archaeology Archives - Ohio History Connection

October 6, 2025

The Archaeology Catalogs Part II: A Great Deal of Careful Work

The Ohio History Connection cares for world-renowned Archaeology collections through the use of a catalog whose origin dates back over a century. For this Ohio Archaeology Month, explore the history and application of the Archaeology catalog. If you missed our first post about the archaeology catalogs, you can read it here. To briefly review, the […]

September 26, 2025

X Marks the Spot: Mapping & Archaeology

Every archaeologist eventually finds themselves mid-excavation, trowel in hand, confronted with the question, "So, you guys finding gold? Silver? Jimmy Hoffa??" The answer, dear passerby and admirer of public archaeology is no, we haven't. Although our maps aren't marked with an 'X' to denote hidden treasures, they are essential within our day-to-day work. Historic sketches […]

July 14, 2025

Behind the Scenes: The Archaeology Exhibit Case at Adena Mansion & Gardens

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 […]

April 21, 2025

New Digs at Fort Laurens

How often do you see a specific moment in time? This Revolutionary War period musket ball from Fort Laurens was found during Heidelberg University’s Center for Historic and Military Archaeology’s 1999-2000 research project. Check out the ricochet scar on the upper right side, it has the appearance of a cresting wave. Someone in the […]

March 24, 2025

The Archaeology Catalogs: From the Beginning

By Sara Polk, Assistant Curator of Archaeology Catalogs are essential records of objects in museum and library collections. Catalog numbers document objects in collections and the data associated with them, such as where they came from and what material they’re made of. Museum curators and collections staff maintain catalogs to help people access and use […]

December 20, 2024

Objects from the Octagon: Archaeological Collections and the Stories They Share

Beginning on January 1st, 2025, The Octagon Earthworks will be open to the public daily for the first time in over a century. What is known today as the Octagon Earthworks is a preserved section of geometric earthworks, including the Octagon, the Observatory Circle, and the Observatory Mound, once part of the larger Newark Earthworks […]

December 9, 2024

The Case of the Curious Artifact

Recently, while working with a collection from a 1984 Coshocton County rock shelter excavation, I came upon two relatively modern, distinct artifacts amidst fragments of broken and melted glass bottles. When I first saw them, they looked like decorations of some sort. They were spiral-like and made of thin aluminum. However, on the top […]

December 6, 2024

Through the Eyes of a Child

In celebration of the holiday season, we thought you’d enjoy this encounter we had with a 7 year old who visited the museum in Columbus during a special event. She came by our table filled with stone pestles, pieces of pottery, bone tools, granite celts and chert projectile points; one of which made her face […]

November 25, 2024

Intern Spotlight: Jessica Hammond, Archaeology

Intern Spotlight: Jessica Hammond, Archaeology This fall, we were lucky to have intern, Jessica Hammond, join us for a special project for one of our sites, Fort Laurens. We hope you enjoy hearing about her project! This autumn, I journeyed into the world of archaeological collections through an internship with the Ohio History Connection. From […]

October 31, 2024

Matters of Material: Collection Spotlights for Ohio Archaeology Month

October is Ohio Archaeology Month! As we reach the end of October, we’d like to briefly reflect on a few archaeology sites and collections cared for by Ohio History Connection and our site partners. Ohio History Connection stewards several sites which focus on archaeology, the study of the past through the material people left behind. […]