The Hopewells developed a more sophisticated community structure that included different levels of importance/authority in order to enhance their society; implement effective agricultural methods to farm the land (they were the first to do this), and improve hunting capability and results. With centralized forms of community government, they could bring together large numbers of people to work on important construction projects, such as major mounds and fortifications.

Groups within the culture created their own marketable products from local resources, either grown or mined from the earth. These items were then traded or sold to other groups within the Hopewell area of influence. The information we have about the Hopewells has been gleaned from the discovery of many of these artifacts.

Many sites in Ohio have produced treasured artifacts. In Shelby County these finds include points (arrowheads and spearheads) made from flint and chert, tools, pestles (used to grind grains), and jewelry. Rotted wood can tell an archeologist the location of houses or villages while seeds of corn, beans, squash and pumpkins in waste pits illustrate their agricultural practices.

Pottery is one of the most important items for studying prehistoric people because it lasts for thousands of years and can be reassembled after it’s broken. Distinctive decorating can help identify how people from one place traded with another.