Circles and Ovals: Two Types of Adena Space

Abstract

Two classes of have long been recognized. For example, the Adena Trait List complied by Webb and Snow begins with Large associated with other manifestations, followed by Sacred circles associated with large earthworks (1945:29-31). These cover the two earthwork categories, or as I call them types of space, discussed here. To mention specific sites, Peter Village (15Fal66), a large earthwork enclosure in Central Kentucky near Lexington, stands in sharp contrast to the sacred circle, or as I will call it the circle, like neighboring Mt. Horeb (15Fal). However, although widespread and presumably well known for some time (Figure 1), there is a meager bibliography on enclosures of either type. Drawing partly on early accounts, partly on their additional survey and excavation, Squier and Davis interpreted the large as defensive and the small ones as ceremonial (1848), perhaps prompted by earlier English antiquarians such as Colt Hoare (cf. Daniel 1950:30-31). As I will suggest, this interpretation still has life when suitably recast. There are three sides to the formal differences be-

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