Peak of the Hopewell Culture

Timeline

1. 100–250Hopewell Culture National Historical Park · OhioLarge conical and rectangular mounds were built in the Ohio River Valley; beneath some mounds, carefully arranged burials and ritual objects have been found, indicating the development of social elites and complex religious beliefs.
2. 200–400Eastern North American woodlands · United StatesThe Hopewell people established an exchange system spanning North America, obtaining copper from Lake Superior, shells from the Gulf of Mexico, and obsidian from the Rocky Mountains; these precious materials were fashioned into ritual objects buried with the dead or used in religious activities.
3. 300–500Great Serpent Mound · OhioLarge geometric earthwork enclosures and animal-shaped mounds were built, such as circular and square enclosures and the famous Great Serpent Mound, serving as venues for seasonal gatherings and ritual activities; the culture gradually transformed around 500 CE, paving the way for the rise of the Mississippi culture.