The Coon Hunters Mound is a Native American mound in the central part of the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. Located near the village of Carroll

Carroll, Ohio

Carroll is a village in Fairfield County, Ohio in the United States of America. The population was 488 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carroll is located at ....

, it sits on the grounds of the Central Ohio Coonhunters Association.

The Coon Hunters Mound is a large structure, measuring 5.5 feet (1.7 m) high and 65 feet (19.8 m) in diameter at its base. Due to its shape and location, it is believed to have been built by people of the Adena culture

Adena culture

The Adena culture was a Pre-Columbian Native American culture that existed from 1000 to 200 BC, in a time known as the early Woodland Period. The Adena culture refers to what were probably a number of related Native American societies sharing a burial complex and ceremonial system...

, who inhabited southern and central Ohio from approximately 500 BC to approximately AD 400. Mounds such as Coon Hunters were typically constructed as burial mounds

Tumulus

A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...

 atop the graves of leading members of Adena society. For this reason, although the mound has never been excavated, it is believed to contain posthole

Posthole

In archaeology a posthole is a cut feature used to hold a surface timber or stone. They are usually much deeper than they are wide although truncation may not make this apparent....

s from a burial structure and a range of grave goods

Grave goods

Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...

.

Due to its potentially information-rich contents, the Coon Hunters Mound is a valuable archaeological site

Archaeological site

An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...

. In recognition of its archaeological significance, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1974. It is one of five Fairfield County mound sites to be included on the Register, along with the Old Maid's Orchard Mound

Old Maid's Orchard Mound

The Old Maid's Orchard Mound is a Native American mound in the central portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the village of Lithopolis in Fairfield County, the mound lies within the boundaries of Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, in northern Bloom Township....

 near Lithopolis

Lithopolis, Ohio

Lithopolis is a village in Fairfield and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 600 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Lithopolis is located at ....

, the Tarlton Cross Mound near Tarlton

Tarlton, Ohio

Tarlton is a village in Fairfield and Pickaway counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 298 at the 2000 census.-History:This village was originally settled and called Newellstown in 1801, and was probably the first settlement in Pickaway County, Ohio...

, the Theodore B. Schaer Mound

Theodore B. Schaer Mound

The Theodore B. Schaer Mound is a Native American mound in the central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located southeast of the city of Canal Winchester in Fairfield County, it is a large mound; its height is , and it is in diameter. Today, the mound sits in woodland, being covered with brush...

 near Canal Winchester

Canal Winchester, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,478 people, 1,664 households, and 1,264 families residing in the village. The 2004 census estimates that there are now 5,381 people residing in the village, and Canal Winchester may become a city within the next year or two. The population density was 702.9...

, and the Fortner Mounds

Fortner Mounds

The Fortner Mounds are a pair of Native American mounds in the central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located northeast of the city of Pickerington in Fairfield County, they are two of several mounds in the Pickerington vicinity, but the only pair of mounds in the area...

 near Pickerington

Pickerington, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,792 people, 3,468 households, and 2,687 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,317.4 people per square mile . There were 3,573 housing units at an average density of 480.7 per square mile...

. Also located near Carroll are two other archaeological sites, known as the Ety Enclosure and the Ety Habitation Site

Ety Habitation Site

The Ety Habitation Site is an archaeological site in the central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located northeast of the village of Carroll in Fairfield County, it encompasses an area of about , which is covered by a group of hillocks...

; they are associated with the later Hopewellian peoples, who inhabited the region after the Adena.