Dunns Pond Mound
Encyclopedia
The Dunns Pond Mound is a historic Native American mound
in northeastern Logan County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located near Huntsville
, it lies along the southeastern corner of Indian Lake
in Washington Township
. In 1974, the mound was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as a potential archeological
site, with much of its significance deriving from its use as a burial site for as much as nine centuries.
Other Native American earthworks are located in the vicinity. A 1914 study found fifteen mounds on the southeastern side of Indian Lake and characterized this "remarkable" group of mounds as the premier location of archeology in Logan County. Another four mounds in Washington Township, which were not included in the 1914 survey, are located on Lake Ridge Island, a short distance to the north of Dunns Pond. These mounds, the Lake Ridge Island Mounds
, were listed on the Register on the same day as was the Dunns Pond Mound.
Long after the expansion of Indian Lake, the Dunns Pond Mound was little known. For many decades, it was surrounded by woodlands, and the only human activity in the vicinity occurred along a bicycle and snowmobile path that passed over the mound. Excavation was attempted in the early 1940s, but was soon stopped without yielding any significant finds. However, the mound continued to receive attention from archeologists, and in 1974 it was listed on the National Register because it was likely to yield information about the peoples of the past. While the mound was likely built as a charnel house
for Hopewell death rites, later Late Woodland peoples
also used the mound as a burial site.
Interest in the mound by non-archeologists has increased in recent decades. In the first half of the twentieth century, local Boy Scouts
proposed clearing the mound of brush as part of a conservation project, although objection by the owner prevented this project from being carried out. Increasing development around Indian Lake has included the creation of a small community around Dunns Pond, named Moundwood; the mound is located on the edge of the community. Access to the mound itself is no longer easily possible; the trail has been removed, and a fence placed around the mound.
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...
in northeastern Logan County
Logan County, Ohio
Logan County is a county in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,858. The county seat is Bellefontaine. The county is named for Benjamin Logan, who fought Native Americans in the area....
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located near Huntsville
Huntsville, Ohio
Huntsville is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 454 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Huntsville is located at ....
, it lies along the southeastern corner of Indian Lake
Indian Lake (Ohio)
Indian Lake is a reservoir in Logan County, western Ohio, in the United States. It is approximately 20 mi southeast of Lima...
in Washington Township
Washington Township, Logan County, Ohio
Washington Township is one of the seventeen townships of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,945 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
. In 1974, the mound 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...
as a potential archeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
site, with much of its significance deriving from its use as a burial site for as much as nine centuries.
Other Native American earthworks are located in the vicinity. A 1914 study found fifteen mounds on the southeastern side of Indian Lake and characterized this "remarkable" group of mounds as the premier location of archeology in Logan County. Another four mounds in Washington Township, which were not included in the 1914 survey, are located on Lake Ridge Island, a short distance to the north of Dunns Pond. These mounds, the Lake Ridge Island Mounds
Lake Ridge Island Mounds
The Lake Ridge Island Mounds are a group of small hills in Logan County, Ohio, United States that have been thought to be Native American mounds. Located in an area of about at the northern end on Lake Ridge Island in Indian Lake, the mounds are near the village of Russells Point in the...
, were listed on the Register on the same day as was the Dunns Pond Mound.
History
It is believed that the Dunns Pond Mound was built by the prehistoric Hopewell peoples at some point between 300 BC and AD 600. While approximately twenty mounds have been recorded around southeastern Indian Lake in modern times, it is likely that many more once existed in the area. When the Miami River was dammed in 1860 to support canal traffic, Indian Lake became far larger than its natural boundaries. Farmland became lake bottom and small hills became islands; the mound suddenly lay near the shoreline, and a small bay of the lake immediately south of the mound was later named Dunns Pond. Consequently, if villages or mounds existed northwest of the Dunns Pond Mound, they have been submerged.Long after the expansion of Indian Lake, the Dunns Pond Mound was little known. For many decades, it was surrounded by woodlands, and the only human activity in the vicinity occurred along a bicycle and snowmobile path that passed over the mound. Excavation was attempted in the early 1940s, but was soon stopped without yielding any significant finds. However, the mound continued to receive attention from archeologists, and in 1974 it was listed on the National Register because it was likely to yield information about the peoples of the past. While the mound was likely built as a charnel house
Charnel house
A charnel house is a vault or building where human skeletal remains are stored. They are often built near churches for depositing bones that are unearthed while digging graves...
for Hopewell death rites, later Late Woodland peoples
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
also used the mound as a burial site.
Interest in the mound by non-archeologists has increased in recent decades. In the first half of the twentieth century, local Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
proposed clearing the mound of brush as part of a conservation project, although objection by the owner prevented this project from being carried out. Increasing development around Indian Lake has included the creation of a small community around Dunns Pond, named Moundwood; the mound is located on the edge of the community. Access to the mound itself is no longer easily possible; the trail has been removed, and a fence placed around the mound.
Further reading
- Koleszar, Stephen C. An Archaeological Survey of Southwestern Ohio. ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
: Ohio Historical Society, 1970.