Archaeology Collections

Linda started at Ohio History Connection after receiving her BA in Anthropology from Ohio State University. As Curator, she is responsible for the creation and upkeep of department databases and records creation and upkeep, cataloging and other collection care and research duties. In the course of her work, she has had the opportunity to conduct investigations at several Ohio History Connection holdings, including Pickawillany; Fort Ancient; U.S. Grant Boyhood Home, Schoolhouse, and Birthplace; John Rankin House; Miamisburg Mound; Fort Meigs; Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve; Newark Earthworks; Leo Petroglyphs and Nature Preserve; William Henry Harrison Tomb; Quaker Yearly Meeting House; Zoar Villiage; Paul Laurence Dunbar House; and the Ohio River Museum. Linda is an avid scuba diver and has managed to mesh her passion for archaeology with diving right here in Ohio. She is a founding member of the Maritime Archaeological Survey Team (MAST), a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the documentation of Ohio's underwater cultural resources, otherwise known as shipwrecks. Efforts of MAST have resulted in the instruction of hundreds of scuba divers from Ohio, surrounding states and Canada on underwater survey techniques; Ohio, national and international shipwreck law, research and report writing. The outcomes have been the listing of shipwrecks as Ohio archaeological sites with the State Historic Preservation Office, project reports, and Ohio's first underwater dive slates (maps) of shipwrecks. In addition to MAST, Linda's other memberships include the American Anthropological Association, Association for Great Lakes History, Midwest Archaeological Conference, National Speleological Society, Ohio Archaeological Council, Ohio Council of Skin and Scuba Divers, Save Ontario Shipwrecks, Society of American Anthropologists, Society for Historical Archaeology and several Ohio dive clubs. She was born and raised in Marion County, just north of Waldo, Ohio. She presently resides in Delaware with her husband Scott, Dee Dee the dog, and Zoë the cat.

Sara has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and a master’s degree in applied anthropology from Indiana University Indianapolis. Her previous research has focused on ceramic analysis and settlement patterns of the Fort Ancient material culture in the Ohio River Valley. She has worked at a variety of archaeological sites including precontact and historic occupations near places now known as Cincinnati OH, Indianapolis IN, and Montañita, Ecuador. Prior to joining the Ohio History Connection in 2024, she pursued broad opportunities to establish skillsets in archaeological field techniques, object care, and collaborative methodologies. She applies these skills to care and advocate for the archaeological collections at the Ohio History Connection.

Originally from the Indianapolis area, Sara has spent her life in the Midwest and has developed a distinct passion for local histories and landscapes of memory. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, reading, collecting houseplants, and exploring parks with her dog, Talos, and her cat, Gremlin.

We appreciate the hard work of the interns and volunteers who have spent hundreds of hours of their time working on projects both in the lab and out in the field. For more information on volunteer opportunities, visit the Volunteer page.