Ancient sites in Ohio deserve UN designation | News, Sports, Jobs

Ohio’s most recent tourism slogan is “Find it here,” and it sounds as though the decision-makers at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization understand there are important things to find.

According to Gov. Mike DeWine, in his second inaugural address last week, UNESCO plans to name the Hopewell ceremonial earthworks around the state as World Heritage Sites.

According to a report by cleveland.com, the sites in Ross, Warren and Licking counties will be the first World Heritage Sites in Ohio. They could be as many as 2,200 years old. DeWine called the possible recognition “a big deal.”

“This special designation will draw people from all over the globe to our great state and will recognize that Ohio’s people — even in ancient times — played a pivotal role in transforming what is now Ohio into a sophisticated and prominent trading center,” DeWine said.

A designation could come as early as this summer, if UNESCO decides.

Last year, Chris Alford, superintendent of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, told cleveland.com the “builders of these sites had knowledge of lunar and solar alignments and incorporated this information into the construction of the earthworks. There are very few cultures in history that had this knowledge and showed it in monumental structures.”

It’s true, the land that became Ohio has been helping humans reach their potential for millennia.

“These are the ancestors of Native Americans who are still in our country,” Ohio History Connection Executive Director Megan Wood told the news outlet. “There’s been a push to recognize more indigenous sites throughout the world. We’ve been told we have a really great application. We’ve been told it’s a compelling story.”

It is. Here’s hoping UNESCO understands that, and shines a spotlight on Ohio that will help us tell that story to the world.

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