MASTODON SITE IN DAYTON

IN 1970'S AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT I WORKED AT THE DAYTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR A FEW YEARS WHILE I WAS ON A STUDENT WORK PROGRAM. I GOT PAID FROM A GOVERNMENT WORK STUDY PROGRAM. I HAD VOLUNTEERED AT THE MUSEUM EXCAVATING AN ADENA-HOPEWELL SITE THE SUMMER BEFORE. I WAS A FRESHMAN AT WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY.

DICK MILLS WAS A BIOLOGY COLLEGE TEACHER WHO SUPERVISED THE MASTODON SITE EXCAVATION. IT HAD BEEN DISCOVERED BY A FARMER WHO OWNED THE LAND AND IT WAS A LARGE BOG SITE. MY BROTHER, 1 YEAR OLDER THAN ME , HELPED THE FIRST YEAR. OHIO HAS VERY HUMID SUMMER'S AND WE DROVE TO THE COUNTRYSIDE EVERY DAY WITH OUR CREW FROM THE MUSEUM. THERE WERE ABOUT 6 TO 7 OF US WHO HELPED TO EXCAVATE THE SITE AND MOST OF US WERE UNDERGRADUATES AND A COUPLE OF GRADUATE STUDENTS. EVENTUALLY WE WERE ABLE TO STAY OVERNIGHT IN A TRAILER LOCATED NEAR THE SITE. IT WAS IN THE COUNTRY AND IT WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE LIVING IN THE COUNTRY. IT WAS BY A SMALL CREEK AND I BROUGHT MY BLOW UP BOAT AND HAD SOME COOL FUN FLOATING ON IT AFTER HOT DAYS. WE WENT TO A NEARBY BOG SITE WHERE WE FLOPPED AROUND IN MUD HIP DEEP. IT WAS FUN TO LOOK AT THE VENUS FLY TRAPS AND UNUSUAL PLANTS THERE.

OUR TIME SPENT DIGGING IN THIS 10,000 YEAR OLD SITE WAS TEDIOUS. OUR CREW WORKED ON DIGGING UNITS ON ONE SIDE WHILE ANOTHER CREW WORKED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE. WE FOUND SOME UNUSUAL FISH BONES, VARIOUS SMALL RODENT BONES, MASTODON GIANT BEAVER BONES, AND MANDIBLES AND TEETH, AND SOME CHERT AND FLINT ARTIFACTS. IT WAS HARD WORK BUT WE ALL HAD FUN. THERE WAS A LARGE PILE OF DIRT THAT THE FARMER HAD DUG TO MAKE HIS POND. WE DUG THROUGH THIS PILE AND HAD TO KEEP THESE BONE FRAGMENTS SEPARATE. THERE WERE MANY PLEISTOCENE MAMMAL BONES. WE FOUND GIANT BEAVER, GIANT SLOTHS, AND MASTODON BONES. THIS DIRT PILE WAS QUITE LARGE AND WE DID NOT DIG THROUGH IT ENTIRELY. DURING MY SCHOOL YEAR IN THE FALL, MY JOB WAS TO IDENTIFY, CLEAN, PRESERVE, SORT AND CATALOGUE EACH BONE AND FRAGMENT FROM THIS SITE. WE EVENTUALLY MADE A BIG EXHIBIT TO SHOW THE PUBLIC WHAT WE HAD BEEN FOUND HERE AND INFORM THEM ABOUT OUR FINDS.