Under the discerning gaze of intelligent architects, hordes of primitive people scraped at the fertile soil of what is now known as Ohio. Around 200 B.C., millions of tons of soil and rock were transported from river bottoms and distant fields to be formed into remarkably precise geometric arrangements. Why they were built and by whose invention has been the subject of considerable discussion for almost two centuries.
Within the past 30 years, again under the discerning gaze of intelligent architects, sophisticated earth-moving machinery scraped at the soil of other fields, both distant and near, to create equally precise and remarkably similar designs. What link could there possibly be between the labors of early man and what is considered to be the pride of our modern scientific accomplishments?
Dotted along the Scioto River, near Chillicothe, Ohio, are some of the most intriguing archeological remains in North America. A Shawnee word, meaning principal town, Chillicothe was first settled in 1796 by Virginians led by Nathaniel Massie. Coming into this new territory, the early settlers found themselves clambering over earthen embankments measuring between 5 and 30 feet high. Some earthworks enclosed areas as large as 200 acres. Embankments stretched out into the distance to form huge circles, ellipses, rectangle, squares and octagons. The industrious nature of the builders became immediately apparent to the European settlers. They were surprised and astounded by feats of engineering that were not typical of the present Indians' endeavors.
The American Native Indians themselves claimed ignorance of the origin of these impressive earthworks and, in so doing, unwittingly gave strength to the early settler's claim for more of their fertile land. The settlers confronted the Indians with the accusation that the land was not originally theirs, and that their ancestors were guilty of savagely attacking the original owners and stealing their property. Armed with this covetous rationale, the early settlers gave rise to myth of the Lost Race of the Moundbuilders, a highly civilized and powerful race which had died out taking its culture with it. The settlers used this myth to exploit the Native Americans and to claim the land for farming.
Farming has largely obliterated most of the major earthworks in Ross County. Where some had once been, nothing at all can be seen from ground level. Many years of ploughing, especially modern farming techniques using deep chisel ploughs, have flattened them almost completely. Aerial observations, however, have revealed some of the earthwork remains as dark lines on the ground.
The rings, squares, octagons, ellipses and rectangles are indeed an enigmatic geometric collection that have transcended the ravages of time to present modern man with still another mystery from prehistory. No one can satisfactorily explain for what purpose the earthworks were built. Were they the ritual enclosures of Pagan worshippers? Places for religious gatherings? It is generally agreed that they could not have been used for fortifications, so, then, what was their original purpose?
Although archeologists do not generally think in terms of the prehistoric Native Americans being knowledgeable in geometry and mathematics, this did not deter one expert from taking an unbiased close look. James Marshall, a civil engineer from Schaumberg, Illinois, has studied the prehistoric earthworks for more that two decades. After physically surveying 57 of these incredible remains he concluded, I have found a depth of intelligence and capability among the Hopewell that adds unexpected dimensions to our understanding of them. My analysis reveals that:
That evidence of such knowledge in prehistoric North America has gone unnoticed can be blamed, according to Marshall, on European chauvinism and the white man's unwillingness to accept the Native Americans' ancestors as being more than primitive. Marshall bristles at some of the wild claims that have been made regarding the origin of the earthworks. Reasoning that mounds have been built in the old world, a procession of old world travelers have been credited for the work, with little offered to support the claims. Because they were known to have built mounds, regardless of their purpose, the old world travelers, including Vikings, Aztecs, Phoenicians, Hindus, the ten lost tribes of Israel, Romans, Greeks and Persians have all taken their turn being given consideration for the work. Whether one or none of these people are related to the true builders, official credit is given to the Hopewell people who lived in the valley 2000 years ago.
One of Marshall's most astounding discoveries was the correlation of a unit of measure that existed between the earthworks in Ohio and the ancient city of Teotihuacan, with its mighty pyramids of the sun and moon, near Mexico City, Mexico. Rene Millon's survey of Teotihuacan showed that the ancient city was laid out on a grid pattern of 57 meter (187 ft.) squares. Marshall found that by placing this grid over the Ohio earthworks, key points were found to coincide.
The evidence that Marshall presents is compelling, and one wonders what other significant data may yet still lay hidden. The Hopewell's understanding of geometric concepts became unmistakable to Marshall, who had also surveyed earthworks that were 14 miles apart and yet were aligned with each other.
What decided the Hopewells on the different shapes that they built? Were they the result of some whim issued forth from an influential member of the tribe? Or were they the expression of carefully studied and deliberate intention? A mound of dirt is just a mound of dirt, unless it displays some significant feature. If excavations reveal a burial, a purpose may be established. These geometric formations, however, have revealed nothing that would suggest anything other that the traditional belief that they were ritual enclosures. It would seem that their only significant feature is their unusual shapes and, of course, the degree of effort required to build them.
An unusual design that evolves from specific scientific research is no accident. In view of our present geometric and technological evolution, it would seem that the prehistoric laborer, shaping the terrain under the shimmering Ohio sun, was anticipating the labors of his 20th century counterpart. Trading loin cloth for jeans, head dress for hard hat and crude primitive spade for sophisticated backhoes and bulldozers, we could place the Hopewell 2,000 years into the future where he would find himself working in another field, under different conditions and with different tools. From pre-designed plans and work instructions, he is directed to create almost the exact shapes in the ground that he had worked on in the past.
In light of the increasing amount of evidence that indicate that our distant ancestors were much more advanced than previously supposed, similarities between the prehistoric earthworks, near Chillicothe, Ohio, and modern facilities used for nuclear research deserve attention. When comparing the ancient earthworks with modern particle accelerators, we can see that the results of intensive modern research produce a shape that was closely anticipated over 2,000 years ago.
The National Synchrotron Light Source in Brookhaven, N.Y. displays a remarkable similarity to the Ohio earthwork known as the Harness Group, which is located on privately owned land. The large ring, intermediate ring and small ring are typical to both designs, with the square areas also being represented. That such a similarity exists between these structures, which are totally unrelated and chronologically separated by 2,000 years, is astonishing. The variety of complexes, shown in illustration number 3, seem to suggest that the arrival at such a specific shape was not an accident or coincidence. It was, as Jim Marshall noted, the expressed intention of the builders who had carefully laid out the design prior to undertaking the work.
The collection of prehistoric earthworks near Newark, Ohio is particularly interesting. There is a modified octagon, what appears to be a square or a trapezoid, and the rings resembling earlier accelerators known as dees. The lines connecting the shapes do not share the same geometric symmetry, but are still thought provoking when seeing the arrangement at FermiLab near Batavia, Illinois. When viewed in comparison with modern scientific installations, these shapes take on more significance. We could look at the comparison with amusement and flip the page, or we could look for other clues that would explain this anomaly. It seems unthinkable that such knowledge and technology existed thousands of years ago, and in order to seriously consider it there needs to be more evidence.
The soil that makes up these earthworks is claimed to be different from the surrounding area. Carbon testing of the soil revealed that it came from an earlier date. The reason proposed for this is that the Hopewells brought the soil from another area. (Why the Hopewells went to such trouble hasn't been adequately explained.) The mounds are reported to also contain a substantial amount of rock, which is proposed to have been taken from the river and its banks.
A comparison has been made between the design of one of the Ohio earthworks and the synchrotron in Brookhaven, N.Y.. Though striking and thought provoking from the outside, the similarity ends there. The earthwork is just thatÑa mound of dirt and stone. There is another particle accelerator, however, that may provide another piece to this puzzle. The likeness existing between the Hopewell earthworks and modern particle accelerators is even more striking after having visited both and seeing essentially the same thing, in both design and construction.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory at Batavia, Illinois, for example, presents an intriguing view to visitors as they arrive at the installation. The only view a visitor has of the actual accelerator ring is from the outside or from the impressive atrium visitor's center. From both locations you can see the large ring stretching out into the distance over a mile in diameter. Taking the atrium and other buildings away from this facility, if we didn't know there was an accelerator tunnel buried 20 feet beneath the ground, we could probably be forgiven if we mistook it for another earthwork, for all we would see is a mound of grass covered dirt. At approximately six feet high, this is a sufficient volume of dirt to represent the amount dug out to create the accelerator tunnel.
There is a smaller ring, and other tunnels shoot off at tangents from the main ring to various laboratories. These tunnels result in features on the surface that are uncannily similar to the lines found near Newark. Another interesting observation at this facility is that there are numerous large mounds of dirt that were dumped inside the ring and around the outside. An attractive place, no doubt, for a burial.
It is noteworthy that archeological techniques, practiced elsewhere in the world, have been ignored in Ohio. Aerial observations of dark lines on the ground usually indicate the existence of subsurface structures and might have triggered further exploration. However, there has been no deep exploration of the earthworks in Ohio. While one mound of dirt may look the same as another, the shapes they assume do pose some intriguing questions.
Would the similarity between Fermi Lab and the prehistoric earthworks end at the surface? Or go deeper?
Was the rock and soil tested in the prehistoric mounds in Ohio dug up from deep beneath the surface, thereby providing an earlier date in carbon 14 testing?
Is it a coincidence that all the earthworks were located near a supply of waterÑan essential provision for cooling?
With respect to the Ohio earthworks, can we even consider the inconceivable? Was there nuclear research in prehistoric North America?
The body of evidence that a highly advanced civilization inhabited the earth over 10,000 years ago is growing. Using precession, Robert Bauval, (The Orion Mystery) computed the astronomical alignment of the shafts inside the Great Pyramid and found the southern King's Chamber shaft came into alignment with Orion's belt around 10,000 years ago. Preceding this discovery, Bauval was struck by the resemblance of the three stars in Orion's belt with the unique arrangement of the three major pyramids on the Giza Plateau. John Anthony West and geologist Dr. Robert Schoch identified the weathered patterns on the south cliff near the Sphinx as created by nothing else but erosion resulting from a constant flow of water over the top of the cliff. Knowing that there hasn't been any significant rainfall in Egypt for over 10,000 years, his observations support Bauval's discoveries which indicate the age of the Giza sight. My paper on Advanced Machining in Ancient Egypt presents evidence that the tools used by the ancient pyramid builders were not contemporaneous with what is known about ancient Egypt and much more advanced than ever thought before.
I agree with Graham Hancock (Fingerprints of the Gods) when he said about the pyramids:
What we have here is not the start of something, as Egyptologists would have us believe, but the end of something.
The end of what? A high civilization that was diffused across the planet? Are the earthworks in Ohio, largely ignored and so remote from the remnants of ancient Egyptian civilization, linked in some way? Such remarkable similarities between the Ohio earthworks and modern nuclear research facilities demand further evaluation of, ostensibly, unrelated data that could be interpreted as the result of nuclear research in prehistory. The discovery that a high level of carbon 14 existed in the atmosphere around 8,000 years ago can be interpreted to be the result of high technology being practiced on this planet at that time. A full explanation of this discovery will appear in a forthcoming issue of Atlantis Rising.
