Exploring Hopewell Pyro Engineering: Experimental Replication of the “Pit and Tunnel” Features from the Turner Site (33HA26) in Southwest Ohio

Abstract The peoples referred to by archaeologists as “Hopewell” were expert artisans and adept engineers who created vast culturally modified landscapes. One of the most intriguing Hopewell sites is the Turner Earthwork Complex in southwest Ohio. This complex included enclosures, embankments, and mounds. Excavations beneath one mound by Harvard University's Peabody Museum in the 1880s revealed a circle of 30 large features originally referred to as “Pits and Tunnels”—deep pits connected by long angled tunnels. Evidence of intense burning in each of these features led to interpretations of them as possible kilns. We re-created one such feature and lit fires in order to examine the thermodynamics of these systems. Our findings reveal ingenious inventions akin to augmented draft kilns, and their design allows for the relatively easy production of temperatures in excess of 1000°C. While possible functions will be tested in a future study, this initial research provides insights into Hopewell engineering and activities at the Turner site.