Experience Eons Of History On This One-Day Tour Of Ohio's Prehistoic Past
By Sarah McCosham|Published February 22, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Ohio became a state in 1803, but there’s a whole prehistoric history that precedes the Buckeye State. As the Ice Age melted away, “Paleo Indians” spread across the country, ancestors to most Native Americans today. The Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures and other tribes dominated the southern and central Ohio area, but at different times in history. However, if you want a crash course in Ohio history, there’s a one-day tour of the state’s prehistoric past that’s sure to stoke your curiosity and pique your interest.
Two thousand years ago, Native Americans built beautiful earthen mounds across Southern Ohio. Many of the earthworks remain to this day, providing breadcrumbs to a time long, long ago.
The mounds were used mainly for religious purposes such as funerals, burials, and rituals. Ohio is home to famous and fascinating sites like Great Serpent Mound, the largest serpent effigy in the world, in fact.
Well before that -- like, 16,000 - 23,000 years ago -- prehistoric Siberians entered Alaska, essentially "trapped" there until the glaciers began to melt. These "Paleo Indians" spread across the New World and are ancestors of most Native Americans today.
For those curious about these fascinating people and earliest Buckeye State residents, Mountain Man Journeys invites guests on an immersive day-long "deep dive" into Ohio history.
A total sensory experience, this tour spans 8-10 hours and visits numerous archeological sites and ancient earthworks filled with interactive displays of tools and art and even guest speakers and historians.
While we all learned about the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures in history class, this tour revisits them all and then some, guaranteeing even the biggest Ohio history buff will learn something new.
History isn’t always confined to what’s in the books. In fact, most times, it’s the unwritten history that really paints the most accurate picture of the past. Come and learn all about Ohio history on this incredible, one-day tour de force.