Alligator Effigy Mound

Information

The exact creature depicted in the 217-foot, nearly acre-sized mound is unknown, yet the moniker “Alligator Mound” has remained with the site. Presiding over a hilltop view of Raccoon Creek near the village of Granville, its features include appendages that appear to be a head, tail, and four limbs, though a fifth limb has been destroyed in recent centuries. Some theories for the intended representation include an opossum, a flying squirrel and a lizard. A more recent theory offered by archaeologist Bradley Lepper is that the mound could represent an “Underwater Panther,” a Native American mythological creature that European settlers may have misinterpreted as an alligator.

Originally attributed to the Hopewell culture that built the nearby Newark Earthworks, radiocarbon dating has placed the construction of Alligator Mound between 1100 and 1300 CE, more than 500 years after the decline of Hopewell culture. The site is now understood to be part of a broader cultural movement of effigy mounds constructed in the Ohio River Valley region known as the Fort Ancient culture which includes Ohio's Serpent Mound. The mound suffered from human activity such as plowing, animal grazing and recreational pursuits for more than a century. It was an attraction for locals, including children from the village who enjoyed playing on the mound. The site is currently owned by the Licking County Historical Society. The mound can be viewed from Bryn du Drive, but walking on the mound is prohibited.

Image 1: Photo of "Alligator Mound" 2023.

Image 1: Sketch of "Alligator Mound" as it appeared in the mid-nineteenth century.

Image 2: Detail of Granville Township from 1866 Atlas of Licking County with the Alligator Effigy Mound and other Native-American sites marked.

Image 3: Map of Newark and Granville with prominent mounds and earthworks.

Image 4: Photo of "Alligator Mound" 2023