The Manring Mounds: A Hopewell Center in the Mad River Drainage, Clark County, Ohio

Abstract

The Manring archaeological site is a Hopewell center located on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Mad River, in Clark County, Ohio. Comparisons with other excavated sites show the Manring site to represent a substantial labor commitment; it includes one of the very largest known Hopewell mounds. The presence of such exotica as an obsidian spear, a copper breastplate, copper celts and marine shell beads are also noteworthy, especially given the site's hinterland location. The juxtaposition of major routes of travel is suggested to be a more important factor in explaining site location than any direct subsistence advantage. Cross-dating indicates that Manring was occupied shortly after A. D. 100, or coincident with the early Pike phase as defined in the Illinois Valley.