Avon Event Aims To ID Those Old Indian Artifacts Found In Backyard

Avon Historical Society

AVON, CT — Archaeology is more than just Indiana Jones chasing after supernational artifacts.

And as the fifth Indiana Jones movie is about to be released, the Avon Historical Society is hosting a special event Saturday that will show folks that this special science is something present in peoples' back yards.

The public is invited to the second annual Artifact Identification Day on Saturday, June 24, where amateur or accidental archaeologists will be able to have that thing they dug up in their yard assessed and analyzed.

It will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road, Avon.

The event is being sponsored by a partnership of the Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public
Library and Avon Senior Center as part of the ongoing educational webinar series since the
discovery in 2019 of the Brian D. Jones Paleoindian Site in Avon.

Folks can bring your artifacts for identification only, not appraisal, by Paul Wegner, archaeologist and assistant executive director from the Institute of American Indian Studies, Washington.

He will examine and identify objects in 15-minute time slots.

The limit is 12 items per person – no large collections please.

Artifacts should be archaeological materials from New England or North America, preferably the East Coast, such as ceramics, stones, arrowheads, baskets, beaded items, clothing, etc.

Also attending the event will be Institute volunteer, Nancy Najarian, who will bring
items from the Institute’s collection as a “show and tell.”

Joining her will be Scott Brady, Board member of FOSA – Friends of the Office of State Archaeology, Inc.- a nonprofit organization of volunteers who assist on excavations all over the Connecticut.

Anyone with questions about the Institute or FOSA is welcome to attend.

This event is being held as part of the three-year webinar series entitled "Unearthing History: The Discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian Site Along the Farmington River in Avon."

The series is available for viewing on the Avon Library’s Youtube channel. For more details on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian site in Avon visit: https://avonhistoricalsociety.... or to register for upcoming webinars, register at the library’s website anytime.

This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required at this link.