Brad Lepper has an Upcoming Tour of World Heritage Earthworks in Newark
Licking County and Chillicothe — Was a famous Ohio ice age find a prehistoric meat locker? A prominent Archaeologist explained his investigation of the “Burning Tree Mastodon” from 36 years ago.
Brad Lepper, now Senior Archaeologist for the World Heritage Program of the Ohio History Connection, says it was one of his early experiences as an archaeologist working for the state historical and archaeological institution.
(With his upcoming guided tour of Newark’s Octagon Earthwork, this is a flashback to Lepper’s presentation at Ohio University Chillicothe on March 19th, one of periodic events sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park.)
Lepper led an emergency excavation of a mastodon skeleton found while a swamp was being dredged for construction of a golf course south of Newark in 1989.
But more than just bones were found – the animal appeared to have been butchered for food and tools by prehistoric American Indians, and the swamp was used to store them – which also preserved living ancient bacteria that electrified the scientific community afterward.
Lepper gave a long and animated slide show, and I asked him about it afterward. Hear him in his own words in the video interview below.
Lepper periodically makes appearances at the two World Heritage parks the Ohio History Connection operates in Newark. He will give a tour of the Octagon Earthworks in a week and a half, along with another presentation by Dr. Laura Murphy, who had explained her two-week study of local artifacts that are in the British Museum on Tuesday evening.
From the Facebook page for the July 18th event:
“Join us for a free, one-of-a-kind Tour and Talk at the Octagon Earthworks, part of the Newark Earthworks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ohio History Connection’s Senior Archaeologist, Dr. Brad Lepper, will lead a guided tour of this extraordinary site, followed by a conversation with Dr. Laura R. Murphy.”
Two of the eight Ohio Hopewell World Heritage parks are part of the Newark Earthworks, west of Columbus and about an hour and a half from Chillicothe.
