Ancient stone fort discovered at Devil's Backbone in Indiana with multiple wall segments. Devil's Backbone site in Indiana features stone walls clad in limestone slabs (20 tons each, some weighing 800 lbs) Wall is 580 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 12 feet tall with 75-foot tall section Site served as fortress with oversight of approximately 20 miles of Ohio River
Devil's Backbone in Indiana reveals a remarkable stone fortress: walls clad in 20-ton limestone slabs (some 800 lbs each), stretching 580 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 12 feet tall with a 75-foot tall section. The fort commanded views of 20 miles of the Ohio River. Stone box graves dating to 600-1100 AD mirror Welsh burial practices. Similar fortress lines extend across Indiana. Unfortunately, a railroad destroyed much of the site in 1894, using the stone for the Jeffersonville-Louisville bridge.
Key Facts
- Devil's Backbone site in Indiana features stone walls clad in limestone slabs (20 tons each, some weighing 800 lbs)
- Wall is 580 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 12 feet tall with 75-foot tall section
- Site served as fortress with oversight of approximately 20 miles of Ohio River
- Ancient quarry identified nearby for limestone extraction
- Stone box graves on site date to approximately 600-1100 AD, similar to Welsh burial practices
- Line of similar fortresses identified across Indiana from Miamisburg to Charles Town
- Railroad destroyed the site in 1894, using stone to build Jeffersonville-Louisville bridge
- Water balance system hypothesized for moving materials uphill on the hilltop
- No evidence of mining tailings found despite search for industrial evidence
Related site: Backbone Fish Hatchery (ruins) — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The Roundtable Chronicles - Ep. 21 by Institute for Natural Philosophy