My Best Discovery

The most amazing thing I have ever excavated is actually the icon I use for this blog. While excavating a woodland era site near Canton, Illinois, we found two beautiful owl effigy pots. Let me explain my jargon before I lose too many of you.
The woodland period was from 3,000 years ago to 1,000 years ago. A time when agriculture and pottery blossomed throughout North America. Effigy pots are ceramics formed to mimic the look of animals.
The pots were sitting side-by-side in the soil, one taller and more detailed, the second smaller and more basic. The taller one is the icon I use and is on display at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Illinois. The pots are so well preserved that the the original makers fingernail and fingerprints are still visible.
The final analysis showed the larger pot held grains of a primitive corn and the smaller held Ochre. Ochre is a natural mineral that can occur in red and yellow throughout the country. The pigment wthe theas used for painting and religous body decorations.
The fingerprints gave me an instant human connection across centuries. Secondly the beauty of the art created by a "primitive" people living in the woods.
Have you ever found something old that amazed you with it's beauty or advanced design?

Mrs. Jesus?

A recent article discusses a tiny piece of papyrus that suggests that Jesus had a wife. This discovery, though important, may not be that much of a revelation. Much of the bible was altered by Emporer Constantine in 325 AD. Several gospels were removed including those of Judas and Mary Magdelene according to many scholars. Is it really that big of a stretch to believe that someone with the obvious charisma of Jesus at the age of 33 was married? Only future discoveries will be able to confirm or deny.

Introduction

Every item you touch and see on a daily basis will one day day become a fascinating artifact. The definition of an artifact is any human made or modified item that is no longer in the human context. That means that if you walk out your door and throw a penny into the yard, it has become an artifact. These artifacts, when discovered decades or centuries later, tell the stories of what happened at the location and who lived there. Amazing things are hidden around us everyday: under the corner store, in a field behind your home, or even beneath your feet right now. Archaeology finds these items and reveals the stories of humanity.