GUIDEBOOK TO 14 OHIO ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES PUBLISHED BY ODNR
Great holiday gift for history buff, geology hobbyist or amateur social scholar
COLUMBUS, OH – Amateur historians and geologists are encouraged to discover the Ohio that existed before European settlement, using a new field trip guidebook published by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Geological Survey.
Geological Aspects of Key Archaeological Sites in Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio connects the social, ceremonial, and religious practices of Native Americans with Ohio’s unique geologic settings and leads the reader-explorer on a roadtrip to sites that date from 1,000 to 14,000 years ago.
The journey starts where many of the first American archaeology studies took place - at the ancient salt springs in Big Bone Lick, Kentucky, then travels in a loop through Dayton, Columbus, Zanesville, Lancaster, Chillicothe, and back to the Cincinnati area. The guide describes sites such as Shawnee Lookout near Cincinnati, Flint Ridge Quarry and the Newark Earthworks, and the Serpent Mound near Locust Grove.
Compiled by Timothy S. Dalbey of the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, the guidebook explains that glaciation and erosion associated with the Ice Age greatly contributed to the landscape on which ancient native populations thrived. For example, chert, an impure form of flint found in a variety of bedrock and glacial materials in Ohio, allowed indigenous people to create a variety of projectile points used for hunting, weaponry and trading.
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A complete list of sites noted in the guidebook is below. Some sites have limited holiday or winter hours. Please call for more information. |
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1 |
Big Bone Lick State Park |
Kentucky |
(859) 384-3522 |
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2 |
Shawnee Lookout Archaeological District |
Cincinnati |
(513) 521-7275 |
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3 |
Miamisburg Mound |
Miamisburg |
drive-by site |
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4 |
SunWatch archaeological site |
Dayton |
(937) 268-8199 |
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5 |
Ohio Historical Center |
Columbus |
(614) 297-2300 |
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6 |
The Newark Earthworks and other sites |
Licking County |
(800) 600-7178 |
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7 |
Ash Cave, Hocking Hills State Park |
Hocking County |
(740) 385-6842 |
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8 |
Mound City, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park |
Chillicothe |
(740) 774-1126 |
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9 |
Story Mound |
Chillicothe |
drive-by site |
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10 |
Seip Mound State Memorial |
Bainbridge |
drive-by site |
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11 |
Fort Hill State Memorial |
Hillsboro |
(800) 283-8905 |
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12 |
Serpent Mound |
Locust Grove |
(800) 752-2757 |
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13 |
Glacial geomorphology features |
Highland County |
drive-by sites |
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14 |
Fort Ancient State Memorial |
Warren County |
(800) 283-8904 |
Another example of how Ohio’s cultural and geologic history are intertwined can be found at the recreated SunWatch Indian Village and museum near Dayton, which is stop number four on the trip. The area, located on the Great Miami River, has highly productive and well-drained soils that are underlain by gravels and sands from glacial outwash. These environmental conditions attracted relatively permanent settlements of Native Americans who developed a village with a central plaza and center post. The post could have been used to track astronomical conditions, indicating when it was time to conduct events or plant or harvest corn. Today, the SunWatch Indian Village is a National Historic Landmark.
A total of eight authors describe the 14 stops listed in the guidebook. Descriptions range from summaries of how the first artifacts were discovered at the sites to detailed maps.
Geological Aspects of Key Archaeological Sites in Northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio ($12 plus sales tax and shipping) and the Roadside Geology of Ohio book that covers geologic sites of interest for the entire state ($24 plus sales tax and shipping) are available from the ODNR Geologic Records Center by calling 614-265-6576 or using other contact information.
The books can also be ordered from the Records Center at 2045 Morse Road, Building C-1, Columbus, OH 43229. An additional compilation of geologic field trip sites is available for free through the division’s Educational Resources Web page.
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For Further Information Contact:
Katy Pan, Ohio Geological Survey
(614) 265-6596
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860