Great Circle Earthworks (City of Heath)

In the 12th Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, Cyrus Thomas described the Great Circle as “undoubtedly one of the best preserved ancient monuments of our country; it is uninjured by the plow and trees of the original forest are still standing on it.”

The average diameter of the Great Circle (which is not a perfect circle, but it’s close) is a bit under 1200 feet. The enclosure covers thirty acres. The height of the mound measured from ground level varies between five and fourteen feet. A deep ditch, varying in depth from eight to thirteen feet lines the interior of the mound. It is thought that this ditch once held water.

In the center of the Great Circle is a mound named Eagle Mound because it is shaped like a bird in flight or the footprint of a bird. It is one of the few effigy mounds found in Ohio.

The Great Circle is owned by the Ohio Historical Society. It is now a State Memorial.