Michigan History: The Hopewell Indians


Hopewell Mound by Gray Redfox
NOTE: Mound is in West Virginia!

Before European settlers, even before the Odawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibway, prehistoric people called the Hopewell built hundreds of burial mounds in the river valleys and forests of what we now call Michigan. Some Hopewell lived in the western and southern part of the Lower Peninsula. However, the most sophisticated Hopewell settlements and the largest burial mounds were in Ohio and Illinois. When they buried honored people in the mounds, the Hopewell included items that tell us about their lives.The Hopewell were part of a huge trading network that stretched across the central United States. Elaborate decorations and jewelry made from Michigan copper, North Carolina mica, and shells and pearls from the Gulf of Mexico were discovered in Hopewell mounds. Carved obsidian (a volcanic rock) from the Rocky Mountains and shark teeth from Virginia's Chesapeake Bay also have been found. The most ornate artifacts were in Ohio mounds. Michigan artifacts, such as pots and bowls, are simpler. Archaeologists believe the Hopewell traded furs and food, too, but they decayed long ago.


The Moundbuilders by Mary Harrsch
Artifacts from Cahokia Interpretive Center
in St. Louis, Missouri (photo set)

In their eating habits, the Hopewell fit between hunter-gatherers and farmers. The Hopewell may have grown some plants, but they were not a full-time farming people. They ate nuts, squash, and the seeds from several plants. Hopewell people also ate wild animals, birds, and fish.

The Hopewell's houses were not permanent, so little evidence remains to tell about them. Scientists believe the houses had wooden pole frames covered with animal skins, grass or herb woven mats, or bark.

The Hopewell built their mounds in Michigan from 10 B.C. until about A.D. 400. Historians believe the Hopewell are the distant ancestors of the native people who still live in Michigan. Still, no one knows why they stopped building mounds or where they went after A.D. 400.

For more great stories on Michigan's past, look to Michigan History magazine. For more information or a free trial issue, call (800) 366-3703 or visit http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com/.

More Hopewell Indian Resources

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This entry was written by Absolute Michigan and posted on September 30, 2005 at 7:18 pm and filed under Articles, Community, Dig Michigan, History & Libraries, Michigan, Museums & Collections, SW, The Michigan Pages: History: Magazine. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

31 Comments

  1. farlane
    Posted November 13, 2006 at 7:59 am | Permalink

    Editor's Note: I updated this article with photos from other states as they illustrate more of the character of the Hopewell's lives than no photo at all (especially the photo of the wood duck bowl - links to a set of great artifact photos!). I would very much like to use Michigan photos - if anyone has some, please let us know!

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  2. emily
    Posted September 5, 2007 at 2:04 pm | Permalink

    This info is very interusting. What are your sources?

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  3. farlane
    Posted September 5, 2007 at 7:54 pm | Permalink

    This is from Michigan History Magazine, which is published by the State of Michigan.

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  4. Samantha
    Posted October 19, 2007 at 5:11 pm | Permalink

    this is a great help to kids with projects and is so wonderful!
    !

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 5

  5. Rachel
    Posted November 21, 2007 at 11:15 pm | Permalink

    This info really helped me on my soical studies project,and it really interested me after I looked on a whole bunch of boring websites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ***************************A+************************************

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  6. samuel montak
    Posted December 5, 2007 at 6:00 pm | Permalink

    this helped me on my social studies project big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 9 Thumb down 10

  7. farlane
    Posted December 6, 2007 at 7:24 am | Permalink

    Very cool Samantha, Rachel & Samuel - thanks for the kind words!

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  8. curufaukor
    Posted January 27, 2008 at 9:20 pm | Permalink

    It is suggested that the Adena people of the Ohio River Valley are the mound-builders. Many skeletons of the Adena people are demonstrably quite large and have had red-hair recovered.

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  9. farlane
    Posted January 28, 2008 at 8:10 am | Permalink

    It's amazing what sort of things are on these internets. Here's Watertown school's piece on the Adena and moundbuilders and several rather more fantastic articles on the Adena:

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  10. TYLER
    Posted August 25, 2008 at 6:04 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for the facts they will help me on my social studys project.

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  11. TYLER
    Posted August 25, 2008 at 6:08 pm | Permalink

    Where do these facts come from?

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  12. Ace
    Posted August 25, 2008 at 7:04 pm | Permalink

    Thanks for the info

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  13. farlane
    Posted August 25, 2008 at 7:24 pm | Permalink

    The facts come from Michigan History Magazine, who wrote the article. Which is part of the Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries.

    As far as I know, all of the Michigan History series of articles here on Absolute Michigan are well researched and are the result of the best scholarly procedures.

    I don't know if I can make the same claim about all our articles. ;)

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  14. cgbain
    Posted January 13, 2009 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    did the mound builders ever venture into sw ontario anytime

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  15. ippio
    Posted January 23, 2009 at 7:22 pm | Permalink

    wow that was dumb.
    put how they used michigan's resources.

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  16. samantha
    Posted April 7, 2009 at 3:11 pm | Permalink

    this website is sooooooooo stupid!

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 6 Thumb down 9

  17. bob
    Posted May 21, 2009 at 9:37 pm | Permalink

    thanks for the writing

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 4 Thumb down 6

  18. bob
    Posted May 21, 2009 at 9:38 pm | Permalink

    yeah website rocks

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 5 Thumb down 7

  19. David
    Posted July 25, 2009 at 1:13 am | Permalink

    The history of these antient inhabitants is in a book called the Book of Mormon

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  20. walker
    Posted August 30, 2009 at 7:35 pm | Permalink

    the hopewell indians are so cool. how come we never know about them before.

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  21. walker
    Posted August 30, 2009 at 7:37 pm | Permalink

    why are the hopwell indians so cool is because they where here before us. that is so cool I can not belevie it.

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  22. dsdsdsdsds
    Posted December 10, 2009 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    yo weird

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  23. spirit elite
    Posted January 28, 2010 at 11:40 pm | Permalink

    hope well indians are awesome i luv them they are my fav indian tribe.

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  24. justin
    Posted May 21, 2010 at 1:18 pm | Permalink

    this is dumb i am in school looking for information on hopewell indians and i cant find any good things

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  25. shani
    Posted September 22, 2010 at 12:09 pm | Permalink

    i hate you BITCHES!!!

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 3 Thumb down 7

  26. shani
    Posted September 22, 2010 at 12:10 pm | Permalink

    WHAT'S UP BITCHES!!!

    Hot debate. What do you think? Thumb up 3 Thumb down 8

  27. MARIBEL=]
    Posted September 28, 2010 at 8:39 pm | Permalink

    OMG! THANKS TO THIS WEBSITE I FINISH MY WORK OF SOCAL STUDIES! IT HAS SO MANY INFO, I THINK THAT IS BETTER THAN WIKI ANSWERS!=]LOL THANX YU SAVE MY LIFE!

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  28. Splatter:)
    Posted October 11, 2010 at 7:46 pm | Permalink

    This is a great site, glad I clicked! helped me get info I needed for my Hopewell Indian project in History!!!!---SPLATTER!

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  29. Snake
    Posted October 18, 2010 at 8:38 pm | Permalink

    The kids were here. Basically shows the quality of young people in the states.

    They will be on welfare demanding handouts.... BC they goofed off in school. They will eventually pay and I will laugh at them.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 5

  30. Cara
    Posted December 2, 2010 at 1:18 pm | Permalink

    This sucks.I cant find nothin on these stinkin people.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 5

  31. gavinohernandez
    Posted December 3, 2010 at 2:12 pm | Permalink

    hopewell's are the best

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3

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