William Corless Mills
William Corless Mills (born Jan. 2, 1860, Pyrmont, Ohio, U.S.βdied Jan. 17, 1928, Columbus, Ohio) was a U.S. museum curator who excavated Indian remains in Ohio, including Adena Mound (1901), a large earthen burial ground near Chillicothe, built c. 50 bc. It became the type site for the study of the North American Adena culture and period. He was the curator and librarian of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society (1898β1928) and curator of the Ohio State University Museum (1899β1928). He wrote Archaeological Atlas of Ohio (1914) and Certain Mounds and Village Sites in Ohio, 3 vol. (1907β22).
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Citation Information
Article Title:
William Corless Mills
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
13 January 2026
Access Date:
November 14, 2026