Ohio History Connection accepts archaeological collections with educational and/or research potential and that fulfill collecting guidelines. Check out Donation FAQ for more information or Contact Us if you are interested in donating material. Ohio History Connection also curates collections resulting from Cultural Resource Management (CRM) projects required by Federal and/or state laws, a service for which Ohio History Connection will normally assess a fee. View our Acquisitions Procedures document which outlines the steps of the acquisition/donation process.
Research requests are currently closed due to the on-going implementation of Ohio History Connection's American Indian Policy and preparation for the movement of our collections to a new facility. We expect that new procedures will be shared in Winter 2023. General questions regarding researching Ohio archaeology, history, or natural history, can be directed to the Research Services Department.
Effective immediately, Ohio History Connection has instituted a moratorium on all research access to ancestral human remains. The moratorium will remain in effect until we have updated our procedures for research on ancestral human remains, in line with federal law and in consultation with the historic Tribal Nations affiliated with the State of Ohio. We expect that new procedures will be shared in Winter 2023. For additional information, we have prepared answers to some frequently asked questions.
Ohio History Connection staff work with Ohio’s strong and committed archaeological community to increase awareness, train educators, preserve, and interpret Ohio’s rich ancient past at Ohio History Center, at our historic sites around the state, and through publications and educational programs.
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.
Marie Swartz earned her A.A.S. degree in archaeology from Hocking College and her B.A. degree in anthropology from the Ohio State University. Before coming to OHC, she worked extensively in cultural resource management, in the collections of universities and local history museums, as well as library and special archive preservation. As a curator, she works to make the OHC archaeological collections more accessible to both the public and researchers. In her off time, she enjoys film photography, reading poetry and existential philosophical works, and bird watching with her cat, Wolfgang.
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.
