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Media contacts: Kim Schuette: 614.297.2314 or kschuette@ohiohistory.org
Jack Blosser: 513.932.4421 or 800.283.8904 or jblosser@ohiohistory.org
For Immediate Release
Ohio Historical Society Announces Fort Ancient Archaeology Day July 26
Visitors to Site Experience Field School "Dig"
(COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 21, 2008) – The Ohio Historical Society will conduct an Archaeology Day at Fort Ancient July 26 from noon to 4 p.m. The program will begin with discussion of the archaeological history of Fort Ancient, followed by guided tours of an excavation where Wright State University field school students are digging at the Moorehead Circle.
The team of Ohio Historical Society archaeologists and field school students, led by Dr. Robert Riordan, are attempting to uncover 2,000-year-old features that will hopefully someday shed some light on the purpose of the 200-foot-diameter circle that was at one time surrounded by more than 200 wooden posts. Visitors will be able to watch the team excavate and record post stains, pits and remnants of trenches that were constructed by native people during the Hopewell culture. They also will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from the team.
One of the highlights for Archaeology Day will be walking tours of the prehistoric reconstructed garden. The Warren County Master Gardeners Association will be on hand to discuss the garden concept of the earliest farming techniques dating back 2,000 years. The garden has demonstration plots with plants illustrating the crops grown during the Hopewell Culture, including maygrass, goosefoot (lambs quarter), amaranth, sunflower, squash and gourds. There also are demonstration plots characterizing the crops grown 1,000 years ago, including what is referred to as the "Three Sisters" -corn, beans, and squash.
Artifact and fossil identification will take place in the museum from 12:30–3:30 p.m. People who have artifacts or fossils can show their collection to a professional archaeologist and geologist. Traditional craft artisans will also be on hand to provide a workshop on making a Cherokee choker. There will be a $3.50 material fee.
In addition, Archaeology Day will feature plenty of hands-on activities for children, including a scavenger hunt to learn about Ohio Valley Prehistory. Children and adults will have the opportunity to learn to throw a spear with a spear thrower, called an atlatl, and play a game called double ball that will test the hand-eye-coordination of the participants.
Admission to the event and museum is $8 for adults, and $4 for students. For additional information, please call 513.932.4421/800.283.8904 or visit www.ohiohistory.org.
Fort Ancient, more than 2,000 years old, consists of 3.5 miles of earth walls that range from 4 to 23 feet in height built in a space of about 100 acres. Prehistoric people during the Hopewell Culture built and used Fort Ancient as a place of ceremonial and social gatherings. The stone-covered earthworks are astronomical-marking mounds-by observing the movements of the sun and moon people could gather at certain days of the year to celebrate specific events and ceremonies. The museum at Fort Ancient contains 9000-square-feet of interactive exhibits focusing on 15,000 years of American Indian history in the Ohio Valley.
Fort Ancient is a part of the 58-site system administered by the Ohio Historical Society, a nonprofit organization that serves as the state’s partner in preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, natural history and archaeology. For more information, visit www.ohiohistory.org.
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