Serpent Mound: Ancient America | Native American history Adena, Hopewell, & Fort Ancient Cultures |

The Serpent Mound in Peebles, Ohio is near Chillicothe, Ohio, a very active location in prehistoric America. Native American cultures built mounds for centuries.
The Serpent Mound is about 400 yards (uncoiled). A common interpretation is that the Serpent is eating an egg.
The serpent's head points to the Summer Solstice sunrise. It is possible that the coils point to the Summer Solstice sunrise, the Winter Solstice sunrise, and the Fall (Autumnal) Equinox and Spring (Vernal) Equinox.
Three major cultural groups likely used this site, including the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures. The Shawnee and Miami nations are local to Ohio.
Archaeologists have radiocarbon dates for the site going back to the 4th century BC. This would mean that the Adena culture originally built the mound, but later cultures modified, added to, renovated, and rebuilt it.
Serpent Mound is one of the great archaeological and historical treasures of America.
A short film by Jeffrey Meyer.
Music Credit:
Mayan Ritual by Jimena Contreras

[@sv.foamball]

Great material. Appreciate your factual, non-sensationalistic presentation. If you can explain why the wheel never gained prominence in meso-America I'd REALLY be interested! :)

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

That's a great question about the wheel. The best explanation I have read is that the wheel is associated with the domestication of oxen and horses. These beasts of burden did not exist in the Americas before 1492, thus did not develop. Natives did have wheels on toys, so they knew about a circle's benefits, but they had no animals to hitch them to. The Polynesians (ie Easter Island) may have rolled their giant stones on top of rolling wooden rods, which is basically using a wheel, and I wonder if Native Americans used something similar. I honestly have no idea how the Inca shaped those giant stones and moved them. Your guess is as good as mine. Although that is something worth exploring in a future video.

[@goodluck5642]

Check out the video ‘why precolonial Africa didn’t have the wheel’ I think it pertains to your question

[@EngRMP]

I watch old movies to try to get a feel for my parents when they were young. I love these history stories because it's fun to try to imagine what these ancient folks were like, and how they influenced who we are today. Thanks for doing the hard work of putting these videos together... I know it's not easy.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching. These videos are a labor of love.

[@EngRMP]

How can I donate to the cause to reward you for your efforts?@@JeffreytheLibrarian

[@maryellenmeyer2702]

As always, thank you for breaking down this complex early history in parts I can understand The visuals are really helpful

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching!

[@lamwen03]

Interesting

[@lisamoore6804]

I'm originally from the east of Cincinnati. I've never been there but my kids have on fieldtrips and to Ft. Ancient. I love history about where I used to live.

[@coyote4237]

Thank you. Such an interesting site. I've always thought it was an egg at the mouth, just looking at the pictures I've seen. Makes the most sense to me. I've always wondered about the connection to mesoamerican cultures, too.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching. The egg is the most common explanation. I wonder if the oval is also the sun, knowing that the snake is facing the summer solstice sunset (and if the sun is a metaphorical egg). Fun to think about.

[@coyote4237]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian Another great possibility. Thank you again for the content; it's top notch.

[@TimBondy]

Thanks for the education. Excellent video.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Much appreciated!

[@Ethan54136]

This past summer I read a book about Cahokia. Absolutely fascinating stuff. There is still so much we don't know about American history, so much still to be discovered.

[@dustinstewarttexas]

Great videos, thanks

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Much appreciated!

[@bghyst]

Excellent video

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thanks for watching!

[@Jesse-cx4si]

Great stuff, JtL! Maybe do a video on Cahokia? 🙏🏼

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yes, Cahokia will be done in the future.

[@GenghisVern]

Any archeological evidence from the site? Excavation of any kind?

[@scottanno8861]

Exactly. I'd be willing to wager it's a burial site with much to offer archeologically

[@Folknox]

There are old pictures of an excavation on the LOC and NARA websites.

[@Folknox]

@@scottanno8861 This is exactly what was found.

[@wilburross9709]

It's been excavated at different times over the years and it was not a burial mount. There are two smaller mounds on the same property that are burial mounds, but the Serpent was not.

[@willwitters8587]

Thanks for the video! I grew up in Peebles and visited the site many times as a kid. Still learned a lot from your research!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you for watching!

[@GemmaMarie278]

Awesome video ❤

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@Mr.ABartley]

Great job.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@tracicomstock3489]

Thank you sooo much!

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I appreciate it!

[@darkestbeforedon914]

Growing up mormon I read about how Joseph Smith encountered many of these while living in New York and Ohio and was convinced they were evidence of the Jewish-Native American Nephite civilizations he wrote about

[@drewpusak3981]

Great video, a suggestion that I’ve been waiting for is a video about Chesapeake Bay Area or middle Atlantic native civilizations! Specifically the Lenape tribe and the other inhabitants of the area.

[@FacesintheStone]

Good to see you Jeffrey. I hope you’re keeping track of the citizens who are sharing how to see the art of the ancient Americans. The people that lived with Mammoths and wore bird headdresses… we have photographs of them painted on crystals. It’s getting a lot of attention, please advise.

[@ikesileth2270]

Hi! Love your videos, I just wanted to ask if you could provide a list of sources that you use in your description, or even better, note when you’re using one specifically during a video if you’re able. I find this topic fascinating and would love to get to learn more! Thank you

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Great point. I often put a short bibliography at the very end of the video during the credits. I wish this subject had easier to access information. So much is either in technical reports or peer review. There are very few "History of the Hopewell" kind of books that are easily made for a general audience. The radiocarbon citation is from Herrman, Monaghan, et al., "A New Multistage Construction Chronology for the Great Serpent Mound, USA," Journal of Archaeological Science. The Smithsonian's "Contributions to Knowledge" (Volume 1), 1848, is available online through the Library of Congress' Digital Collections. Probably the best history of pre-Columbian societies for a general audience is Charles Mann's "1491." A more technical book is "The Moundbuilders" by George Milner.

[@ikesileth2270]

This is fantastic! Thank you for the response :)

[@rodgerosborn7124]

We have a burial mounds (undisturbed)on our farm in muskingum county Ohio.

[@MBouchard]

The serpent is said to be a representation of lightning.

[@automaticmattywhack1470]

Very interesting. I'd have to say that all three of the bends of the snake pointing to an equinox or the winter solstice can't be a coincidence. Ancient Native Americans are just as clever as we are today.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Yes, it definitely provides a clue to what the site was used for.

[@James-hd4ms]

When the Adena would meet the Mississippians as a greeting they would say “Ohio”. Their successors were very solicitous and would often say “we hope you’re well”.

[@Squatch_Rider66]

Very interesting. I always thought ancient space aliens or giants were involved in the various earthworks across the Midwest.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

The aliens were too busy shaping the Inca masonry at the time :)

[@fordsrestorations970]

Although a lot of the archaeologists and historians don't want to acknowledge Biblical history , there are libraries around the world full of information already recorded much history of these sites in some the grandest Masonic lodges the Vatican Library and Christian colleges. Looking at the megalithic architecture on the Eastern Sea Coast a tablet was discovered that said Joshua the robber had drove them out of their land we are speaking about very tall individuals from the Ba-albek Lebanon and from Israel. They travel down the Hudson Bay St Lawrence Strait Great Lakes. Abraham Lincoln also recorded this in some of his writings about the giant race that lived north of Niagara Falls , and built some of these Mounds. That tall race of giants also worship the serpent . America is originally known as the land of the plumed serpent . The Old Testament and some in the New Testament speak of these places especially in the Book of Enoch. Excavating underneath Mexico City we see the original constructions the highly resembled Mesopotamian Ziggurats , and they also worship the snake dragon plumed serpent. The Bible is full of all this information already. And don't forget some of King Solomon's copper mines were in Lake Erie region. Another note is the Cherokee Indians had in their possession many many Jewish symbolic pieces that are still being excavated in their camps.

[@joekerby6330]

The Shawnee are from the N Florida S Georgia, only in Ohio for about 300 years. Swanee River, Shenandoah and others are derivative names that come from when the Shawnee lived there for eons...The Miami (Maumee) begged the Shawnee to come to Ohio, giving them land because of their fierce fighting ......protection

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[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Thank you!

[@jameswilliamson288]

could it represent a meteorite coming to impact

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I have heard that interpretation. It could be a comet or something astronomical.

[@EL-Ki-Yanas]

I believe it represents the sperm meeting the egg. The coiled tail represents the coiled kundalini energy at the base of the spine. The meeting of the masculine and feminine energies.

[@Bjamin9891]

I agree. Wild parties during the equinox

[@Folknox]

The Shawnee aren't from Ohio, they fled there after the Iroquois drove them out of New England. Edit: Same with the Miami. The original civilizations of Ohio were long gone by the time the Shawnee arrived, anyone in the area was either killed by the Iroquois or integrated into the Shawnee. This is why the true meaning of "Ohio" isn't known.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

No doubt after colonization the tribes and nations were thrown westward. However, Shawnee is the best we know about in the region after historical documentation.

[@Paul-talk]

the "egg" is the head

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I've wondered that myself, too. I like the idea that the "egg" is the sun, because it's facing the solstice.

[@bardmadsen6956]

It may have a double meaning alike superimposed layers of Mythology and the other one is the Serpent eating the Sun. Avebury used to be a serpent across a circle just like Egyptians symbols representing a daylight comet at perihelion. Are you really a librarian? They reject my book, I prodded my main county library and they said it wasn't popular and it would help if I wrote a peer review paper to prove the contents. Yesterday I watched a video in TN and the rock art showed the sad Sun as the Egyptians talk about and the double axe warrior next to a curvy lined woman, which from my research represents the Superbolide destroying Mother Earth. There is a story about the White Canoe that sails over the mountains and the little maiden dies.

[@johnmcook1]

2300 years? its dated at 1070 ad

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I cite a peer-reviewed paper in the video that puts early usage phases at 2300 years. It was modified thereafter with later construction phases.

[@kevinwithers6083]

The book of Mormon dates are pretty accurate on who they were.. from the Jaridites to laminates and the nephites.. Along with the description of what they built.. especially the use of metal works.. history isn't what they taught that's for sure..

[@Bjamin9891]

100% a planting/ social calendar

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

I think you might be correct.

[@Bjamin9891]

@@JeffreytheLibrarian loved the video keep it up

[@milonguerobill]

This looks like a barrow to me, has there been an excavation to look for human remains?

[@willwitters8587]

The smaller mound he mentions appears to have been a burial mound. Effigy mounds generally were not used for burial.

[@Citizen-pg8eu]

Flood control?

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

Now you're thinking outside of the box. I like that. It is right next to a river.

[@sharonmontano4924]

Your Ohio geography is remiss

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

My Ohio geography is fantastic. I have successfully gotten from Pittsburgh to Cleveland.

[@tamlamoore7962]

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[@enigma9971]

Why would primitive people build it? Weren't they too busy hunting? 😂

[@raywhitehead730]

It's apparent those guys were bored. Not an archeological site worth mentioning.

[@JeffreytheLibrarian]

It think it's a pretty cool site.

[@GemmaMarie278]

@@JeffreytheLibrarianhaters gonna hate it’s the coolest thing in Ohio 😊