Ohio Archaeology Blog

OHIO ARCHAEOLOGY BLOG IS MOVING!

2013-08-02T11:32:00.003-04:00

The Ohio Archaeology Blog is moving!

From now on, you can find us on WordPress at the new and improved Ohio Archaeology Blog!

We hope you'll continue to follow us and keep up-to-date on Ohio's past!

And, by the way, as part of this process our Natural History colleagues are getting their own well-deserved blog, which is also on WordPress. We'll be sure to share links to their blog posts when we think the content will be of archaeological interest, but for regular updates on Ohio's Natural History, you'll want to follow the new Natural History blog.

We'll see you over on the new webpage!

Brad Lepper

OHIO HOPEWELL CREATURE MASH-UPS

2013-07-26T12:58:00.001-04:00

In the Spring 2013 issue of the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, already featured in this blog for the article on Newark archaeoastronomy, Chris Carr, an archaeologist at Arizona State University, and Robert McCord, Curator of Paleontology at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, review six Hopewell representations of animals that appear to be chimerical and consider what different animal species are included in the mash-ups.

One of the six creature effigies studied by Carr and McCord is a crocodile, caiman/alligator and possible snake mash-up from the collections of the Ohio Historical Society. It was found in Esch Mound 1 in Erie County, Ohio.

In the text of the paper, Carr and McCord write that "Almost all the creature's traits are crocodilian, but some characterize the caiman or alligator while others indicated a crocodile. General crocodilian features include the creature's prominent teeth, plantigrade legs, dorsal ridge-spines or 'osteoderms' on its back, and chevrons for tail spines. The U-shaped snout resembles that of a caiman or alligator, and the ridges around the eyes recall specifically those of a spectacled caiman, Caiman crocodilus, whereas the prominent teeth suggest a crocodile. The creature's head shape is closer to that of a snake than a crocodilian."

Carr and McCord summarize their conclusions in the paper's Abstract:

"Detailed zoological identification of the component animals documents that all were associated with the underwater-underground realms of historic Woodland and Plains Indian cosmoses, in contrast to some later Mississippian and Historic period composite creatures with both sky and water-earth associations. However, strong continuities are found in the kinds of underwater-underground creatures known to historic Woodland-Plains and prehistoric Ohio Hopewellian Indians. A survey of historic Woodland and Plains knowledge about underwater-underground creatures sheds light on both their helpful and harmful roles and the very wide spectrum of domains of life they affected, in contrast to some current Woodland ethnographic, ethnohistorical, and archaeological lines of interpretation that caricature the creatures as harmful and gloss over purposes of Ohio and Illinois ceremonialism other than world renewal."

Brad Lepper

A NEW AND EXTENDED CASE FOR LUNAR (AND SOLAR) ASTRONOMY AT THE NEWARK EARTHWORKS

2013-07-22T19:27:00.000-04:00

Ray Hively and Robert Horn, the archaeoastronomers who first made the case that the Newark Earthworks encoded the principal alignments of the 18.6-year long lunar cycle in its geometrical architecture are back with an extended argument for lunar, and now solar, astronomical alignments at the Newark Earthworks.

Their new paper appears in the just published Spring 2013 issue of the Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology. Here is the Abstract to give you a summary of their latest ideas.

A New and Extended Case for Lunar (and Solar) Astronomy at the Newark Earthworks

The Middle Woodland period Newark Earth-works in Newark, Ohio, are the largest known set of con-nected, geo-metrical earthworks ever constructed. An analysis of available evidence (survey, topographical, statistical, and archaeological) shows that the geometry of this Hopewell complex and its relation to the surrounding terrain can be understood in terms of astronomical alignments to the Sun and Moon. The geometrical structure of the site is consistently aligned with extremes in the 18.6-year cycle of lunar standstills. An understanding of the topographical context is presented by identifying four hilltops connected by lunar standstill alignments to long linear features of the Earthworks and connected to each other by alignments to the Sun at the solstices. The number and accuracy of the alignments together with Monte Carlo studies showing the low likelihood of chance producing such results suggest that Newark was aligned with unprecedented accuracy both to regional topographical features and astronomical phenomena.

Brad Lepper

Naturalist Photos Epic Battle Between Copperhead and Kingsnake

2013-07-22T07:13:00.000-04:00

Ohio flora blogger A. L. Gibson has been a guest blogger on our site once before. This time his blog is not about plants, but a rare observation of interaction between two species of snakes. The subjects are the venomous Copperhead (one of only three venomous snakes in Ohio) and a Black Kingsnake (also called the Common Kingsnake). Copperheads were once very widespread in Ohio, but are now restricted mostly to southeastern Ohio and extending very limited northward along the Ohio River and also in Ashland and Wayne Counties. Kingsnakes are much more rare, being reported from only seven counties in extreme southern Ohio (Adams, Scioto, Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Vinton, and perhaps Lawrence). The Ohio Turtle, Lizard and Snake Atlas (Wynn and Moody,2006. Ohio Biological Survey) indicates that even in these counties it is tough to find one and that this is the northern extent of its range.

Wynn and Moody also report that: “One often hears well-informed landowners say that they never harm these snakes due to their diet of rodents and venomous snakes (especially the Copperhead).” (I have to wonder is that statement is wishful thinking. All too many people kill any snake they see, without “discrimination.” How many landowners are so “well-informed?”)

The behavior Gibson reports is not new to science, but being able to observe this first hand, and to be able to capture excellent photos of the battle is quite a coup! Gibson has allowed us to share one of his photos here, but to see all his images and hear his own tale as the drama unfolded before him, go to his Blog site at: http://floraofohio.blogspot.com/2013/07/copperhead-vs-eastern-black-kingsnake.html

Bob Glotzhober
Senior Curator, Natural History

OHIO'S NATURAL HISTORY: WHAT ARE SYNPOTIC COLLECTIONS!?

2013-07-15T15:30:00.001-04:00

In my last blog post, I mentioned that the natural history collections at the Ohio Historical Society used to be stored in the “Synoptic Room.” This was a time when the Society’s collections were actually housed within the main museum building; now they are housed in an off-site Collection Storage Facility. I didn’t really explain the term “synoptic” in that post, but rather left it open and asked folks to email me if they wanted a definition. Due to the absolutely overwhelming response (!) everyone now surely knows what that is! But in case one or two of you forgot to email, here’s an explanation and an introduction to the collections within natural history.

But first a little history of natural history! Before the Ohio Historical Center opened in its current location on 17^th Ave. it was located on the Ohio State University campus. The large natural history collections at OHS were closely integrated with OSU’s research and teaching programs. When the Ohio Historical Society moved to the new building in 1970, the decision was made to retain the majority of the vast collections on the OSU campus where they would continue to be used regularly by university researchers, graduate students, and visiting scientists. These collections were not simply given to OSU but rather are on a long-term loan; they are still owned and monitored by OHS. It should be noted that only the zoological collections within natural history were retained at OSU. These collections then became the foundation for OSU’s “Museum of Zoology” which continued to operate in the basement of Sullivant Hall for many years after the Ohio Historical Society moved to 17^th Ave. (I also worked in the Museum of Zoology collections as an undergraduate, as well as at OHS, but that’s a story for another time!). Then in later years, many of the scientific collections at OSU were brought together in the current Museum of Biological Diversity on Kinnear Rd.

So how many zoological specimens were left at Ohio State!? Records show that over 215,000 lots* of specimens were retained on loan to OSU. That includes over 102,000 insects, 48,320 lots* of mollusks, 27,000 birds, and 26,300 fish. (*So what does the term “lot” mean when referring to museum specimens?! E-mail me!)

Now back to the story. In the discussions between OSU and OHS to leave major research collections at Ohio State, it was decided to transfer a comparative collection to OHS that encompasses the diversity of the flora, fauna, and geology within the subject of natural history; or a synopsis, if you will, of the state’s natural history. Synopsis? Synoptic!? Get it!? The overall theme of the new collection was a synopsis of natural history, or a “one of everything” approach. Some have called it a Noah’s Ark of the state’s natural history. If you want to see a sample of an ore from a 19^th Century iron furnace, or a trilobite, or an endangered dragonfly, or the nest of a hummingbird, or a fern from Fort Hill, or a mammoth tooth…we got ‘em! The natural history collection currently contains almost 30,000 specimens covering the fields of geology, mineralogy, paleontology, botany, entomology, and invertebrate and vertebrate zoology. It truly is a good overview of the natural environment of Ohio.

But the one-of-each synoptic collection is really only one component of the current natural history collection.

Next time: the rest of the story!

David Dyer
Curator of Natural History
ddyer@ohiohistory.org

Pickawillany Open House

2013-07-13T14:52:00.001-04:00

This Thursday, July 18th, you have the chance to visit the ongoing investigation in search of a 1750's English traders compound at the Miami Indian village of Pickawillany. For additional information please visit the Piqua Daily Call's article. We hope to see you there!

AMERICA'S WORLD HERITAGE

2013-07-11T13:46:00.003-04:00

"It is the duty of the International Community to protect places of outstanding universal value."

The UNESCO World Heritage List was created to honor special places of transcendent natural or cultural significance.

Support UNESCO's World Heritage Mission!

PEOPLE OF THE FOREST -- AMERICA'S INDIGENOUS LEGACIES

2013-07-11T11:50:00.000-04:00

Ohio's Natural History: The Natives are Hot – for your Garden!

2013-07-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

No one ever accused me of being in tune with style, or hip, or cool, or whatever adjective might be right for the “in thing.” I’ve never been one to be synchronized with public opinion about style. But I’ve discovered a case where perhaps I really am in-sync with the latest craze. Or maybe I just happen to have been enthralled with this idea for years, and lots of other people are serendipitously discovering it now – without any reflection on me at all.

Regardless, there is a growing trend in gardening to go au naturel. See, there I go again. Some of you are thinking automatically of the first definition in the dictionary – going naked. No way! The second definition means “in a natural state.” For gardeners at this point in time, that means selecting for flowers, shrubs and trees that are a natural part of the landscape of your region or state – native species.

Gardening with native wildflowers is not new. A very small group has been doing some of this for many decades. For at least a couple of decades there have been organized groups such as The Native Plant Society of Northeastern Ohio, the Midwest Native Plant Society, or the Cincinnati Wildflower Preservation Society and others across Ohio and across the nation.

The movement of promoting native plants got a huge push in 2007, when entomologist Doug Tallamy published his book, Bringing Nature Home (re-published as an expanded edition in 2009). In this book, Tallamy reflects on a myriad of benefits for planting native species in your yard and garden. Not just wildflowers, but especially trees too. The short list of benefits includes native species being better adapted to the region and therefore requiring much less effort at watering, fertilizing etc. These are plants that have survived and thrived in our region for thousands of years without any help – and planted in the right soils with the appropriate amount of sun or shade, they will thrive in your garden too. Save water, save money on fertilizers and have less impact on the environment. Plus, with a little effort and planning, there are dozens of colors and times of blooming to pick from to make your garden attractive.

For many people, the biggest attraction for planting native flowers and trees relates to butterflies, moths and birds. Many people have noted that butterflies are a lot less common than they used to be. Some of the blame may be due to pesticide use, but a lot of it due to loss of habitat. We might draw butterflies in with a variety of flowers that they might sip nectar from, but each species will lay eggs on only certain “host plants.” A few butterfly species are generalists which will lay their eggs on a variety of species, but many will only lay their eggs on a single species of tree or wildflower or perhaps on members of a single genus of plants. If gardens are all cultivated, alien species, then the species many native butterflies need are absent in our ever expanding urban and suburban yards. For many years, most garden store plants have been alien species imported from overseas. I never quite understood why people preferred species not from North America in their gardens, rather than the native species we have already here. Perhaps the cow is right. The “grass” is always greener on the other side of the fence. But those alien species of plants don’t support our native butterflies and moths.

Equally problematic is that alien plants species have very few species of butterflies and moths – and hence caterpillars, that use them at all. Scientific studies have shown that alien shrubs or tree might support one or two species of caterpillars, while native species might support 30 or 40 – for even more for oaks! These caterpillars are essential for feeding young birds. Even birds that are primarily seed eaters, feed their nestlings young caterpillars to provide critical protein for early growth. A pair of chickadees can feed more than 9,000 caterpillars to their clutch of four to six young over a period of 16 days! If you don’t have the tree species or wildflower species that host a lot of native butterflies and moths – pretty soon you don’t have the native birds either!

This blog could go on for a long, long time. But it makes more sense to refer you to a few other resources to dig into this subject. The best of these resources is the 2^nd edition (2009) of Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. Get a copy from your local library, or purchase one for your own library. You will end up referring to it time and time again most likely! The July-August 2013 issue of Audubon magazine carried a great article on page 42 by Rene Ebersole, titled “Food Networks.” She quotes Tallamy time and time again and it is a very informative article

Finally, Doug Tallamy wrote a summary article (attached here as a PDF file) about using native plants in your yard, and it is a great introduction to his book. The article, Welcoming Wildlife Into the Garden With Native Plants appeared in the Wild Ones Journal Volume 25, No 4. It is reprinted here by permission of Donna VanBuecken, Executive Director of the Wild Ones Natural Landscapers Ltd in Wisconsin.

Since we have so greatly changed the landscape of America during the past couple of hundred years, butterflies and birds are struggling more and more to survive, let alone thrive. Tallamy says that with growing availability and opportunity to plant native trees, shrubs and flowers, “As gardeners and stewards of our land, we have never been so empowered – and the ecological stakes have never been so high.”

Tallamy and others suggest that we have a moral obligation to create local oases with how we manage our yards. Read the articles, and let me know if you agree!

Bob Glotzhober, Senior Curator of Natural History

Johnson’s Island: Ohio’s hidden Civil War site

2013-07-02T12:22:00.000-04:00

From July 1-3, the United States engaged in a battle in Pennsylvania that would ultimately lead to the high-water mark in the American Civil War at a place called Gettysburg. While many enlisted men and officers would lose their lives, many others would be taken prisoner by either side. For the Union members, it meant that they would be sent to places like Andersonville. For the Confederate enlisted men and officers, it meant places like Elmira in New York, Point Lookout in Maryland-or two separate places in Ohio: for the enlisted men, they would be sent to Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio while the Confederate officers were sent to Johnson’s Island out on Lake Erie.

Johnson’s Island, located approximately 3 miles north of Sandusky, Ohio, was selected as the site of a prisoner of war camp due to its ease of transportation by boat from Sandusky and the fact that many other islands out on Lake Erie were closer to the Canadian Border, which was not advantageous if a prisoner break were to occur. Additionally, it may the island more secure as there wasn’t really anywhere for the prisoners to run to in the event of an escape or prisoner break to occur. The Prisoner of War camp was built on 16.5 acres of land and was built to house 2,500 prisoners of war. The maxiumum number reached for prisoners at the island at one time was 3,224 in January, 1864. By the end of the Civil War some 10,000 prisoners of war would be processed through the camp.

Some of the prisoners of war who passed through Johnson’s Island included Isaac R. Trimble and James J. Archer (both captured at the Battle of Gettysburg), Henry D. McDaniel (who would later become Governor of Georgia during reconstruction and would help found what would become Georgia Tech University) and Lt. William H. Peel, who would keep a diary of his experiences as a prisoner until his death on the island in 1865 and Lt. Christopher Columbus Nash, who would serve as the Sheriff of Grant Parrish, Louisiana.

Be on the lookout for a forthcoming article on this blog about Henry D. McDaniel and other articles about Johnson’s Island and its incredible history.

Chandler Herson

COBBLESTONE PAVEMENT DISCOVERED AT BIMELER HOUSE IN ZOAR VILLAGE

2013-07-01T15:28:00.000-04:00

Is it a patio, the floor of an outbuilding, or just a dry place to get out of a carriage? Or is it something else entirely?

The Ohio Historical Society archaeologists discovered this pavement of cobblestones while monitoring recent construction at the Bimeler House in Zoar Village.

You can read about it in an article by Chandler Herson, Linda Pansing and Bill Pickard in the Ohio Archaeological Council's online journal Current Research in Ohio Archaeology.

Check out the article and let us know what you think!

Brad Lepper

CELEBRATING OHIO'S STATE ARTIFACT

2013-06-30T17:05:00.000-04:00

Today at the Ohio History Center we gathered to celebrate the designation of the Adena Effigy Pipe as Ohio's State Artifact!

We celebrated the pipe itself, a masterpiece of ancient North American stone carving, and the accomplishment of the teachers and students of the Columbus School for Girls as well as the legislative sponsors of the bill.

Our heartfelt thanks to Charlotte Stiverson, Tracy Kessler and all their students who worked on this project over the past several years!

And to Representatives Mike Duffey and John Carney and Senator Frank LaRose for their support!

One highlight of the program was the showing of this video of Governor Kasich signing the bill -- with a little help!

Brad Lepper

HOPEWELL USE OF METEORITIC IRON

2013-06-30T08:29:00.002-04:00

Among the exotic materials collected by the Hopewell and used by their artisans to craft ornaments of iconic beauty none are more exotic than the chunks of iron, alloyed with nickel, that originated ultimately in outer space.

I describe the use of meteoritic iron by the Hopewell, as well as the ancient Egyptians, in my June column in the Columbus Dispatch.

Artifacts made from meteoritic iron have been found at most of the major Hopewell mounds, including Ater Mound, Harness Mound, the Hopewell Mound Group, Mound City Group, Seip-Pricer Mound, Seip-Conjoined Mound, Fort Ancient, and the Turner Earthworks.

The artifacts made from meteoritic iron include ornamental or ceremonial objects such as copper earspools plated with meteoritic iron, earspools made entirely from meteoritic iron, cylindrical beads, buttons made from various materials covered with meteoritic iron sheeting, boat-shaped hollow objects, cones, slate cones plated with meteoritic iron sheeting, panpipes, headplates, and even a human ulna, or lower arm bone, decorated with meteroritic iron foil.

In addition, Hopewell artisans used the iron to craft a number of apparently utilitarian objects, including adzes, axes, awls, celts, chisels, and drills. Since these were made from such an extraordinary raw material, however, it's not likely that they served entirely as ordinary tools. They may have been symbols of social status or possibly religious icons.

The late Olaf Prufer speculated that the Hopewell might have realized that meteorites had fallen from the sky. We may never be able to know for sure what the Hopewell knew about these iron nuggets, but it's certainly possible.

Prufer quotes W. J. Hoffman's 19^th century report of a Menominee myth about meteorites, which makes it clear that some American Indians knew where meteorites came from: "When a star falls from the sky, it leaves a fiery trail; it does not die, but its shade [spirit] goes to the place where it dropped to shine again. The Indians sometimes find the small stars in the prairie where they have fallen."

Chemical studies have shown that at least some of the Hopewell meteoritic iron is from Brenham, Kansas. As I point out in my Dispatch column, there may have been no humans in North America 20,000 years ago when this meteorite left its fiery trail across the sky. But, as Prufer observed, some Hopewellians may have observed the fall of other meteorites, "in which case they may have had some knowledge of the nature of meteoric iron and how to recognize it."

The Hopewell had a fascination with unusual raw materials, which they made extraordinary efforts to acquire. If they understood that meteoritic iron came from the sky, artifacts made from it must have been among their most sacred regalia. Prufer points out, however, that the use and treatment of meteoritic iron was "in no way different from that of other metals." So there's no good evidence to suggest that the Hopewell knew just how special that iron really was.

For further reading about the Hopewell use of meteroritic iron check out the following papers:

Carr, Christopher and Derek W. G. Sears

1985 Toward an analysis of the exchange of meteoritic iron in the Middle Woodland. Southeastern Archaeology 4(2):79-92.

Prufer, Olaf H.

1961 Prehistoric Hopewell meteorite collecting: context and implications. Ohio Journal of Science 61:341-352.

1962 Prehistoric Hopewell meteorite collecting: further evidence. Ohio Journal of Science 62:314-316.

Wasson, J. T. and S. P. Sedwick

1969 Possible sources of meteoritic material from Hopewell Indian burial mounds. Nature 222:22-24.

Brad Lepper

MOOREHEAD CIRCLE 2013 UPDATE

2013-06-29T19:33:00.002-04:00

The archaeological investigation of the Moorehead Circle at the Fort Ancient Earthworks continues this summer. Dr. Robert Riordan, a core of dedicated volunteers, and students from the Wright State University’s archaeology field school are working to unravel the complicated history of this remarkable site.

One focus of the 2013 excavations is the gateway to this elaborate ceremonial structure. The entrance featured an extensive pavement of large limestone slabs. Two major episodes of construction are evident here as the original pavement was buried beneath a layer of sand and then covered with an entirely new set of slabs.

In the video linked here you can hear Dr. Riordan talk about what we have learned so far about the amazing Moorehead Circle.

Brad Lepper

FROM ARTIFACT TO ICON: CELEBRATING THE ADENA PIPE

2013-06-25T09:55:00.001-04:00

The Adena Pipe recently became the official state artifact of Ohio. This 2,000 year-old hallmark of the ancient Adena Culture was as significant to the First Ohioans as it is fascinating to modern-day Ohioans. It was unearthed 112 summers ago on the estate that Thomas Worthington, the “Father of Ohio Statehood” and Ohio’s sixth governor, named Adena. This ancient artifact received a lot of attention recently when students from the Columbus School for Girls began a class project more than three years ago to make the Adena Pipe the state’s official artifact (Ohio’s first such designation). The students and their teachers celebrated their accomplishment when Governor John R. Kasich signed Senate Bill 33 into law on May 16, 2013.

Join us at the Ohio History Center on Sunday, June 30 from 2-3 pm as the Ohio Historical Society, the students from the Columbus School for Girls and the legislative sponsors for Senate Bill 33 discuss the significance of the Adena Pipe, Ohio archaeology and how these students and teachers rallied support to take an idea from the classroom to the halls of the Ohio General Assembly.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OHIO’S ANCIENT PAST -- FROM AN ICE AGE MASTODON TO A SACRED ROAD LINKED TO THE MOUNDS

2013-06-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

You have two opportunities in July to attend presentations I’m giving on Ohio’s most amazing archaeological mysteries!

On July 8^th, I am speaking at the Coshocton Public Library on Ohio’s amazing Burning Tree Mastodon, a nearly complete skeleton I helped to excavate back in 1989. Who or what killed this giant elephant-like creature – and his entire species – 13,000 years ago?

On July 16^th, I’ll be at the Columbiana Public Library speaking about the Great Hopewell Road – a perfectly straight set of parallel embankment walls framing a road that led from the monumental Newark Earthworks an unknown distance to the southwest. Where did it lead? What was its purpose?

These programs are supported by the Ohio Humanities Council.

Advance registration is required for the program on the Great Hopewell Road.

For more information about each program, contact the libraries.

I hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Brad Lepper

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The Burning Tree Mastodon and Ohio’s Ice Age

8 July 2013

6:30-8:00 PM

Coshocton Public Library – Large Meeting Room

655 Main St.

Coshocton, Ohio

(740) 622-0956

E-Mail: coshpl@coshoctonlibrary.org

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

The Great Hopewell Road

16 July 2013

6:30-7:30 PM

Columbiana Public Library

332 N. Middle St.

Columbiana, Ohio 44408
(330) 482-5509

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

OHIO'S NATURAL HISTORY: MIXING PESTICIDES AND DRAGONFLIES

2013-06-20T13:42:00.000-04:00

“Nature News & Comment,” an online newsletter, published an article on 17 June 2013 by Sharon Oosthoek about a recent study from Europe and Australia regarding the impact of pesticides on aquatic organisms. She comments on a study by Mikhail Beketov and others that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The not too surprising results show that “Pesticide use has sharply reduced the regional biodiversity of stream invertebrates, such as mayflies and dragonflies.”

The researchers examined 63 streams in Germany, France and southern Victoria, Australia. They found 27 percent (Australia) to 42 percent (Europe) fewer species in highly contaminated streams than in uncontaminated streams. They further noted that existing European regulations are not preventing such loss, and that with the importance of stream invertebrates in the food chain, this is cause for great concern.

I had noted similar but slightly different problems while doing distributional studies of dragonflies and damselflies during the early 1990s. Unfortunately, I did not have chemical analysis or hard numbers to verify my results. I had been doing a lot of work along central Ohio’s famed Big Darby Creek, just west of Columbus. The species diversity there was significant and offered many hours of enjoyable effort sampling and documenting that diversity. The Big Darby is one of Ohio’s best warm-water streams. While it does not contain any unique dragonflies, it does have a unique fish and several rare mollusks.

After working the Big Darby for a couple of years, I managed to take a trip to the Hocking River between Rockbridge and Logan, Ohio. Over the course of a couple of visits, I noticed most species were identical to those on the Big Darby. The only species of dragonfly I could not find at that time on the Hocking was the Rusty Snaketail (Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis), a member of the Clubtail family, many of which are highly sensitive to degraded stream conditions. (Since then, more discoveries of other Clubtails on the Big Darby may have skewed the numbers off more – but I have not been back to the Hocking for an equal comparison.)

More important than the single missing species, was the strong impression of an overall reduction of numbers. While most of the same species were present in the Hocking River as in Big Darby Creek, their numbers were substantially reduced in comparison. I did not have the opportunity or time to make statistically valid counts, but the difference was as clear as night and day. One species for good comparison was the American Rubyspot damselfly (Hetaerina americana). They were thick amongst the Water-willow (Justicia americana) that grows along the stream banks at Big Darby. While Water-willow is also abundant along the Hocking River, the Rubyspots were much fewer in number. My hypothesis has always been that the pollution in the Hocking River may have eliminated the Rusty Snaketail – a single species – but dampened the populations of other dragonflies and damselflies. Hence the most significant impact was low populations due to the stress of the pollution. (I should note that in the twenty years since, the quality of the Hocking is reported improved – but I have not yet taken the opportunity to re-sample that river.)

All this, of course, is anecdotal and lacking any hard evidence. But let me put forth one more comparison that may be significant, though also anecdotal. In 1895, professor David S. Kellicott published his second paper on the “Catalogue of the Odonata of Ohio” in the Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History. Kellicott’s first paper on this subject in 1894 was a very brief note, so his 1895 paper was the first significant record of dragonflies and damselflies in Ohio. Kellicott listed 68 species, a far cry from the 164 species known from Ohio today – but a very significant first one-man effort to note what was in the state. The year 1895 was not before pollution from eroding stream banks and urban sewers, but it was before pesticides and herbicides. Unfortunately, Kellicott does not always describe in detail where he did his work, but he did report one very interesting observation in central Ohio (possibly Central College or the Big Darby) that is almost hard to believe today. In commenting on the fall congregation of American Rubyspots in early October, he reports that “Both sexes assemble, and they rest so compactly that I have captured seventy-five by one sweep of the net.” While I’ve seen Rubyspots congregating on the stream-side vegetation, I have never seen a mass more than about one tenth of such density. If he was collecting at either the Big Darby or at College Station, he would have been above any major sewage outflows, so other than siltation the area probably experienced little pollution. Not even the Big Darby is pristine enough today to support populations of Rubyspots or other Odonata at such levels.

Returning to Beketov’s paper and his remarks, one bears further repeating. “I think we should care about this because invertebrates are an important part of the food web.” I would add to that statement, that we should care even just because of the diminished richness of the environment that can enrich our souls. Can you imagine seeing American Rubyspots – or any other damselfly or dragonfly – in numbers comparable to those we see in photos of the Monarch Butterflies in the highlands of Mexico? Literally dripping off the vegetation! Can we imagine ever returning the Big Darby, the Hocking River or the Scioto River to quality so grand that such sights could be seen again? If we dream enough, we can take better control of our environment, and it could happen.

Bob Glotzhober, Senior Curator of Natural History

ADENA PIPE MADE FROM SCIOTOVILLE CLAY

2013-06-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

In today’s Columbus Dispatch, Dale Gnidovec, curator of the Orton Geological Museum at the Ohio State University, describes the source of the raw material from which some exceptional ancient Native American artisan carved Ohio’s State Artifact.

The Adena Pipe is made from Sciotoville clay, a kind of flint clay, which formed in Ohio's tropical forests 320 million years ago!

The flint clay was quarried from along the Scioto River near Portsmouth about 2,000 years ago.

Brad Lepper

2013 ROBERT L. HARNESS SUMMER LECTURE SERIES AT HOPEWELL CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

2013-06-13T17:18:00.003-04:00

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is pleased to host the summer 2013 archeological lecture series. The following is a list of speakers and titles of topics to be presented. The programs will be held at the Mound City Group Visitor Center located at 16062 St. Rt. 104 just north of Chillicothe. Each lecture will start at 7:30 P.M.

______________

June 20: Hearth Features, Land-Use Intensification, and Archaeological Preservation Bias: A Case Study from Northwest Texas

Laura R. Murphy, Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas

Archaeologists assume a strong link between increasing hunter-gatherer populations, decreasing territories, and an increase in plant cooking facilities on the landscape. Fire-cracked rock (FCR) features such as hearths and earth-ovens used to process plant foods with lower caloric values reflect an intensified use of the land. Because the link between FCR features, population, and land-use intensification depends on locating hearth features and establishing a radiocarbon chronology, it is critical to measure erosion bias and correct population estimates based on sites lost. I present a method for calculating demographic changes where we correct for preservation bias after determining the density of hearth features from landform surfaces of known ages. I test the model in northwest Texas where surface survey yielded 385 hearths. When we understand the extent to which the archaeological record has been affected by erosion, we can make more substantiated conclusions about the archaeological patterns on the surface that inform us about human behavior.

June 27: The Circleville Earthwork and Hopewell

Jerrel Anderson

The Circleville earthwork was one of the great Hopewell works of Ohio, but it was unfortunately lost to history by destruction in the early 19th century by the rapidly growing village of Circleville, and also by Squier's and Davis's cursory treatment of it in their 1847 book, "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley". Because of these factors, it has been largely ignored in discussions of the Hopewell phenomenon. This great work and its surroundings have much to teach us about the Hopewell: the work shared many features with other Ohio earthworks but it had some unique attributes too, it was geographically isolated from the concentration of works around Chillicothe and so can serve as a model for settlement and population patterns associated with a major work, and it serves as a sad reminder of how much can be lost to unwitting progress. This presentation will cover the work itself, compare it with other Ohio earthworks, present currently known Hopewell settlement patterns around Circleville, and encourage preservation of knowledge by all devotees of archeology.

July 11: Hopewell Copper in Ohio,Wisconsin and Illinois

Cindy Kocik

Hopewell material culture and ideas played a prominent role and spread widely in the Middle Woodland period of Midwest prehistory. During this time of voluminous trade in a number of materials, copper procured from the Lake Superior area was transported to the Hopewell core in Ohio, and the metal was fashioned into a variety of artifacts. This lecture focuses on research comparing copper use in Ohio, Hopewell-related sites in southwestern Wisconsin, and Havana Hopewell sites in the Illinois River Valley. The form and type, context, and, when available, the metric attributes of copper artifacts were analyzed in order to more fully understand the nature of copper use and what this suggests regarding Wisconsin and Illinois Hopewell connections.

July 25: Results of a Large Scale Geophysical Survey at Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

Jarrod Burks

Over the last year large scale magnetic surveys have been underway at three of the sites in Hopewell Culture National Historical: Hopewell Mound Group, Hopeton, and High Banks. Making such a survey a reality has been a goal of mine for years and I have finally found the scientific equipment that can make it happen. In this talk I explore some of the results from the survey. Every day of the survey brought new surprises as we battled with the uncertain weather and vigorous vegetation that covers the sites. Looking at the resulting data at the end of each day was a real treat as I never knew what might have been found. From buried earthwork ditches and large pit features to lines of posts following earthwork edges, there are many interesting features in the new data that should launch decades of exciting excavations. These data are so new that you will be some of the first people on the planet to see signs of these buried features since the Hopewell created them some 2000 years ago. Come join us in discovering what lies beneath at Hopewell Culture NHP!

______________

For more information about these programs, please call 740-774-1126 or visit the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park website at www.nps.gov/hocu

Hopewell Culture National Historical Park

National Park Service

U.S.

Department of the Interior

CSG TEACHERS DESCRIBE HOW THE ADENA PIPE BECAME OHIO'S STATE ARTIFACT

2013-06-11T20:55:00.000-04:00

On the Ohio Archaeological Council's website, Columbus School for Girls' teachers Charlotte Stiverson and Tracy Kessler describe how their students persevered over three years to make the Adena Pipe Ohio's State Artifact.

"This project was more than just an exciting example of project-based learning. It served as a successful quest to bring public awareness to something of tremendous importance to our history as human beings. Through this process, we witnessed bipartisan agreement among legislators, a strong sense of community among students, parents, and teachers at CSG, the support from organizations such as the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Archaeological Council, and a passion among children for lifelong learning. We hope that this project has inspired some of our young female students to someday become legislators, archaeologists, or lobbyists. Through this experience, they have learned that, much like the Adena people, their voice can be heard whether they are a child or a long lost prehistoric culture..."

WORLD HERITAGE CELEBRATION AT THE GREAT CIRCLE - JUNE 24, 2013

2013-06-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

I LOVE ARCHAEOLOGY BECAUSE…

2013-06-06T19:21:00.001-04:00

The May issue of the SAA Archaeological Record, the magazine of the Society for American Archaeology, has a terrific “Special Forum,” which the editor, Jane Eva Baxter, describes as “a series of love letters to archaeology from people at all ages and stages of life and career, from different countries and backgrounds, and with different working relationships to archaeology.”

Baxter invited 25 colleagues and friends to contribute one page essays that began with the line “I love archaeology because…”

The result is a wonderfully kaleidoscopic collage of all kinds of reasons to love archaeology.

Ashley McCuistion celebrates archaeology as “an honest science, dedicated to finding the truth as it is written in the soil.”

John C. Whittaker reminds us that “we speak for the value of diverse cultures, for remembrance of the ancient messages, for the voice of those who can no longer speak themselves.”

Jessica Goodwin concludes her essay with the following poignant declaration: “I love archaeology, and with it I embrace the forgotten and the lost, the sorrow and the joy of the past.”

I encourage you to read all of the essays in the forum and maybe think about writing your own love letter. I'd be happy to consider posting it here on the Ohio Archaeology Blog.

It’s important to share our passion for this remarkable science so that, in E. O. Wilson’s words, people can see "that scientists are people, that science is an honorable, trustworthy, and powerful endeavor that people should look to for answers...”

Thank you Jane Eva Baxter for this very Special Forum!

Brad Lepper

OHS HAS A NEW HISTORY CURATOR!

2013-05-30T11:48:00.003-04:00

The Archaeology and Natural History Staff is pleased to welcome Emily Lang to the Ohio Historical Society as a new Curator of History. Actually, Emily is not entirely new to OHS. As a student she interned with us for two summers assisting in the development and installation of multiple exhibits.

Here is Emily’s own story of how she decided to pursue a career in museums:

"Appreciation for Ohio history runs deep in my family; my grandfather was a local politician who not only attended the opening of the Ohio History Center in 1970, but also donated his papers to OHS. I grew up in Columbus, so every summer, my family would visit OHS, COSI, and the Columbus Museum of Art. One of my earliest museum memories is walking around Ohio Village with a root beer flavored candy stick and watching the blacksmith work away in his shop.

When I went to Kent State University, I decided to major in history, not knowing what else I could do with a history degree other than teach. After interning with the Kent State University Museum, I stumbled across an opportunity to intern with OHS in collections and curatorial. My first day included a tour of the warehouse where I got to see an airplane and a plethora of Miss American Gowns, which left me wondering where I was and how I had ended up there. I fell in love with the interesting, and often very bizarre, opportunities with museum work and decided to pursue a career in it.

I attended graduate school at the Cooperstown Graduate Program, pursuing my M.A. in History Museum Studies, after working with CGP alum Cameron Wood and Lesley Poling at OHS. I spent a summer at the Museum at Bethel Woods (the home of the 1969 Woodstock Festival) as a curatorial assistant where I got to work with music, clothing, and other artifacts from the 1960s (I even got to meet Ringo Starr!) I was also fortunate to spend a year and a half at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in photo archives and curatorial, where I most recently worked on an exhibition about baseball scouts.

I look forward to the challenges and opportunities as a curator at OHS; hopefully someday, I will even get to work with my grandfather’s donations in the collections!"

Welcome to OHS Emily!

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON LETTERS TO A YOUNG SCIENTIST

2013-05-28T12:02:00.000-04:00

Letters to a Young Scientist: A Response to Brad’s Blog Post:

I’ll have to add this book to my reading list. I thoroughly enjoyed Wilson’s 2006 autobiography, Naturalist, as well as several other books by Wilson.

I agree with Brad's comments on communication and I would offer a couple of additional points on this topic.

Scientists generally desire to evaluate situations with a cool and objective mind, not wanting to bias their findings with their own emotions or pre-conceived ideas. In reality, this is a worthy goal but not entirely attainable. We are human of course. But more importantly, it may often be critical for a scientist’s to share their passion for their subject. Naturally, scientific knowledge must be shared with other scientists so that our understanding can be reviewed, critiqued and then multiplied and expanded upon by other scientists. It must also be shared with the general public. One major reason for this is that unless the public can see and appreciate the need for such research, that research will never be funded. As a biologist, that can translate to lack of funding for conservation for the very thing we wish to study, which could ultimately result in the loss of that resource through extinction. Why would any person support conservation funds to save a rare orchid unless they learned to appreciate the beauty and the ecological role of that orchid and the equally rare moth or mosquito (for some orchids) that pollinates it? This too holds true for archaeology, as if the resources are not appreciated for their scientific value and what they can teach us, they will only be valued for whatever monetary value they may offer for looting of archaeological sites. Sharing scientific findings with the public in an understandable and passionate manner is the first step in building a knowledgeable, concerned and supportive constituency.

From my perspective, there is another equally important motive for sharing. Sharing scientific findings with the general public is one of the greatest highs I get in life. To see people get excited about what you are already passionate about reinforces your own enthusiasm for the work you are doing. This non-chemical high stimulates continued work. The work of a scientist can at times be methodical, difficult, dirty, exhausting and even boringly repetitive, but the sharing of the findings can be a great help to encourage us to continue such work. Often the audience (whether young or old) ask questions that approach things from a fresh perspective. While sometimes their questions are simple and easy to answer, other times their insight can be amazing, challenging and can lead you to a totally new approach to your work. Having not yet read Wilson’s newest book, I find it interesting that you indicate that he did not include this aspect in this book. In his autobiography, Wilson refers to maintaining teaching introductory classes in college biology when as a senior professor he could have easily opted out from introductory classes to concentrate on his own research and graduate students. Wilson indicated that the fresh views from students who were not majoring in the sciences often offered insights that stimulated his thought and his own studies. Wilson cherished the opportunity to teach these students, as I believe he has cherished the opportunity to publish books for both scientists and the general public.

It comes down to this: If we love what we do, sharing that passion benefits both our audiences, our work and our own mental health. The results are positive in every direction!

Bob Glotzhober, Senior Curator of Natural History

LETTERS TO A YOUNG SCIENTIST

2013-05-26T19:23:00.000-04:00

I highly recommend E. O. Wilson’s latest book, Letters to a Young Scientist, to any young scientist, anyone contemplating a career in science, anyone currently engaged in science regardless of whether they’re young or not, as well as anyone in a relationship with a scientist who wants to better understand why their wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, daughter, son, or whatever, is so passionately committed to their job.

There is much between the pages of this short book to engage and inspire anyone involved in the scientific enterprise though it was clearly Wilson’s intent to focus on providing counsel and encouragement to young scientists:

“First and foremost, I urge you to stay on the path you’ve chosen, and to travel on it as far as you can. The world needs you – badly.”

The book is not just for young biologists, though obviously most of the book’s examples are drawn from biology. Even archaeology is mentioned two or three times!

As the title suggests, the book is written as a series of letters and in reading them you feel privileged to be having this exchange with one of the world’s greatest living scientists.

Each letter addresses a different aspect of a life in science ranging from “First passion, then training” to “The scientific ethic.”

I agree with just about everything Wilson writes with a few exceptions.

First of all, I think Wilson mistakes passion for zealotry when he says that “real scientists don’t take vacations” (page 81). For those young scientists who are hoping to have reasonably healthy personal relationships and possibly even be somewhat involved in raising a family, I respectfully suggest that real scientists can, and should, take vacations. In my experience, vacations not only provide quality time with your family they also allow you to return to your scientific work with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Also, nowhere in these letters does Wilson suggest that scientists have an obligation to share their discoveries and their passion for science with the general public. Granted we all can’t be Carl Sagan or Brian Cox, but we all should recognize the vital importance of communicating with the broader public. And even if that’s not where our particular talents lie, we can at least support our colleagues that do engage with the public instead of looking down on them. Outrageously, Carl Sagan was denied membership in the prestigious National Academy of Sciences because he devoted too much of his time to popularizing science instead of doing science.

Carl Safina, in answer to the question “why communicate science?,” argues persuasively that people desperately need to know "that scientists are people, that science is an honorable, trustworthy, and powerful endeavor that people should look to for answers, and as a way to help think through decisions.”

Wilson's Letters make all of this abundantly clear, but it would have been nice if he had urged young scientists to make communicating science almost as much of a priority as doing science.

Brad Lepper