Research At the Spruce Hill Works
Reprinted From:
Newsletter For Hopewell Culture National Historical Park/Fall
Winter 1996-1997
This article is
unsigned, but Bret Ruby, park archaeologist, was in charge of
this 1995 project.
The Spruce Hill Works were first described in the early 1800s as a stonewalled fortification ringing the brow of a prominent hill overlooking the Paint Creek valley southwest of Chillicothe. Subsequent investigations at other hilltop enclosures in southern Ohio such as Fort Ancient and Fort Hill have determined that many of these were constructed during the Hopewell period for ceremonial, rather than defensive purposes. In 1987, the National Park Service began to consider whether the Spruce Hill Works might be significant enough to warrant protection and preservation as a unit of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, or by some other means. However, virtually no systematic scientific investigations had been conducted at the site, and many questions remained. There was even some question as to whether the "stone walls" were human made at all. Legislation enacted in 1992 directed the National Park Service to conduct further studies of the site to answer these questions and to explore options for preservation if warranted.
During the fall of 1995, we surveyed the site and conducted limited test excavations near one of four openings or "gateways" at the southern end of the site. We found the encircling band of sandstone blocks to be in much the same condition and configuration as when the site was first described. Our excavations recovered fragments of a single prehistoric pottery vessel and a Hopewellian flint bladelet. These results suggested that this hilltop enclosure was made and used by Hopewellian peoples some 2000 years ago. However, to determine conclusively whether the stone enclosure was human made would require further excavations in the enclosure itself.
We returned to the Spruce Hill Works this summer to more closely examine the enclosure. An excavation trench placed across one of the openings along the southern margin of the site produced conclusive evidence that the enclosure had been constructed by Hopewellian peoples. The stones themselves lay atop wind-blown silt soils, a situation that could not occur naturally. Furthermore, we found that the bulk of the enclosure was constructed of small, rubble-sized stones, with the outer surfaces being faced with larger blocks, perhaps to stabilize the structure. Deep within the wall we found another Hopewellian flint bladelet, most likely dropped or discarded by one of the builders.
Another intriguing feature of the Spruce Hill Works is the occurrence of several concentrations of burned, fused and glazed rocks and fired clay. The temperatures needed to produce these effects have led many to speculate that these may relate to some high temperature technology such as iron making. There is no evidence that prehistoric Native Americans ever experimented with these technologies, however 18th and 19th century Euro Americans are known to have constructed simple iron furnaces in southern Ohio and elsewhere. Unfortunately, our efforts to determine the origin of these materials on Spruce Hill have not yet met with success.
The park wants to express its sincere appreciation to Edward and Mary Emily Steel, owners of the Spruce Hill Works, for their friendship, hospitality and efforts to protect and preserve the Spruce Hill Works for future generations.
Back To: Stone Masonry At Spruce Hill Works?
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posted 4-27-03