The materiality of spiritual engagement: art and the end of Ohio Hopewell

Research reveals that the decline of Ohio Hopewell, a ceremonial system in southern Ohio (AD 1–400), was marked by a radical shift in societal perception of materiality and spiritual engagement. The study suggests that the cessation of art production, large earthwork enclosures, and elaborate offerings after AD 400 indicates a widespread rejection of ritual authority and the belief in material objects' ability to mediate with the spiritual world. This transformation reflects a loss of social efficacy in art, challenging traditional understandings of how societies sustain ceremonial practices. The analysis integrates theoretical, historical, and ethnographic data to argue that this shift represents an active cultural change rather than a passive abandonment.

Spielmann, K. A. (2013). The materiality of spiritual engagement: art and the end of Ohio Hopewell. World Art, 3(1), 141–162. https://doi.org/10.1080/21500894.2013.773936