THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXHIBIT FOR THE OHIO
CENTENNIAL.
THE collection of Ohio prehistoric
relics, made at Phila-
delphia and at New Orleans, attracted
much attention, and
demonstrated the richness of Ohio
archaeological treasures.
By common consent Ohio was given the
first place among
the states in this class of exhibits.
And yet the collections
were far from satisfactory to
archaeological students, and to
those who made the collections and
superintended the exhib-
its. The small amount of money
appropriated to the exhibits,
and the brief time which could be given
to making the collec-
tions, made it necessary to depend upon
the generosity of
the owners of large collections, leaving
large parts of the
state unrepresented, and compelling the
management to put
on exhibition duplicates from the same
localities, and speci-
mens of which a definite history was
wanting, making them
of little value to the archaeologists.
The coming Ohio Centennial affords the
opportunity-one
which will probably not occur again-of
making a full and
complete exhibit of Ohio archaeology,
and the publication of
a report which will be a credit to the
State and the collectors
of its prehistoric remains. This can
only be accomplished
by the hearty co-operation of the owners
of all collections in
the State. They can, with but little
work for each, make
this part of the exhibition a grand
success, and secure for
each of them a report upon Ohio
archaeology, which could
not otherwise be made, and which will be
of inestimable
v lue to every collector and to every
student.
If the owners of all the collections in
the State, great and
small, will forward promptly to Mr. A.
A. Graham, of Colum-
bus, secretary of the Archaeological and
Historical Society, a
catalogue of their specimens of which
the history is known,
designating in what county found,
whether found on the sur-
face, in graves, in mounds or in rock
shelters; and will give
him a right, upon proper precaution for
their safe keeping, to
170
Archaeological Exhibit for the
Centennial. 171
select such specimens as he desires to
put upon exhibition,
and will then, in ample time before the
opening, forward such
specimens to him by express, the work
can be accomplished.
As none of the specimens are to go out
of the State, the risk
of loss is very slight, and if small
printed gummed labels are
prepared, as was done at New Orleans, so
that the owner's
name shall be conspicuously and securely
attached to every
specimen, each exhibitor will get full
credit for his share of
the exhibition, and all confusion of
goods will be avoided.
Among other things, information should
be furnished upon
the following points:
All the forms of chipped flint or chert,
with the relative
frequency of each form.
All instances of the finding of caches
of chipped imple-
ments; number in each find; description
of the locality, and
a specimen or two of the find.
Descriptions of all known sites for the
manufacture of
chipped implements.
All forms of Ohio pottery and places
where found.
Descriptions of all known sites for the
manufacture of
pottery.
Descriptions of all explored rock
shelters and lists of finds
in them.
All forms of grooved axes and hammers,
and comparative
frequency of each.
All forms of ungrooved axes, hammers,
celts, bark-peelers,
gouges, etc., and comparative frequency
of each.
All forms of pestles and mortars.
All polished ornamental stones, badges,
etc., with compar-
ative frequency of each.
All stone beads, all pipes, all bone and
shell implements
and ornaments, all copper implements,
beads and other orna-
ments.
All skulls from mounds, and all contents
of mounds.
All Indian skulls the history of which
can be accurately
given.
All specimens inscribed or sculptured in
any way, with as
accurate a history as possible of the
finding of each.
172
Ohio Archaeological and
Historical Quarterly.
All evidences of prehistoric mining for
chert, oil, salt, or
any other substance in the earth.
Description of all mounds, and
earthworks of all kinds, in
the neighborhood of each collection,
and, if explored, a full
history of the exploration.
In describing a specimen, the exact
condition of its finding
should be given, if possible, and it
should be remembered
that unfinished specimens are among the
most valuable of
all; as unfinished stone pipes, roughly
blocked ornamental
stones, and ornaments partially bored,
etc.
If from all parts of the State the
information above out-
lined can be forwarded as indicated, and
authority given to
draw upon every collection for a loan of
the specimens which
best illustrate the archaeology of each
section, an exhibit can
be made which would be highly
instructive to all students of
archaeology, and which would keep
several experts busy
during the entire Exposition making
special preparation for
the final report.
In connection with the exhibit thus
brought together, the
management should secure a full exhibit
of the bibliography
of Ohio archaeology, putting in one of
the cases, as far as
practicable, all that has been written
upon the subject, with
a general index of all of it prepared
expressly for the exhi-
bition. Artists should be provided to
photograph or sketch
all specimens needed to illustrate the
final report, the prep-
aration of which should be placed in the
hands of a half
dozen or more Ohio experts, best
qualified for the work.
The report should be published as a
distinct and special
volume.
Such a work, fully illustrating Ohio
archaeology, prepared
by Ohio men, and published by Ohio
publishers, would be a
very fitting centennial mile-stone of
the State, contrasting
with our history the history of those
who occupied the land
before us, our civilization with their
civilization, our arts and
mode of life with theirs. It will
require considerable money
to do this work, and it should be done
well if at all. It is a
matter that concerns the whole State, as
it is securing from
a rapidly coming oblivion the primitive
history of the State.
Archaeological Exhibit for the
Centennial. 173
The State should pay for it, pay
generously for it, and should
authorize the placing of a copy of the
final report in the
hands of every contributor to the
exhibition, and in every
public library of the State, with a
large edition over for dis-
tribution by the proper officers of the
State and the experts
who prepared the report.
There are a few magnificent collections
which ought to be
placed unbroken in the Exposition, and
among the first of
these is that of Mr. Thomas Cleaney, of
Cincinnati. His
collection should be placed where the
archaeologists of the
State can study it in detail, and should
then become the
property of the State by purchase. It
would make a grand
beginning for such an archaeological
collection as the State of
Ohio ought to have, and would doubtless
draw to it many
other collections which otherwise would
be lost or carried
out of the State. It would be well if
all the owners of large
collections would put them on
exhibition, but the real value
of the final report will depend upon the
completeness of the
collection of typical specimens from all
parts of the State.
M. C. READ.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIRECTORY OF OHIO.
THE Ohio Archaeological and Historical
Society desires to
procure for publication, first in the
QUARTERLY, a complete
list of all owners or collectors of
archaeological and historical
specimens in Ohio,-especially those
whose collections
illustrate Ohio antiquities. I will esteem
it a favor if all who
read this will send me the names and
addresses of any whom
they may know to be collectors. Blanks
will be furnished,
if desired, on which to send such
information.
We wish to secure this information, not
only for use in our
regular Society work, but also that an
exhibit may be made
by every Ohio collector in our coming
Centennial Exposi-
tion in the autumn of 1888. A. A. GRAHAM,
Secretary.