MAC Abstract & Presentation

A Brave New, Old World: Utilizing Computer Modeling to

Reconstruct and Research Hopewell Earthworks in Ohio

By Ashley Busch, Arizona State University

and

Jeremiah Stager, University of Alabama

The monumental earthworks built by the Hopewell culture in Ohio nearly two thousand years ago are in a state of decay that is in many cases irreversible. We are developing (or have developed) three-dimensional models that rebuild these earthworks in a virtual world. While other models have been built in the past as illustrative media, our models will be more useful as research tools. By utilizing the data available from previous excavations, satellite/aerial orthoimagery, and measurements taken on site, we have attempted to reconstruct this monumental architecture as it may have looked nearly two millennia ago. There are significant advantages of three dimensional models over traditional mapping. Height (or Z value) is not able to be represented in top-down maps except in using cross sectioning, which is very limited. In addition, these models will be readily accessible to researchers to utilize and evaluate through the use of freeware programs.

Click on the link below to access our presentation, which has many more pictures.

Prezi Presentation

3D model of the Turner site created in GoogleSketchup8.

Google SketchUp and Google Earth

The three dimensional reconstruction of ancient earthworks found on the following pages were created by using  the freeware programs: Google SketchUp8 and Google Earth6. Unlike other modeling software these programs allow any user to create three dimensional models and upload them to their real world geographic settings. In the examples that follow, uploading models into Google Earth allows researchers to visualize the ancient earthworks in their geographic, temporal, and spatial settings.

To view the attached files you will need to download and install Google Sketchup and/or Earth. After installing the programs you can open either view the models directly in SketchUp (.skp file extension). After opening a model in Sketchup you can preview them in Google Earth by selecting the 'preview in Google Earth' tab from the SketchUp file menu, all files have been geo-located.

Download Google SketchUp

Download Google Earth

Screenshot of the Turner earthwork within the Little Miami drainage,

 on the morning of October 3, 2011.

Screenshot of the Hopewell earthwork within the North Fork of Paint Creek Valley, 

looking west on the afternoon on April 10th, 2011. 

How We Created the Reconstructions (Part 1)

Step 1: Locate an existing map of an earthwork within Google Earth (.kmz file extension). In some cases, this had already been done by James Jacobs on his website Ancient Earthworks of Eastern North America. In other cases, we had to upload maps into Google Earth and locate them to known earthwork sites (Case and Carr 2008, Chapter 7).

see also http://www.jqjacobs.net/archaeo/liberty.html

Step 2: Import location and image map of earthworks from Google Earth to Google SketchUp. 

see also http://www.jqjacobs.net/archaeo/hopewell.html

Step 3. Trace the outline of the earthwork in SketchUp and extrude along the path the earthwork cross section (using the FollowMe tool). 

Step 4. Fine tune the model and the surrounding geography by using the SketchUp tools.

Step 5. Upload the model to Google Earth by selecting Preview unthe SketchUp File tab.

Step 6. In Google Earth you can adjust the amount of light, the angle of the sun, and make astronomical alignments (note the stars in the sky).

How We Created the Reconstructions (Part 2)

The geographic location and layout of the ancient earthworks found in Ohio are largely known, although the earthworks themselves may not be visible today (i.e.Romain and Burks 2008; Lynott 2009). The original  height and cross sectional geometries of the earthworks, however, have not been extensively analyzed (i.e. Bernardini 2004). For this reason, we ran a multitude of geotechnical engineering models of different slope stability conditions to estimate potential geometries of the earthworks based on the surrounding soil properties (Busch 2011). Estimates of the original height of the earthworks were then back calculated given the width of the embankments, rate of erosion, bearing capacity, and maximum slope configurations.

Table 1. List of the most common engineering issues related to earthworks (Kerisel 2005).

Table 2. Relationship between soil properties and their effect on the soil fabric.

Equation 1. The basic equation of slope stability.

 

 Figure 1. Illustration of the basic equation of slope stability.

Figure 2. Classification of the soils surrounding the Hopewell site based on 

the USDA-NRCS (2010) Soil Report  and Johnston’s (1975) engineering characteristics of Ohio soils

Figure 3. Cross-section of different earthwork geometries, ground water conditions, and 

subsurface soil properties, as an example of the models run in the analysis.

Figure 4. Example of  the output of the slope stability analysis from the Rocscience Slide 2010 program. Results indicated that the bearing capacity was the driving force behind slope geometry and stability. 

The Models

Below are links to the SketchUp models that can be downloaded (right click and 'select  save link as...').  When access permits, these models can be georeferenced within Google Earth. We will update these files as the models are finalized and as new earthworks are included. If you have any questions or recommendations please email us at earthworkreconstruction@gmail.com.

Scioto Region:
Hopewell Mound Group (10/4/2011)
Hopeton Earthwork (10/4/2011)
Mound City Earthwork (10/4/2011)
Seip Earthwork (10/4/2011)
Liberty Earthwork (10/4/2011)

Little Miami Region:
Turner Mound Group (10/4/2011)
Stubbs Earthwork (10/6/2011)
Fosters Earthwork (10/10/2011)
Moundville Earthwork (10/10/2011)

View of Stubbs earthwork form within SketchUp.

Google Earth Downloads

Below are links to downloads of site walkthroughs, which can be linked to in Google Earth, and accessed on your mobile devices. We are currently working with a web developer (Cats Cradle Studios) to create interactive models that the public can access with their mobile devices when touring each of the sites.

Scioto Region:


Little Miami Region:




Below are links to the georeferenced maps in Google Earth that were used to create the earthwork outlines, for a select number of sites. We have tried to layer as many maps as possible for each site to give the most comprehensive map. Future updates will include links to particular information about artifacts and other site features.


Scioto Region:


Little Miami Region:

Acknolwedgements

Arizona State University
University of Alabama
Ohio Historical Society
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
National Science Foundation
Google Education Services
Prezi Presentations
James Jacobs (http://jqjacobs.net)
and many others!