How to Explore KY's Archaeological History

I have an aunt who lives in the middle of nowhere in western New Mexico. She moved out there 70 years ago and never looked back. But she was born in Kentucky and LOVES its rich history. Just don't ask her to remember where THIS Owensboro landmark or THAT Owensboro landmark was because she doesn't.

When we have visited out there, we've always gone exploring and looking for artifacts like pottery or arrowheads. I have been a failure at that particular venture; she never is. She and my uncle have unearthed entire bowls that were perfectly in tact and would've netted them a ton of money. Instead, they donated them to the county courthouse where they remain on display to this day.

KENTUCKY'S ANCIENT HISTORY

If they could get even HALFWAY decent Internet where they are outside of tiny Reserve NM, she would love a website I've discovered that allows enthusiasts to get the scoop on more than 100 archaeological sites in Kentucky.

It sounds to me like anyone interested in this sort of thing will never be bored again once they get into exploring all the sites listed at archaeology.ky.gov. From the website:

Archaeology happens everywhere in Kentucky. More than 100 archaeologists live and work in the Commonwealth - they are employed by universities, state and federal agencies, and private consulting firms. Every day, one of them makes a new discovery about Kentucky’s archaeological heritage. Whether investigating a 10,000-year-old Native American workshop, a 7,000-year-old Native American cave entrance, a 5,000-year-old Native American shell midden, a 2,000-year-old Native American earthen enclosure, a 500-year-old Native American village, a 270-year-old historic fort, a slave house, a mid-nineteenth century farmstead, a forgotten mid-nineteenth century cemetery, a Civil War depot, or a 100-year-old mining town, scientific work undertaken by archaeologists is contributing to our understanding of Kentucky’s heritage.

THE WEBSITE THAT DIGS DEEP INTO KENTUCKY'S PAST

It's easy to use. Just go to the "find a site" page and enter the data in which you are interested. Or, if you're not concerned about specifics, just click on the county name, and you'll get everything you need to know. I clicked Daviess County and got nothing, sadly.

But if you "dig" deep enough, you'll find remarkable stories from the past. The folks who found this structure beneath the surface of the Ohio River DISCOVERED such a story.

I don't know about you, but I may have found something that will occupy a good deal of my time going forward. Couple this with the rock tumbler I'm buying and I'll absolutely have to take back EVERYTHING I said about my college geology class.