The Old Maid's Orchard Mound is a Native American mound in the central portion 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 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 ....

 in Fairfield County

Fairfield County, Ohio

Fairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster....

, the mound lies within the boundaries of Chestnut Ridge Metro Park, in northern Bloom Township

Bloom Township, Fairfield County, Ohio

Bloom Township is one of the thirteen townships of Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 6,374 people in the township, 5,765 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...

.

One of several 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...

 east of Lithopolis, the Old Maid's Orchard Mound sits in an area of small fruit trees and underbrush. Measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) tall, it has changed little with the passage of time; cultivation of the area around the orchard damaged its northern side, and rodent

Rodent

Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....

s have dug holes in the mound, but its integrity has been little compromised. Archaeologists have concluded that the mound was constructed 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...

, due to its location and its shape. Mounds built by the Adena people typically cover burials, 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 that formed the foundations of houses, or other manmade features

Feature (archaeology)

Feature in archaeology and especially excavation has several different but allied meanings. A feature is a collection of one or more contexts representing some human non-portable activity that generally has a vertical characteristic to it in relation to site stratigraphy. Examples of features are...

; as a result, the Old Maid's Orchard 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, 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...

 in 1974. It is one of five Fairfield County mound sites to be included on the Register, along with 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...

, 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 Coon Hunters Mound

Coon Hunters Mound

The Coon Hunters Mound is a Native American mound in the central part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located near the village of Carroll, it sits on the grounds of the Central Ohio Coonhunters Association....

 near 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 ....

, 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...

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External links

• Profile from the Ohio Historical Society
  Ohio Historical Society
  The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...