A piece that illustrates the thrill of buying artifacts

[pointdlr]

Some of you may know that I grew up near a very famous Fort Ancient Village site in Southwest Ohio called "Madisonville". During the first half of the 20th century, people were allowed to dig the site at their leisure. Add on top of that, 40 years of Harvard Archaeology field school, and I bet the site is still 50% intact. The eminent archie James Griffin, stated in his masterwork "The Fort Ancient Aspect", that the culture should have been called "The Madisonville Focus", but the name had been around too long to change. I digress.....
Today, the site is off limits, and you can and will be arrested for even surface hunting it. I have spent a decade tracking down the old diggers who were allowed to collect from the site.
I recently found a source, who had a few items that a grandfather found in the 1950's on the site. I should say it was reported to me that the items were found on Madisonville. I have been around long enough to know that if the information gets around that someone is collecting from a site/type that those pieces will magically appear. In this case, I was shown a pile of artifacts that clearly fit the Madisonville look, but there was one piece that I had not seen another like it. I knew the piece was authentic, but left the purchase not knowing if it was a Madisonville piece.
That evening, I cracked open my Madisonville "Bible" written in the 1920's by Hooton and Willoughby of Harvard called "Prehistoric Village and Cemetary at Madisonville". After scanning the plates, I found what I was looking for. 3 of the exact same type I had drawn on a page. The description also matched that they were all bird head effigies carved from naturally turned(diseased) antler. This was really exciting. Next I pulled out the Madisonville Horizons book put out by U of Michigan a few years ago, and found the same artifacts in the drawings from the 1920's, but this time they were pictured. The last step was going to the Griffin book, and looking at the Fort Ancient trait list. Only 1 site is listed as producing these enigmatic artifacts: Madisonville. Now I am really happy, and know that I acquired one of the rarer Fort Ancient forms on record found at the place I caught the artifact bug.
This story illustrates the thrill I can recieve from buying artifacts. There is a chase, and sometimes buried treasure with every purchase.
I pictured the piece from many angles. There was a slight crack on the bottom, so I thought it best to coat it in a non-invasive Elmer's glue mix. I also took pictures of the illustration, the picture, and the trait list showing only the 1 dot(Madisonville) for "Antler Animal Effigies".
Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

[brandywine]

Cool!
And, this is very similar to Larson's find.

[sekypaleo]

Thats just too awesome Jon! Great research, great artifact

[11KBP]

Neat artifact!

Although called a pendant birdhead I think there must be more to it than simply a pendant. Why would the base of head (neck) need to be hollowed out for the use as a pendant?

11KBP

[Rege-PA]

I applaud your diligence...I wouldn`t want you on my trail! I too have the book and have used it to compare with the Monongahela culture, very similar in some aspects.

[joshuaream]

Jon,

That is some serious due diligence, congrats on adding that fine piece to your flock of birds... Is your copy the book or the Harvard/Peabody Museum papers with the excavations from the Turner Mound group outside Cinci in the back? The horned canal coal boatstone from there is one of my favorite relics of all time.

Just for Larson, here is a reference from the same book. Unfortunately no pictures of them.

Regards,

Joshua

[pointdlr]

Joshua,
The book "Indian Village Site and Cemetery Near Madisonville" is Vol. 8 #1 from the Peabody Museum published in 1920. The Turner Book is Vol. 8 #3 from the same series. I haven't seen them bound together, but they may have done that. The "Monster" boat is right on the top of my list also. I'll dig up a pic of it for others to see.
11KBP- I don't even want to act like I know much about this type. For all I know, there are only 4 examples of it. I can say this, socketed(hollowed out) antler points are somewhat common at Madisonville. I have included a picture from the Peabody Museum files of an antler point. The types must be related, and may account for why the effigy pieces were hollowed out. I only call it a pendant b/c of the holes. Griffin stops short and just says "Antler Effigy Heads". Wish I knew what they represented, and why they made them.
If anyone is more interested in the Madisonville Site, PM me, b/c I have a large educational section on my website dedicated to the site. I can give you the website address, but I prefer not to post it anymore, b/c there is a commercial side to the site.
Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

[The Grim Reaper]

Very nice acquisition Jon. Those are very neat looking artifacts.


I have a buddy who has one that is almost indentical to the one in the middle of the three in the drawings and it came from the Goldcamp Site in Lawrence county Ohio.

[Mooch]

Jon

That looks like a great piece. Maybe one day I'll get out your way to see it

[larson1951]

really nice piece on top
it sure has similarities to some of the ones i posted
thanks for posting!
lars

[ohio]

Nice, nice local relic Jon!

Chuck

[joshuaream]

The book "Indian Village Site and Cemetery Near Madisonville" is Vol. 8 #1 from the Peabody Museum published in 1920. The Turner Book is Vol. 8 #3 from the same series. I haven't seen them bound together, but they may have done that. The "Monster" boat is right on the top of my list also. I'll dig up a pic of it for others to see.

Mine are bound by volume, but that could have been local library at some point when they stuck each of series from a volume together. I ended up with several of the volumes for $20 or so in a box of books at one of the Old Barn auctions a few years back. Very neat journals items to flip through.

[pointdlr]

Mooch- You are invited over anytime.

SRV- Is it possible to get a picture of the piece from Goldcamp? Although Griffin doesn't acknowledge them coming from anywhere but Madisonville, this may be that Madisonville was the most complete site collection for him to study. I may have tracked down a similar object that came from Hahn Field in Cincinnati, and is located very near to Madisonville. I have already recieved approval to write an article on the type in Ohio Arch, and I would love to get more examples/documentation. I also need theories on why they made them? I could use some help!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Research is the key to finding them in fields, and finding them in collections.

Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

[badandy]

Fantastic piece Jon! It's now in a good home with a great collector. Thanks for sharing it with us.

badandy

[moundbuilder]

Some of you may know that I grew up near a very famous Fort Ancient Village site in Southwest Ohio called "Madisonville". During the first half of the 20th century, people were allowed to dig the site at their leisure. Add on top of that, 40 years of Harvard Archaeology field school, and I bet the site is still 50% intact. The eminent archie James Griffin, stated in his masterwork "The Fort Ancient Aspect", that the culture should have been called "The Madisonville Focus", but the name had been around too long to change. I digress.....
Today, the site is off limits, and you can and will be arrested for even surface hunting it. I have spent a decade tracking down the old diggers who were allowed to collect from the site.
I recently found a source, who had a few items that a grandfather found in the 1950's on the site. I should say it was reported to me that the items were found on Madisonville. I have been around long enough to know that if the information gets around that someone is collecting from a site/type that those pieces will magically appear. In this case, I was shown a pile of artifacts that clearly fit the Madisonville look, but there was one piece that I had not seen another like it. I knew the piece was authentic, but left the purchase not knowing if it was a Madisonville piece.
That evening, I cracked open my Madisonville "Bible" written in the 1920's by Hooton and Willoughby of Harvard called "Prehistoric Village and Cemetary at Madisonville". After scanning the plates, I found what I was looking for. 3 of the exact same type I had drawn on a page. The description also matched that they were all bird head effigies carved from naturally turned(diseased) antler. This was really exciting. Next I pulled out the Madisonville Horizons book put out by U of Michigan a few years ago, and found the same artifacts in the drawings from the 1920's, but this time they were pictured. The last step was going to the Griffin book, and looking at the Fort Ancient trait list. Only 1 site is listed as producing these enigmatic artifacts: Madisonville. Now I am really happy, and know that I acquired one of the rarer Fort Ancient forms on record found at the place I caught the artifact bug.
This story illustrates the thrill I can recieve from buying artifacts. There is a chase, and sometimes buried treasure with every purchase.
I pictured the piece from many angles. There was a slight crack on the bottom, so I thought it best to coat it in a non-invasive Elmer's glue mix. I also took pictures of the illustration, the picture, and the trait list showing only the 1 dot(Madisonville) for "Antler Animal Effigies".
Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

My Dad and I used to go to "Marymont" after church on Sundays around 1974 or so (before the ARPA Act of 1979) and watch people dig those hillside middens and the surrounding woods at Madisonville. I would pick through their trailings and find perforated bear canines, elk bone reamers, triangular points, crude thumb scrapers and of course lots of the famous pottery, all broken. Somehow the brown paper bag it was in got discarded by my mom but I've since forgiven her. I have a celt that my dad found there in the 1930's with a Mariemont police officer by the name of Ray Brier who had a big collection from Madisonville. I would hope that the Peabody Museum has the famous Metz collection on display but it's probably all boxed away.

[Tnmountains]

Great story and enjoyed your deligent research and journey. Great to bring an ancient item back to life and share it with us. Congratulations sir on a very fine acquisition. The Elmer's did a good job on the bone.
TnMtns

[The Grim Reaper]

Mooch- You are invited over anytime.

SRV- Is it possible to get a picture of the piece from Goldcamp? Although Griffin doesn't acknowledge them coming from anywhere but Madisonville, this may be that Madisonville was the most complete site collection for him to study. I may have tracked down a similar object that came from Hahn Field in Cincinnati, and is located very near to Madisonville. I have already recieved approval to write an article on the type in Ohio Arch, and I would love to get more examples/documentation. I also need theories on why they made them? I could use some help!!!!!!!!

Thanks to everyone for the comments. Research is the key to finding them in fields, and finding them in collections.

Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

I don't know Jon, but I can ask him next time I talk to him. I know he reads the posts on here and he may see this.