The Hopewell Interaction Sphere

The Hopewell Interaction Sphere was a massive ritual and diplomatic network centered on Ohio circa 1000 BCE to 800 CE.

Burial mounds at Hopewell include treasures from the entire continent:

• obsidian from Appalachia,
• copper from the Great Lakes,
• shark teeth from the Gulf of Mexico,
• grizzly molars from the Rockies,
• alligator teeth from Florida,
• and even meteoric iron from outer space

In stark contrast to the Mesopotamian bureaucrats, who attempted to achieve equality through standardization, the Hopewell people seemed to have aimed for equality through a celebration of difference.

Few figures in Hopewell art have the same hairdo. Burials show a wide range of art, insignia, and dress.

And theres no evidence of warfare, although they might have played lacrosse.

The civilization began to decline as folks adopted maize.

They were succeeded by Cahokia.