The Six River Valley Chapter of The Archaeological Society of Ohio has relocated to Delaware County and will resume its regular meetings next month at Columbus State Community College (CSCC).
Jake Schneider, president of the chapter, said the organization meets from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month, except January, at the CSCC Delaware Campus at 5100 Cornerstone Drive, Delaware. Schneider said the meetings include archaeological presentations and an educational guest speaker. He said many top archaeologists in Ohio have presented at the organization’s meetings.
“A lot of them will drive long distances to talk about what they love,” Schneider said. The meetings are free and open to the public.
Schneider added the organization doesn’t dig or excavate. Instead, it focuses on surface collecting.
“Surface collecting is simple, anyone can do it,” he said. “During the springtime, farmers plow the fields and when it rains on these fields, it washes dirt off the stones in the field. In the springtime, you can walk between rows of corn and you can pick up artifacts as old as 13,000 B.C. It’s mind boggling, but when you pick one up, it’s even more of a rush.”
Schneider said Delaware County’s large agricultural area makes it an ideal location for the chapter and surface collecting. He said he started with the hobby when he was 11 years old living in Delaware County. Now, he’s an avid collector.
The Main Branch of the Delaware County District Library currently has two display cases of artifacts found by Schneider and other members of the organization using surface collection.
“We are a society of collectors in education,” Schneider said. “That’s what we do, and we enjoy it greatly. We want to help educate the public on archaeology. It seems to be a dying science at times. Our meetings are fun, and they’re educational. We’re looking to grow our chapter. I want to let people know who we are and what we do.”
Schneider said interested parties can contact him at [email protected] or by calling 614-949-9432.
