A fifteen-year process had led up to a much-anticipated procedure next week that will put local prehistoric earthworks under an international spotlight.
The “Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks” should be voted on Tuesday or Wednesday to be added to the list of “World Heritage” sites.
Mound City, the Hopeton Works, the Hopewell Works, Seip Mound, and Highbanks Earthworks – the five parts of the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Ross County…along with two parts of the Newark Earthworks in Licking County, and Fort Ancient in Warren County…are the eight earthwork parks being nominated.
A United Nations committee is meeting in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to vote on listing 53 new sites September 16th through the 20th, and Ohio representatives of the effort are on their way today. The Hopewell vote is expected to happen next Tuesday or early Wednesday, and Melody Young of the Ross Chillicothe Visitors Bureau is very excited about it.
After the listing, Young says it’s up to us to welcome and inform visitors from across the world, who may increase local tourism tenfold. She points out that tourism spending is multiplied six-fold, so even the most harried gas station operator needs to be able to point tourists in the right direction.
She explains the timeline, context, and local plans in the video interview in the longer story on the Scioto Post.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.