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 through the analysis of material remains that are left behind by human activities. Based on the analysis of these remains archaeologists try to reconstruct the daily lives and customs of past societies and offer possible explanations for changes in societies and cultures over time. Click here to see a video clip explaining the depth and scope of Archaeology, presented by the Archaeological Institute of America.

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

SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park is a partially-reconstructed Fort Ancient period American Indian Village along the Great Miami River in Dayton, Ohio. The Fort Ancient culture as defined by archaeologists occupied the Middle Ohio River Valley between about AD 1000 and AD 1650 from what is now southeastern Indiana east to modern day West Virginia. For more information about SunWatch and the Fort Ancient peoples who lived in this area.

June 11 – August 3, 2012

The Dayton Society of Natural History is offering four full-time paid intern positions for college and graduate students interested in Midwestern prehistory. Emphasis will be placed on the excavation of Late Prehistoric sites in Dayton, Ohio, dating to approximately A.D. 1300. The internship includes excavation of a habitation site, 33 My 127, and experimental architectural reconstruction of prehistoric structures at SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park and Fort Ancient State Memorial.

Dig in to history!

Be part of the Dayton Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, and enjoy the individual and group benefits.