In Warren County, Ohio, an isolated peninsula rises 80 meters (about 260 feet) above the muddy banks of the Little Miami River. There exists an immense monument to the dedication and technological savvy of the original inhabitants of prehistoric North America. This vast 51 hectare (about 126 acres) plateau is enclosed by embankment walls that stand 1.5 to 7 meters (about 5 to 23 feet) high, constructed by repeatedly dumping baskets loaded with soil upon one another. The Hopewell, known for their engineering expertise, built these walls and many other features both within the enclosure and on the steep valleys that surround the site: conical and crescent-shaped mounds, limestone pavements and circles, and many subsurface elements that are currently coming to light. Today, the Fort Ancient State Memorial is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its importance to Ohio prehistory.

Lynn Simonelli, Vice President of Collections and Research for the Dayton Society of Natural History (the parent-organization of SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery), shares her adventures as an archaeologist and gives caregivers tips to help introduce their children to this fascinating field.

Archaeology is the study of the human past.  Archaeologists use the material remains of human activities to reconstruct the behaviors and beliefs of prehistoric peoples.  One of the most unique features of the science of archaeology is its ability to study human behavior over spans of hundreds or even thousands of years.

Prehistory is defined as the period before the development of written records. The first written records associated with Ohio come from the mid-1600s, and this is considered the beginning of the historic period in this region. The Prehistoric Era in Ohio is divided into four periods: The Paleo-Indian Period (12,000-7,000 B.C.); The Archaic Period (8,000-500 B.C.); The Woodland Period (1,000 B.C.-A.D. 1,000); and the Late Prehistoric Period (A.D. 900-1,650). For more on Ohio Prehistory

The embankment walls at the Fort Ancient earthworks in Warren County, Ohio, have been under siege by erosion since their construction nearly 2,000 years ago. In an attempt to repair damage already done and prevent further harm, the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) began a mitigation campaign with the help of Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership between the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Summer 2010

The Dayton Society of Natural History will be offering five paid intern positions for undergraduate and graduate level college students interested in Midwestern prehistoric archaeology. This internship opportunity includes field experience in the excavation of a Fort Ancient culture site (33 My 127) dating to approximately A.D. 1300, and experimental reconstruction at SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park and Fort Ancient State Memorial. Interns will spend approximately 75% of the internship conducting excavation and 25% will be devoted to reconstruction

Dig in to history!

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