Published on September 13, 2019 by Alexa Helwig from WKRC News in Ohio:
HAMILTON, Ohio | A sacred piece of land is up for sale in Butler County, and the community is trying to preserve it.
Fortified Hill is a 2,000-year-old earthwork built by the Hopewell Tribe. The hilltop enclosure is thought to be a ceremonial site where members would come to worship.
The owner of the land, who passed away, registered the property to be a historical site in the ’70s. After passing, Dr. Jeff Leipzig, a community activist, said they ran into a problem.
“Lou and his wife Donna knew this site was here and they wanted this to be a special place. The only difficulty was he didn’t put it in his will that he wanted to turn it into a special place,” said Leipzig.
Fortified Hill is up for auction on Sept. 28. The Archaeological Conservancy and community members in Hamilton hope to raise $400,000 in pledge money to acquire the land. If they are unsuccessful, it is a missed opportunity to preserve and learn more about Hopewell land.
“That’s the beauty of this place. If you ask the archaeologists, it’s a blank slate. It’s a place that really has been unstudied,” said Leipzig.
The Ohio History Connection is working to make land like Fortified Hill a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It could potentially bring more tourism to the area.
To help preserve Fortified Hill earthwork, make a pledge to the Archaeological Conservancy here. >>See Original Article Here
