This event is included with admission.
Dig into history with Ohio History Connection’s annual Archaeology Day! Explore Ohio’s past with archaeologists from across the state. Learn what it takes to be an archaeologist, participate in a mock dig on site and hear from experts in the field.
Activities will include presentations, partner booths, pottery making, flint knapping, atlatl throwing and mastodon crafts. More information will be coming soon, please check back here for updates!
Tours and Timed Activities:
11 a.m. - Noon & 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Mock Archeology Digs
Do you have what it takes to be an archeologist? Use real tool and make discoveries of your own.
Noon
Tour: Indigenous Wonders of Our World
Learn about the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, now UNESCO World Heritage Sites with an OHC staff member on this guided tour.
Speaker Series:
1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Seeing Ohio’s Rock Art: Virtual reality approaches to Inscription Rock on Kelleys Island
Presented by: Dr. John Soderberg, Anthropology Department at Denison University
By using 3D scanners and other technology, John has been able to recreate the experiences ancient people may have had with petroglyphs (shapes carved into rock) at Inscription Rock, Kelleys Island, Ohio. What did he discover, come find out!
2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Zerubabel’s Basement and a Lost Schoolhouse; Excavations in Warren County, Ohio
Presented by: Jeannine Kreinbrink, President of K&V Cultural Resources Management, LLC
An archaeological survey in Warren County found an old homestead and an abandoned schoolhouse on the same property. Dating to the early 19th century, the homestead site lay hidden beneath an agricultural field. The Oak Grove Schoolhouse stood forgotten in the woods in the southeast corner of the property for many decades. We explore their complicated history through archaeology and archival research, including court cases, abandonment, brotherly arguments and more!
3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Three-Dimensional Documentation of Grave Markers: A Guide to Best Practice and Equipment for the General Public
Presented by: Dr. Alexander Corkum and Joseph Snider
There are over 14,600 known cemeteries in the State of Ohio, some better documented than others. As stones weather, names and dates are lost, forever closing the doors to a vault of information. Simply put, it is never too early to document historical cemeteries. But now, with increasingly powerful graphical processing units, high-resolution cameras on mobile phones, and advances in photogrammetry software/ availability, the public has been empowered to perform their own highly precise documentation.
This presentation will provide a framework for those with an interest in cemetery documentation to learn more about the hardware and software involved, as well as general best practice.
Ongoing Activities:
Artifact Identification
Atlatl Throwing
Pottery Making
Flint Knapping
Pump Drill
Mastodon Cart
Bone Tools Cart
Paper Tube Mastodon Craft
Museum Quest Scavenger Hunt