Shawnee Lookout Archeological District

Shawnee Lookout Archaeological District is an archaeological complex in Hamilton County, Ohio, spread across river bottoms and wooded hillsides near Cleves. At more than 40 excavated sites, researchers have found layers from different time periods showing ancient settlements, tools, and everyday objects.

The area was inhabited over many centuries by people representing the Archaic, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient cultures in sequence. Each culture left behind its own tools and settlement patterns, preserved in the soil layers.

The district holds remains of ancient pottery workshops, copper ornaments, and shell decorations that show how skilled early inhabitants were at crafting. These objects tell of people who knew their surroundings well and passed their abilities down through generations.

Public Shawnee Lookout Park provides access to the archaeological sites with trails running through the landscape. Good shoes and weather protection matter since the paths go through river bottoms and hillsides.

Excavations have uncovered bird bones, fish remains, deer, and turtle shells that show what people ate. These bone finds are rarely this complete, and they give a direct look at the daily life of past generations.