Summer Solstice Program At Serpent Mound

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(Ohio History Connection) — Visitors will be able to explore Serpent Mound on a self-guided tour and hear a history of the site from Shawnee Chief Ben Barnes, Archaeology Curator Dr. Brad Lepper, and other Tribal leaders and archaeological experts. Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma will also speak at the event. 

The programs will be Friday, June 18th–Sunday, June 20th.

Serpent Mound is an internationally-known National Historic Landmark built by the ancient American Indians of Ohio. It is an effigy mound in the form of a snake with a curved tail. The site has become an icon of Indigenous cultural achievements, primarily because of its enormous scale and its remarkable resemblance to a serpent.
 
Serpent Mound’s Indigenous builders likely created the mound in alignment with the sun’s cycle. To mark this year’s summer solstice, we’ve partnered with the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee of Oklahoma to bring you programming that showcases the significance of Serpent Mound as a sacred American Indian site.

Because the solstice is one of the most popular days to visit Serpent Mound, capacity and parking is limited. The parking fee for this special event is $10. All funds collected directly support Serpent Mound.

Summer Solstice Event Times/Dates:
Fri., June 18, 2021 • 8am–8pm
Sat., June 19, 2021 • 8am–8pm
Sun., June 20, 2021 • 6am–9:30pm

Shatter cones in rock from the the central peak of the Serpent Mound Impact Structure are evidence of an impact.

Located in the Adams-Highland-Pike tri-county area in southern Ohio is one of only 28 confirmed impact craters in the United States. Known as the Serpent Mound Impact Structure, this feature is about 9 miles in diameter and is the result of an impact by an asteroid or comet that struck Ohio between 256 and 330 million years ago. The structure is named after a prehistoric Native American effigy mound shaped like a snake found in the southwestern portion of the impact crater.

For decades the nature of the Serpent Mound Impact Structure was disputed, owing to its geologic complexity. Early Ohio geologists interpreted it as a “sunken mountain.” Later, it was thought to be the site of an ancient volcanic eruption. However, modern advancements in technology have aided geologic studies of the area. Among other factors, the presence of zinc minerals and surface exposures of rocks normally found only in the subsurface in the area have played a key role in determining its origin as an impact site.