Archaeologist Olume 25 Number 2 Spring 1975
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
OHIO ARCHAEOLOGIST OLUME 25 NUMBER 2 SPRING 1975 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF OHIO The Archaeological Society of Ohio Officers Claude Britt, Jr., Many Farms, Arizona Ray Tanner, Behringer Crawford Museum, DeVou Park, President—Dana L. Baker, 1976 Covington, Kentucky West Taylor St., Mt. Victory Ohio William L. Jenkins, 3812 Laurel Lane, Anderson, Indiana Vice President—Jan Sorgenfrei, 1976 Mark W. Long, Box 467, Wellston, Ohio 7625 Maxtown Rd., Westerville, Ohio Steven Kelley, Seaman, Ohio Executive Secretary—Frank W. Otto, 1976 James Murphy, Dept. of Geology, Case Western Re 1503 Hempwood Dr., Cols., Ohio serve Univ. Cleveland, Ohio Treasurer—John J. Winsch, 1976 6614 Summerdale Dr., Dayton, Ohio Recording Secretary—Dave Mielke, 1976 Box 389, Botkins, Ohio Editorial Office and Business Office Editor—RobertN. Converse, 1978 199 Converse Drive, Plain City, Ohio 43064 199 Converse Drive, Plain City, Ohio Membership and Dues Trustees Annual dues to the Archaeological Society of Ohio are Ensil Chadwick, 119 Rose Avenue, payable on the first of January as follows: Regular mem Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050 1978 bership $7.50; Husband and wife (one copy of publica Wayne A. Mortine, Scott Drive, Oxford Hgts., tion) $8.50; Contributing $25.00. Fundsare used for Newcomerstown, Ohio 1978 publishing the Ohio Archaeologist. The Archaeological Charles H. Stout, 91 Redbank Drive, Society of Ohio is an incorporated non-profit organiza Fairborn, Ohio 1978 tion and has no paid officers or employees. Alva McGraw, Route #11, Chillicothe, Ohio 1976 The Ohio Archaeologist is published quarterly and William C. Haney, 706 Buckhom St., subscription is included in the membership dues. Ironton, Ohio 1975 Ernest G. Good, 16 Civic Drive, Grove City, Ohio 1976 Back Issues Editorial Staff and Publishing Committee Back issues of the Ohio Archaeologist may be pur chased at the following prices: Editor-Robert N. Converse, 199 Converse Drive, Plain Ohio Flint Types—$4.00 per copy City, Ohio 43064 Ohio Stone Tools—$3.00 per copy Associate Editor-Martha P. Otto, The Ohio Historical Ohio Slate Types—$5.00 per copy Society, Columbus, Ohio 43211 Back issues 1964 to 1974—$2.00 per copy Regional Collaborators- Back issues prior to 1964 if still in print—$5.00 per David W. Kuhns, 2642 Shawnee Road, Portsmouth copy Ohio Write for prices on out of print issues Charles H. Stout, Sr., 91 Redbank Drive, Fairborn, Ohio Make all checks or money orders payable to the Ar chaeological Society of Ohio and send to 199 Converse Jeff Carskadden, 2686 Carol Drive, Zanesville, Ohio Drive, Plain City, Ohio 43064. STANDING COMMITTEES PROGRAM COMMITTEE FRAUDULENT ARTIFACTS COMMITTEE NOMINATING COMMITTEE Martha P. Otto, Chairman Robert Converse, Chairman Jan Sorgenfrei, Chairman Ed. R. Hughes Ernest Good Robert Converse Richard Stambaugh Jack Hooks Jack Hooks Frank Otto Steve Fuller Ensil Chadwick John Winsch Philip Foley Robert Converse Don Bapst AUDITING COMMITTEE Jan Sorgenfrei MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE David Scott Donn Buck, Chairman Mike Kish Richard Stanbaugh, Chairman Ensil Chadwick Ed. Gall LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Summers Redick Alva McGraw, Chairman EXHIBITS COMMITTEE Don Casto Dwight Shipley Carroll Welling Gilbert Dilley Frank Otto, Chairman Steve Parker Norman Wright John Winsch Robert Harter David Kuhns Myers Campbell Tom Stropki Robert Converse Steve Fuller John Vargo Kenneth Black David Scott EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY Jim Ritchie David Kuhns Dave Mielke, Chairman Douglas Hooks Charles Stout, Sr. Steve Kelley Marilyn Harness Wayne Mortine James Murphy Ed R. Hughes PRESIDENT'S PAGE On Wednesday morning March 26th a bill was OHIO ARCHAEOLOGIST presented in committee by Representative John TABLE OF CONTENTS Scott, Republican of Fairborn, Ohio, to restrict and limit digging and excavation or otherwise destroy Front cover 1 ing Indian burial sites. This bill was brought about Officers—committees 2 through the efforts of an Indian group of Greene President's page 3 County who call themselves the Four Points Inter Front cover description 4 tribal Council. Six people dressed in Indian regalia The Meuser Miniatures—Converse 4,5,6 appeared as proponents of the legislation and A Summary Report on the Archaeological claimed among other things that Indian burial Survey and Testing of the Perry Nuclear grounds were not difficult to discover, that every Power Plant Area, Lake County, Ohio— prehistoric burial had artifacts of a ceremonial na ture buried with it, and that there was little to learn Brose and Lee 7,8,9,10 in Ohio by further excavation of earthworks and A Dovetail and a Hardstone Bar- mounds. They also claimed to represent all In Two Richland County Finds- dians—presumably in the United States as well as Information Needed 11 Ohio — and professed to be Shawnee Indians Some Fine Slate—Long 12, 13 whose ancestors' graves were being desecrated. Regional Collaborator News —Britt 14 Aside from the fact that there is not a single living Hopewellian Birdpoints—Carscadden 15 person who can demonstrably establish himself as Excavation of an Archaic Open Site— a descendant of any prehistoric Ohio Indian, the thought which immediately springs to mind is, do Carskadden 16, 17, 18, 19 these people really represent all the Indians in Inside Color Picture 20 Ohio and what portion of a mans ancestry deter Inside Color Picture 21 mines whether he is Indian, Irish, or Lithuanian. A Pipe from the Meuser Collection —Mayne, To be quite frank, of the six people who appeared, A Hardstone Gorget—Mayne 22 only one looked as though he had Indian ancestry A Paleo-lndian Site in Vinton Co. —Long 23 —the other five looked no different than an av The Keifer Mound Excavation- erage American of European descent. One spokes Stout 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 man named Jerry Pope of Yellow Springs, Ohio, 1974 Surface Finds—Licking County Artifacts called himself Chief Tukemas of the Shawnee Nation, and I wondered, as he addressed the legis in the Hooks Collection 29 lative committee, about the Indian beliefs and A New Mound Classification—Stout 30 ceremonies,—which were mostly fantasy—whether A New Engraved Adena Tablet- his chiefdom was one to which he was born or Otto 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 elected and if elected by whom. The Ohio Archaeological Council—Otto 37 Annual Meeting 1975 — At any rate, the provisions of House Bill 418 would pass into law some restrictions of great im Dr. Stewart Streuver 38 pact to the professional as well as the non-pro Book Review—Awards- fessional archaeologist and to anyone else inter Sustaining Members 39 ested in American prehistory. While the motives Back Color Cover 40 behind such a bill sound lofty and idealistic—and possibly appealing to the public in this day of mi a death knell to ever salvaging anything signifi nority causes and torch bearing by well meaning cant from accidental discoveries. Almost all burials peopleforthe seemingly downtrodden and abused found in the course of highway building, farming, —they are unworkable from a practical standpoint. construction, or inundation would be ignored or For example, it would require a ninety day waiting purposely destroyed if such a law were in effect. period if any Indian burial is found—or even what Looking at this problem from an unemotional is thought to be an Indian burial—during which an view, one must realize that all the knowledge we investigation would be made by the Ohio Historical have of American prehistory has been gained by Society to determine among other things how archaeological investigation—even the tradition many burials could be found, the tribal affiliation and lore professed by modern Indians. Our knowl of those buried there, and the kind of artifacts edge of European prehistory is based largely on likely to be discovered. This alone would require the excavation of prehistoric graves. What would an archaeologist with x-ray vision as well as knowl we know of the Celts, the Vikings, or Cro-Magnon edge which has eluded some of the best archae or Neanderthal had it not been from excavating ological minds of our century. After the ninety day their graves. waiting period recommendations would be made The results of archaeological work have done as by the Ohio Historical Society and the represen much to enhance the history and tradition of the tatives of the tribal councils as to future disposi prehistoric Indians as any other single factor—this tion of the site and its artifacts. bill would to all effects and purposes end any fur To anyone familiar with archaeology and the ther additions to this rich heritage. practical side of its application this bill would sound Dana L. Baker, President The Meuser Miniatures by Robert N. Converse Plain City, Ohio The late Dr. Gordon Meuser of Columbus, container in the fourth row from top center. Ohio, had the largest and most complete Two tiny geniculates lower right corner and collection of Ohio slate artifacts ever assem left side sixth row from top and two small bled. Over the years he had encountered a butterfly banners are very rare. number of undersized and miniature speci Many materials are represented such as mens which he kept separate in a small frame. shell, banded slate, hematite, and sandstone. Although I do not recall the exact number, Exotic materials include steatite, Ohio pipe- there were probably around 70 pieces in his stone, rose quartz, and cannel coal. original collection. At the first auction of the Meuser collection the miniatures were sold A few specimens are possibly not authen but a number of other pieces had been added tic—the celt in the second row top center and to the original collection making the total 11 7. the notched ovate to its right are somewhat The added pieces include two rose quartz suspect. banners and a number of pipes.