Museum programs focus on Indian artifacts
Bradley T. Lepper
COSHOCTON – Bradley T. Lepper, curator of archaeology for the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, gave the presentation, Ohio Archaeology – A Fifteen Thousand Year Human Odyssey, Nov. 5, at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum. His discussion went along with the museum’s exhibit, Traces of Time, Traces of Glory: Native American Prehistoric Tools and Points, which will be on display through Sunday, Dec. 30.
“If my slides broke I could give this talk by walking around the room to the different displays,” Lepper said. “The collection here is so wonderful.”
Lepper explained that Native Americans have been in Ohio since The Paleoindian Period which was from 12,000 to 8,000 BC. He also explained that tools evolved with people as they moved from being hunters and gathers to farmers who spent more time living in one place.
The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum also will present a program on Indian artifact identification at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17.
Bill Pickard, assistant curator and collections specialist with the Ohio Historical Society, will discuss the identifying features that are used for classification. A flint knapper will also be demonstrating the process of making flint tools. Attendees are encouraged to bring in worked pieces for identification.
The backdrop for this program is the museum’s current special exhibit, Traces of Time, Traces of Glory: Native American Prehistoric Tools and Points. On display through Dec. 30, the exhibit features private collections of artifacts found in Coshocton and adjacent counties.
Specialist Bill Pickard has been involved in archaeology for nearly 30 years and has done extensive fieldwork on a wide variety of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. Although he has worked primarily in Ohio he has also excavated on sites in New York, West Virginia, Illinois, and Washington State. In Ohio he has been involved in still ongoing archaeological investigations at several major Hopewell geometric earthwork sites in the Ross County area, at Serpent Mound in Adams County and at the Newark Earthworks in Licking County. In 1989 he was involved in the excavation of the Burning Tree Mastodon near Newark and in 2008 the Chippewa Lake Cervalces site in Medina County. His special interests are flint reduction techniques and 18th century firearms and edged weapons. Pickard has worked in the Collections/Curatorial division on the Ohio Historical Society in several capacities since 1999.
Program cost is $6 for adults and $3 for students, which includes admission to the museum. The Museum’s winter hours (November through April) are 1 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. For information, contact the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum at 740-622-8710 or e-mail jhmuseum@jhmuseum.org. The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is located at 300 N. Whitewoman St. in Roscoe Village. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
Category: Arts & Entertainment, People & Places
