About the Ohio Archaeological Inventory

The Ohio Archaeological Inventory (OAI) is maintained by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and serves as the official record of all known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in Ohio.

The OAI is used by the SHPO, and state, local, and federal agencies to assist with land-use planning, urban development, and road improvements. Decisions are often influenced by the presence of important archaeological sites, sometimes leading to project redesigns to avoid site destruction. Researchers and consultants also use the OAI as an archive and information resource.

Whether you are an archaeological consultant, academic researcher, or a public participant, you can play an important role in discovering, recording, and preserving Ohio's archaeological history.

  Archaeological Consultants: Viewing and Recording Sites to the OAI

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 149.30 of the Ohio Revised Code require the SHPO to maintain a statewide inventory of archaeological sites. Similarly, consultants must record sites identified during fieldwork to the OAI.

To view sites, use our Online Mapping System (the Online Mapping System is presently under construction; please see the website for more information). For access to OAI site forms and survey reports, please Contact Us.

Steps to Record New Archaeological Sites onto the OAI

  • Contact Us, or the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager, to receive OAI site numbers, which are needed to begin the process.
  • The SHPO now uses Survey123 to record new sites and generate OAI forms.
  • Follow the Site Form Preparation & Submission Guide for best practices in form completion.
  • Unused OAI site numbers must be reported to the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager to ensure our OAI database remains accurate.
  • Please note that all OAI form submissions are reviewed for accuracy by SHPO staff.

Steps to Update Archaeological Site Forms

  • To update a previously inventoried site, you must first contact the Archaeology Survey and Data Manager to determine the required method (Revised Form or Continuation Sheet).

In need of assistance?

Connect with our Inventory & Registration Staff.

Essential Links for Consultants

Survey123: Getting Started

Download the Guide

OAI Site Form & Preparation Guidelines

Download the Guide

Archaeological Guidelines & Report Requirements

View the Guidelines

Online Mapping System

Browse the OAI

 

 

  Researchers: Viewing and Recording Sites to the OAI

 

The OAI, along with its supporting archival records and spatial data, is a valuable resource for academic and professional researchers, preservation consultants, and agency planning. Researchers are encouraged to list new sites onto the OAI using Survey123, especially those identified or investigated outside the Section 106 process.

Sites to Consider Listing to the OAI

  • Archaeological sites identified or investigated during field schools
  • Sites discovered during graduate research
  • Sites identified through geophysical investigations

For more information on beginning research or to list sites onto the OAI, Contact Us or the Archaeology Survey & Data Manager.

Did you know?

The OAI contains over 60,000 sites, with 1,000 added each year!

 

 

  Landowners and Avocationalists: Recording Sites onto the OAI

Public members, including landowners and avocational archaeologists, have contributed over 1,000 sites to the OAI. To list a site, review our Guidelines on Reporting Archaeological Sites and carefully document the following details before Contacting Us:

  • Site Identification: Provide details about when the site was found and by whom.
  • Location: Include a map or coordinates, and a description of the site.
  • Artifacts: Describe the artifacts and submit photos, if available.
  • Development: Note if any construction is occurring at the site.

For further guidance, see the Preliminary Documentation Form. If you need a professional archaeologist, the SHPO maintains a Consultants List of qualified professionals.

Visit our Cemetery Preservation webpage for information on preventing or reporting cemetery vandalism.

Conducting Archaeological Investigations

Before conducting investigations on state property, you must obtain permission from the relevant agency and a permit from the Ohio History Connection.

Collecting artifacts from federal property or private land without permission is illegal and can result in severe penalties under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.

Essential Links for the Public

Guidelines for Public Reporting

Download the Guide

Preliminary Documentation Form for Archaeological Sites

Download the Form

Archaeological Consultants List

View the List

 

 

The OAI and the National Register

Inclusion in the OAI does not automatically register or nominate a property to the National Register of Historic Places. Sites listed to the OAI helps alert the preservation community, and local and state officials of the presence of Potentially Eligible sites.

Currently, 220 sites listed onto the OAI are also listed onto the National Register.

For more information on the nomination process, visit our National Register of Historic Places page.

Explore More SHPO Inventories

 

 

 

 

A Brief History of the OAI

Archeological Atlas of Ohio (1914)

Early Inventory of Archaeological Sites

In 1895, Warren K. Moorehead, the first curator of the Ohio History Connection, began a comprehensive archaeological survey of Ohio. Moorehead documented over 3,000 mounds and earthworks during this time. The first female curator of the Ohio History Connection, Lucy Allen, continued documenting sites to the inventory in 1989. By 1914, William C. Mills published the results in the Archaeological Atlas of Ohio, identifying around 5,400 sites.

In the 1930s, curatorial assistant and Lithic Lab supervisor, H. H. Ellis, began to meticulously organize archaeological site documentation by county and plotted their locations on topographic maps. Until the 1950s, Ellis frequently made site visits to confirm the details and location of reported archaeological sites submitted by the public. His work laid the foundation for the formal Ohio Archaeological Inventory that we know today.