SunWatch Indian Village
Encyclopedia
SunWatch Indian Village / Archaeological Park is a recreated Fort Ancient
Native American
village that sits alongside the Great Miami River
in Dayton, Ohio
.
Amateurs had found some materials at the site in the 1960s. The site was professionally excavated from 1971-1988. Findings from the archaeological work were used to help recreate the village. It was named Sun Watch because scholars believe that a complex of posts in the center related to astronomical measurements. The Fort Ancient culture people would have planned rituals around a solar calendar.
The village was opened to the public as an open-air museum, and the site provides interpretive tours. Archaeological excavations are ongoing, with special opportunities for school groups and adult learners. Exhibits in the museum help interpret the history and culture of the people, and show some of the artifacts recovered at the site.
Because of its historical and archaeological value, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974. Because the many years of archaeological excavations at the 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) site revealed so much about Fort Ancient culture, SunWatch Indian Village was recognized in 1990 as a National Historic Landmark
.
Fort Ancient
Fort Ancient is a name for a Native American culture that flourished from 1000-1750 CE among a people who predominantly inhabited land along the Ohio River in areas of modern-day Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, Southeastern Indiana and Western West Virginia. They were a maize based agricultural...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
village that sits alongside the Great Miami River
Great Miami River
The Great Miami River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States...
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
Amateurs had found some materials at the site in the 1960s. The site was professionally excavated from 1971-1988. Findings from the archaeological work were used to help recreate the village. It was named Sun Watch because scholars believe that a complex of posts in the center related to astronomical measurements. The Fort Ancient culture people would have planned rituals around a solar calendar.
The village was opened to the public as an open-air museum, and the site provides interpretive tours. Archaeological excavations are ongoing, with special opportunities for school groups and adult learners. Exhibits in the museum help interpret the history and culture of the people, and show some of the artifacts recovered at the site.
Because of its historical and archaeological value, the site 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. Because the many years of archaeological excavations at the 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) site revealed so much about Fort Ancient culture, SunWatch Indian Village was recognized in 1990 as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.