Where the Moon Stands Still

“Brilliant! In this page-turning mystery, James W. Graham reveals the genius of ancient Indigenous astronomers in the Newark Earthworks, a genius that has always been there, reminding us that at night we see the same celestial moon that they saw.” —Donald L. Fixico (Shawnee, Sac and Fox, Muscogee, and Seminole), author of The State of Sequoyah: Indigenous Sovereignty and the Quest for an Indian State

“In this excellent book, James W. Graham tells the very human story of how Ohio's Native American earthwork builders' unparalleled astronomical genius was rediscovered. Deftly weaving engaging accounts of the ancient builders with the perspectives of their contemporary descendants, this book will do much to enhance public appreciation of these astonishing yet enigmatic monuments.” —John E. Hancock, author of Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks: Landscape Monuments of the Ancient Ohio Valley

The inspiring story of how two intrepid college professors revealed the lunar alignments and ancient engineering genius behind the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.

How did people two millennia ago achieve the stunning architectural and scientific accomplishment that in 2023 became Ohio's only UNESCO World Heritage Site? In Where the Moon Stands Still, James W. Graham recounts the inspiring true story of two small-town college professors who, without funds or training in archaeology, helped unlock secrets behind an ancient monumental work of land art—the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks—all but hidden in plain sight on a local golf course.

Ever since the arrival of Europeans, thousands of Native earthworks east of the Mississippi were neglected, vandalized, bulldozed, and plundered. Their origins and purposes baffled scholars. How did ancient people build monuments of such grand scale and geometric sophistication? Why? Crucial answers emerged in the 1980s when philosopher Bob Horn and astronomer Ray Hively, driven by curiosity and a tireless devotion to truth-seeking, made a decades-long effort to conquer the skepticism of experts and unmask the astronomical genius behind the Indigenous earthworks.

As he recounts Hively and Horn’s investigation, James W. Graham refutes exploitative mythical interpretations and explains the history around these earthworks and of US treatment of its Indigenous people, including the long quest for tribes to regain authority over stories, ancestors, and places. Where the Moon Stands Still signals a global reawakening to the greatness of Indigenous achievement in America's heartland.

James W. Graham has spent his career working in journalism, public affairs, and nonprofit communications. He is the author of Victura: The Kennedys, a Sailboat, and the Sea and has written for Time, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. He lives in suburban Chicago with his wife, Linda Kingman.