Glenford Fort property map   Save
Ohio History Connection Archaeology Photograph Collection
Description: Photograph of a topographic property map showing the Glenford Fort area, done by the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection). Glenford Fort is located on a high bluff-like hill just south of the village of Glenford in Perry County, Ohio. The “fort’ is outlined by a mile long wall that follows the edge of the hilltop, enclosing about 40 acres. Located within the fort was a large stone mound that measured about 100 feet in diameter and 12-15 feet high. Unlike the earthen walls comprising other hilltop enclosures in Ohio, portions of the walls at Glenford Fort are made up almost entirely of stone cobbles gathered from exposed bedrock strata occurring at that elevation. At other locations the perimeter of the fort is defined by massive sections of bedrock split into long vertical gaps parallel with the bluff edge. These were further widened by glacial action, seeming to form natural passageways within the bedrock. Glenford Fort survives much as it looked to early surveyors thanks to the longtime ownership of a local family. The interior stone mound did not fare as well. In the 1980s it was excavated using less-than-professional standards, although work there did produce artifacts diagnostic of the Adena culture. This was backed by a radiocarbon date of 2220 +/- 50 bp or 270 B.C. As with other hilltop enclosures in Ohio, it more likely served as a ceremonial precinct than a defensive position. Glenford Fort is now owned and managed by the Perry County Soil & Water Conservation District with the support of the Arc of Appalachia and the Heartland Earthwork Conservancy View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV17_B02F04_E2_01
Subjects: Glenford Fort (Ohio); Earthworks (Archaeology); Maps; Hopewell Culture (A.D. 1–400)
Places: Perry County (Ohio)