Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology

Indiana DNR Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology Official Indiana Department of Natural Resources page. Commenting policy: on.IN.gov/dnrsocial

Official page for the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation & Archaeology. Please review commenting guidelines at https://www.in.gov/dnr/communications/social-media-policy.

Do you collect archaeological artifacts? Make sure you are aware of the laws in our state regarding archaeological sites...
09/14/2026

Do you collect archaeological artifacts? Make sure you are aware of the laws in our state regarding archaeological sites (https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/files/hp_archaeolaw.pdf), and feel free to check out the DHPA’s outreach document on responsible artifact collecting- https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/files/hp-Responsible_Artifact_Collecting.pdf. It is not illegal to pick up artifacts from the surface of sites (except on Federal and State property) as long as the collector has the landowner’s permission to be on the property to collect artifacts. Per state law (IC 14-21-1), artifacts belong to the landowner, unless he or she assigns ownership of the materials to another party.


Archaeological excavation is a slow and careful process. Units are systematically dug in levels (either by arbitrary mea...
09/13/2026

Archaeological excavation is a slow and careful process. Units are systematically dug in levels (either by arbitrary measurements or by stratigraphic or natural levels), and the archaeologist records the position of artifacts and every feature, as well as the depth. When a unit is excavated, everything encountered is systematically recorded and recovered. This information provides the archaeologist with an understanding of the context in which these data are found. The various methods used in the different phases of archaeology investigations are discussed in “Early Peoples of Indiana.”

dnr.IN.gov/historic-preservataion



2026 marks the 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To commemorat...
09/13/2026

2026 marks the 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To commemorate this anniversary, we are featuring the many resources of all types in Indiana that are designated National Historic Landmarks. To learn more about these resources, visit the State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD): on.IN.gov/SHAARD. To learn more about the National Historic Landmark program, visit: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1582/index.htm

Located on the banks of the Ohio River in southwest Indiana, Angel Mounds State Historic Site is one of the best-preserved, pre-contact Native American sites in North America. Built between A.D. 1050 and 1400, the town was occupied by at least 1,000 Mississippians. The society built 11 earthen mounds as platforms to elevate important buildings. The original town covered an area of 103 acres and served as an important religious, political and trade center for people living within a 75-mile radius. By 1450, the site was empty, and no one knows for sure why the inhabitants left. The site was transferred to the State of Indiana in 1946 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 (NR-2000) and is now a State Historic Site operated by the Indiana State Museum.

While accompanying staff from the DHPA on their recent work day to the Strawtown Koteewi Park and The Taylor Center of N...
09/12/2026

While accompanying staff from the DHPA on their recent work day to the Strawtown Koteewi Park and The Taylor Center of Natural History, Dr. Henry, Professional Archaeologist (our archaeology “mascot”) was excited to see that the Center was promoting Indiana Archaeology Month. He also explored the exhibits highlighting artifacts found in the past at Strawtown Koteewi Park. Hamilton County Parks and Recreation is hosting numerous Archaeology Month events this year - maybe you're able to attend one!

Learn more about Indiana Archaeology Month, including the events held in September throughout the state, by visiting on.IN.gov/archaeology.



Toys provide insights into the lives of children and can be some of the most poignant, and interesting, items found at a...
09/12/2026

Toys provide insights into the lives of children and can be some of the most poignant, and interesting, items found at archaeological sites. As they do today, toys in the past varied in size, and a diminutive form of doll (example shown here) made during the period of roughly 1850-1920 was very popular. Produced originally in Germany, the affordable, molded porcelain dolls had rigid arms and legs and came in sizes generally ranging from 1 to 18 inches tall. In the nineteenth century the smaller of these were known as “penny” dolls due to their price.

Regardless of social class, children in many American homes could have had access to these toys given their inexpensive cost and wide availability during the Victorian and early Edwardian periods. Other names exist for the dolls, but they are referred to as “Frozen Charlottes” by many today. Studying nineteenth and early twentieth century consumer consumption and material culture can add to our understanding of cross-cultural connections, gender roles and socialization, and more. These small playthings are charming and offer us a glimpse into the home life and culture of youngsters from earlier times. on.IN.gov/archaeology.


Archaeological investigations have taught us much about the way people lived at sites of communal societies. During the ...
09/11/2026

Archaeological investigations have taught us much about the way people lived at sites of communal societies. During the early decades of the 19th century, attempts were made in some Indiana locations to establish utopian communities. For example, the Shakers established Busro or West Union in Knox County. New Harmony, Posey Co., was the site of two early American utopian communities, the religious Harmonie Society (the Harmonists) and later the secular Owenites. You can read about some of the archaeological investigations which have taken place in New Harmony by reading the feature on the excavations at the Harmonist Redware Kiln site in the journal Indiana Archaeology. Also, in the video at https://youtu.be/HV1KA3ciscM?si=QjOFqRLIGcVbrOvy you can hear from archaeologist Dr. Michael Strezewski about Christoph Weber, redware potter of the Harmony Society.
Learn more about Indiana Archaeology Month: https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/public-outreach/archaeology-month/



in 1847, Theodore Clement Steele was born in Owen County, Indiana. Best known as an artist part of the “Hoosier Group,...
09/11/2026

in 1847, Theodore Clement Steele was born in Owen County, Indiana. Best known as an artist part of the “Hoosier Group,” he spent his career painting portraits of Hoosiers and landscapes of the Indiana countryside. Educated in Waveland, Indiana, he spent time at what is now DePauw University and studied in Munich during the 1880s. In 1907, after marrying his second wife Selma Neubacher (his first wife had died of tuberculosis), the couple built a cottage in Brown County, Indiana. Here, Steele painted the landscapes that were his true passion. The cottage was named “House of the Singing Winds” because of the breeze that came through the porches on the house and was a haven for Steele. After Steele’s death in 1925 and Selma’s death in 1945, the house came under control of the Department of Conservation (now Department of Natural Resources). It was then listed on the National Register in 1973 (NR-2071). Today, the Indiana State Museum manages the property as a State Historic Site (https://www.indianamuseum.org/historic-sites/tc-steele/). To learn more, visit SHAARD: on.IN.gov/SHAARD.

09/11/2026

Join ARI this coming Saturday for our Hands-On History workshop: Basket Weaving!

Participants will learn the basic techniques of basket making and weaving (waddling), and get to leave with their project. Learning this skill will allow them to understand how precontact and postcontact peoples moved resources across the landscape as well as a lifelong skill they can use to create functional and decorative objects for their living spaces.

Open to ages 8 and up with adult assistance. The restriction is due to the strength required to bend wood and thick materials.

📅 Date: September 12th
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (this includes a lunch break)
📍 Location: 126 W High St
🎟 $35
Register HERE>https://square.link/u/EbbnmpNP

As part of Indiana Archaeology Month activities, DHPA staff participated in a work day at the Strawtown Koteewi Park and...
09/10/2026

As part of Indiana Archaeology Month activities, DHPA staff participated in a work day at the Strawtown Koteewi Park and The Taylor Center of Natural History. Staff first toured the facility and then assisted with tasks surrounding the Center's collections including scanning & cataloguing historic photographs, archaeological artifact identification, sorting, & inventory, and organizing & filing in the curation and laboratory spaces. Many thanks to Christy Brocken and Hamilton County Parks and Recreation for the opportunity to help out during Archaeology Month!

Learn about Indiana Archaeology Month at on.IN.gov/archaeology.

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402 W Washington Street, W274
Indianapolis, IN
46204

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