Ohio’s First People and Archaeology

Ten key vocabulary terms covering archaeology concepts and the major cultural periods of Ohio’s First People.

Archaeologist

A scientist who studies past human life by carefully excavating and analyzing artifacts, features, and other physical clues left behind.

Artifact

Any human-made object—such as tools, pottery, jewelry, or rock art—left by past peoples and studied as a primary source of information.

Clovis Point

A distinctive, fluted stone spear point used by Paleo Indians (12,000–8,000 B.C.) to hunt large Ice Age animals like mastodons.

Atlatl

A wooden spear-thrower with a hook on one end that let Archaic Indians hurl spears farther and faster than by hand.

Adena Culture

Early Woodland people (1,000 B.C.–A.D. 100) who farmed, made pottery, and built large circular burial mounds such as the Miamisburg Mound.

Hopewell Culture

Middle Woodland society (200 B.C.–A.D. 500) noted for elaborate trade networks, mound burials, and geometric earthworks enclosing dozens of mounds.

Effigy Mound

A burial or ceremonial mound sculpted in the form of an animal figure, such as the Great Serpent Mound built by Late Prehistoric peoples.

Fort Ancient Culture

Late Prehistoric society (A.D. 1,000–1,650) that lived in palisaded hilltop villages, farmed corn and beans, traded widely, and built effigy and small burial mounds.