Ohio
Travel: Ohio artifacts can be seen in England
Many travelers and history buffs are aware that the British Museum in London is, controversially, the repository for the ancient Parthenon Marbles, also known as the Elgin Marbles, removed from the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, and brought to England in the early 19th century.
But the museum also holds many other historic items from around the world, including some of the most important archeological artifacts from Ohio.
In a glass display case in the British Museum’s Room 26, visitors will find more than two dozen exquisitely fashioned pipes, as well as bowls and other objects recovered from mounds built by the prehistoric Hopewell people of the Scioto Valley.
The display, though small, is the most comprehensive in the world, and is only a small fraction of the Ohio Hopewell items the museum owns.
The pipes, carved some 2,000 years ago from various types of soft stone, known collectively as “pipestone,” were used to smoke tobacco, perhaps during ritual ceremonial observations.
Though some of the pipes are simple bowls, many are exquisitely detailed effigies of birds, frogs, beavers, turtles and other creatures from the Scioto Valley. They demonstrate a level of artistry that offers an intriguing glimpse into the culture of a people we still know relatively little about.
Most of the stone is also native to the area around modern-day Chillicothe, although a few pipes were carved from rock from as far away as Minnesota, indicating a surprising level of travel and trade at the time.
How the items made their way from the vicinity of Chillicothe to England is a fascinating tale in itself.
Although the prehistoric mounds of Ohio were objects of curiosity and speculation since the time of the earliest European trappers and traders in the area, the first real attempt at a scientific exploration of the earthworks was conducted from 1845 to 1847 by Ephraim Squire and Edwin Davis, who surveyed and excavated many of the earthworks in the vicinity of Chillicothe.
Their findings were detailed in the very first volume of the “Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge,” published in 1847 by a brand new scientific organization called the Smithsonian Institution.
Of course, Squire and Davis had gathered quite a significant collection of about 1,300 artifacts from the mounds and in those days, well, finders keepers.
Davis later decided to sell the artifacts, hoping to place them with the Smithsonian which, unfortunately, didn’t have the funds. And so, the Ohio Hopewell collection was purchased by the owner of a private museum in England for $10,000 and sent across the sea.
In 1931, the collection was purchased by the British Museum, which has been its home ever since.
Of course, travelers who are interested enough to stop by the British Museum to view the Hopewell collection (and a whole, whole lot of other great stuff) may also want to see some of the prehistory of England, itself. There’s no better place for that than out on the Salisbury Plain, the home of Stonehenge, as well as a large number of Bronze Age burial mounds that almost perfectly resemble the many prehistoric mounds found in Ohio.
And even though the Hopewell collection is in England, the original Hopewell mound sites are much, much closer to home.
The Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe is, like Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of just 25 in the United States. The park includes the Mound City group of earthworks and several other earthworks in the Chillicothe area.
The Mound City site also offers a small visitors center and museum that tells the story — at least as much of it as we know — of the Hopewell people and their culture. The park is a can’t-miss destination for history buffs and for anyone intrigued by Ohio’s enigmatic prehistoric peoples. Just don’t expect to see a lot of original artifacts.
For more information about the British Museum’s Hopewell collection, including an interactive online walk through the museum’s Room 26, visit britishmuseum.org.
Steve Stephens is a freelance travel writer and photographer. Email him at sjstephensjr@gmail.com.
WARREN TWP., Ohio (WKBN) — Nearly 1,400 people in Warren were without power Sunday evening after a vehicle crashed into a utility pole.
People in the affected area were without power for about three hours until it was restored around 11:30 p.m.
Police told our crew on scene that a Toyota had driven into a utility pole on Mahoning Avenue around 8:30 p.m. Officers said two people left the vehicle and left the scene on foot.
Impact from the crash caused power lines to spark about 100 yards away, just within the City of Warren. The sparking powerlines lit surrounding bushes on fire, and crews worked to quickly put out the flames.
Part of Mahoning Avenue is closed off at this time.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
NEW RICHMOND, Ohio (WXIX) – Rescue crews have located a body in their search of the Ohio River for a kayaker who vanished in the water Thursday afternoon, according to the New Richmond Fire and EMS.
Around 12 p.m. Sunday, New Richmond Fire and EMS says they located a body during the search.
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The discovery comes after a 28-year-old man went missing in the Ohio River when a boat flipped around 4 p.m., just off U.S. Route 52 in New Richmond, according to the fire department.
The body was found near Mile Marker 449.1 in the area of the 800 block of Washington Street.
Officials say the scene was immediately turned over to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
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No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said.
Gunfire erupted Saturday near a busy street festival in Ohio, wounding at least 12 people and sending some eventgoers scrambling for cover while others rushed to help the victims.
No suspects were in custody hours afterward, Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan said, and officials urged people who were at the festival to come forward with any photos or videos on their phones for possible leads.
The shooting happened near the Old West End Festival, an annual gathering of live music and home tours.
Heffernan said it appeared that at least two people fired weapons and they were “probably shooting at each other.”
Two of the victims were in critical condition, Heffernan added. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 61, with most of them in their early 20s.
“I am deeply concerned about the situation in Toledo tonight,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Summer festivals should be safe spaces for families to spend time together without fear of violence.”
Multiple videos posted to social media showed people running amid the sound of gunshots and emergency officials tending to others who appeared wounded.
Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said it was difficult to get to the hospital due to closed roads and traffic from people leaving the festival, but emergency responders were able to transport all patients from the scene within an hour.
Kevin Berry was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard a handful of gunshots ring out.
“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.
When Berry looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet (15 meters) away from him. Officers who were already on site for the festival responded immediately.
Berry, who has medical training and served in the Navy, walked around looking for anyone who might need help and saw at least five people with gunshot wounds.
“The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he said.
The Old West End Festival is a two-day celebration in Toledo’s historic district that includes live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping. Berry described it as the “kick-off to Toledo’s summer festival season.”
George Kral, safety director for the city, said officials were discussing with organizers whether it would continue through the weekend.
“This is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo,” he said, “and it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it.”
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