Have you been to the Adena Mansion lately? Check out this behind-the-scenes look with members of our collections and exhibits teams cleaning the Archaeology case in the museum at Adena Mansion & Gardens, the 19th century home of Ohio’s sixth governor, Thomas Worthington. Staff wiped down the case interior and exterior, carefully dusted objects, and inventoried the case contents prior to the site opening in April. These tasks support ongoing care of collections on exhibit.
What’s in the case?
The case is dedicated to archaeological investigations that took place in 1997, 1998, and 1999. A transdisciplinary team including historians, historical architects, and archaeologists sought to identify Worthington-era outbuildings and investigate diverse lives of the people living and working at the mansion (Hitch and Keener 2007). The archaeologists targeted an area to the west of the mansion in 1998 and 1999 where they uncovered the foundation of a large (60′ by 42′) multipurpose farm structure, a privy, and a well surrounding a workyard. In the case are various objects from these investigations, including fragments of ceramic plates and jars, iron objects such as horseshoes and knives, and processed animal remains from 19th century meals (although you’ll need to visit Adena for more details!).
Jaimie, Assistant Registrar, cleaning the Archaeology case at Adena Mansion & Gardens. Ohio History Connection image.
A 4441/000121 | Knife
This knife was recovered from an area near the gardens in 1997 (Keener 1999). It has an iron blade and an antler handle. Ohio History Connection image via OhioMemory.
A 4448/01074 | Glass Egg
Glass eggs encourage hens to lay. This glass egg was found associated with the multipurpose farm structure, indicating it may have been used partially as a hen building (Keener and Faber 2000). Ohio History Connection image via OhioMemory.
A 4448/001201 | Sherd
This is a shell-edged ceramic, possibly a plate, used and discarded at Adena. Ohio History Connection image via OhioMemory.
What’s in Storage?
The excavations in the 1990s led to the recovery of approximately 100,000 Pre-contact, 18th century, and 19th century objects that are curated by the Ohio History Connection. While a few objects are on display in the exhibit case, telling a story about the farm structure and the lives of the people who lived at the Adena Mansion, most of the material from the excavations is kept in storage for future research and interpretation. Here are a few examples:
A 4448/004604 | Faunal Remains
Can you see the cut marks from butchering on these animal bones? Look for faint vertical lines on the bone on the left. These food remains were recovered from the multipurpose farm structure area close to the smokehouse. Ohio History Connection image.
A 4448/004628 | Rake
This small iron rake also comes from the multipurpose farm structure area. The handle was not preserved, but iron is often recovered from archaeological contexts from historic sites. Ohio History Connection image.
A 4448/006105 | Jar
This glass Mason jar was excavated from the privy. The patent date on the jar and the presence of other refuse (trash) in the privy foundation suggests that the privy was abandoned and used as a midden, or refuse dump, in the late 19th century (Keener and Faber 2000). Ohio History Connection image.
What’s important about these collections?
Many of the objects from Adena Mansion & Gardens were associated with archaeological features such as the well, the multipurpose farm structure, and the privy, although material collected from all over the site contributes to our understanding of Adena. The artifact assemblages revealed details such as what types of trash got thrown away, where visiting military personnel gathered, and even the differences between servant and landowner meals (Keener 1999; Keener and Faber 2000). The distribution of artifacts across the site indicates where people of different socioeconomic status lived and worked, what people did in different areas of the estate, and how the lives of diverse individuals intersected at this important place.
The archaeological investigations allowed the transdisciplinary team to interpret diverse stories at the Adena Mansion and established a baseline for present-day staff to responsibly care for the archaeological resources that remain intact at the site. Collections from these investigations continue to inform site stewardship, research, and interpretation through their curation at the Ohio History Connection.
Hitch, Neal V., and Craig S. Keener. 2007. A Test Case of Transdisciplinary Research Theory and Practice: Adena, the Home of Thomas Worthington. Historical Archaeology 41(2):21-33.
Keener, Craig S. 1999. An Archaeological survey of portions of the Ohio Historical Society’s Adena Site in the city of Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio. Report on file at the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office.
Keener, Craig S and C. Edward Faber. 2000. Archaeological mitigation of the smokehouse area at the Adena State Memorial, the Thomas Worthington Estate, Chillicothe, Ohio. Report on file at the Archaeology Curation Facility, Ohio History Connection.
