Book Release and Book Talk With John Hancock

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: Landscape Monuments of the Ancient Ohio Valley

A New Publication of the Smithsonian Institution
In 1848, the newly established Smithsonian Institution published its first book: Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, in which two men from Chillicothe, Ohio, showcased this region’s brilliant American Indian earthworks. Professor Hancock will recount the story of how eight of those architectural masterworks became UNESCO World Heritage sites, and how this new Smithsonian publication presents the current knowledge about their astonishing scope and subtle beauty, and the lives of the sophisticated geniuses who designed and built them two millennia ago.
John E. Hancock taught architecture, design, and history at the University of Cincinnati for 40 years. He has produced many multimedia exhibits and publications on Ohio’s earthworks. John also served as the principal author and photographer for the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage nomination. Along with that work’s public reissue from Smithsonian Books (April 2026), John has also published Traveler’s Guide to Ancient Ohio (2026).
Pre-Registration is required for this event. Registration will close once 100 people are registered.
Please be sure to register at: https://forms.office.com/r/hNtMsWs8P6

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