David Stitt Mound
Encyclopedia
The David Stitt Mound is a Native American mound near Chillicothe
in Ross County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located on elevated land at a significant distance from the Scioto River
, the mound is built in a sub-conical
shape; it is 19.4 feet (5.9 m) high and has a diameter of approximately 130 feet (39.6 m).
At some point since white settlement of southern Ohio, the Stitt Mound was excavated by the creation of a tunnel to its center. While any records produced by the excavators have been lost, it is believed that the excavation was supervised by Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society
archaeologist Clarence Loveberry, who undertook multiple such excavations in Ross County in the late 1890s.
Although no artifacts
from the Stitt Mound are extant, its shape and location indicate that it is likely a work of the Adena culture
, whose mounds were characteristically built for religious or ceremonial purposes. Because the Adena typically built mounds around log charnel house
s, it is possible that bones and evidence of wooden structures are still extant within the mound; consequently, the mound is a potential archaeological site
. In recognition of its archaeological value, the David Stitt Mound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972.
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
in Ross County
Ross County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 73,345 people, 27,136 households, and 19,185 families residing in the county. The population density was 106 people per square mile . There were 29,461 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located on elevated land at a significant distance from the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
, the mound is built in a sub-conical
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
shape; it is 19.4 feet (5.9 m) high and has a diameter of approximately 130 feet (39.6 m).
At some point since white settlement of southern Ohio, the Stitt Mound was excavated by the creation of a tunnel to its center. While any records produced by the excavators have been lost, it is believed that the excavation was supervised by Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
archaeologist Clarence Loveberry, who undertook multiple such excavations in Ross County in the late 1890s.
Although no artifacts
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
from the Stitt Mound are extant, its shape and location indicate that it is likely a work of the Adena culture
Adena culture
The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...
, whose mounds were characteristically built for religious or ceremonial purposes. Because the Adena typically built mounds around log charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
s, it is possible that bones and evidence of wooden structures are still extant within the mound; consequently, the mound is a potential archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
. In recognition of its archaeological value, the David Stitt Mound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972.