by the Center for the Electronic Reconstruction of Historical and Archaeological Sites (CERHAS) at the University of Cincinnati. This system combines the best of three media formats: virtual reality, multimedia and narrative video.

Museum visitors can explore freely among animated reconstructions of earthworks created by the Adena, Hopewell and Fort Ancient cultures. They can select segments of video that elaborate on aspects of these ancient cultures and discuss the artifacts that are their legacy today.

The exhibition offers ideas about the people who created these wonders, the meaning of the earthworks and their importance to us today.

EarthWorks is a traveling exhibition from the University of Cincinnati’s CERHAS program produced in conjunction with the Cincinnati Museum Center and made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

			Computer generated images created by the Center for the Electronic Reconstruction of Historical and Archaeological Sites (CERHAS) at the University of Cincinnati