Wesley Butler Archeological District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wesley Butler Archeological District
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Invalid designation
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A field in the district
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off U.S. Route 50 southwest of Elizabethtown |
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| Nearest city | Elizabethtown, Ohio |
| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001446 |
| Added to NRHP | July 24, 1976 |
The Wesley Butler Archeological District is a special place in southwestern Ohio. It's a historic district that holds several archaeological sites. Think of it as an outdoor museum where scientists study the past!
This district is located near Elizabethtown. It covers about 40 acres, which is like 30 football fields. Inside, you'll find three Native American mounds and the remains of an ancient village.
Scientists believe these sites were used at different times. The mounds were built by people from the Woodland period. This was a time when people started farming and making pottery. But the village site is much older, from the Archaic period. This was a time when people mostly hunted and gathered food.
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Discovering Ancient History
In the late 1950s, archaeologists visited the Wesley Butler site many times. They were looking for clues about the people who lived there long ago. They carefully surveyed the area, which means they explored and mapped it.
What Archaeologists Found
The team found some interesting artifacts. These are objects made by people in the past. They found:
- Scrapers: Tools used for cleaning animal hides.
- An axe: A tool for chopping wood.
- Tiny projectile points: These are the tips of arrows or spears.
They didn't find many of these items, but they did find lots of chert. Chert is a type of rock that ancient people used to make tools. The chert pieces showed signs that humans had worked them.
A Puzzling Discovery
One thing that surprised the archaeologists was finding no pottery. Pottery is usually common at ancient village sites. This made them think that the mounds and the village might have been used by different groups of people. They believed these groups lived there at different times.
Why This Location Was Important
The western part of Hamilton County has many archaeological sites. This area was a great place for ancient people to live.
Nature's Gifts
The land here is very good. It has plenty of water from the Ohio and Miami Rivers. Before settlers arrived, there was a lot of game (animals to hunt). Many edible plants also grew there. This made it easy for people to find food and water.
Because of these natural resources, the Wesley Butler site has been lived in for at least six thousand years! That's a very long time.
Protecting the Past
In 1976, the Wesley Butler Archeological District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important places in the United States. Being on this list helps protect the site. It recognizes its value for understanding the past.
