Artifacts will be on display at an upcoming event at the Hancock County Public Library.
Submitted photo
Editor’s note: The Daily Reporter will feature our “Neighbors” regularly, whether it be someone with an interesting hobby or profession, or a nonprofit group making a difference in our community. Here, local archaeology enthusiast Tom Van Duyn shares about his passion for the area’s ancient culture. Van Duyn will be featured in a history speaker event coming up at the Hancock County Public Library. He is a member of the Pioneer Graveyard Commission, the Hancock County Historical Society and the Upper White River Archaeology Society. If you know a person or a group that you’d like to see featured in Neighbors, email [email protected].
Daily Reporter: How did you get interested in archaeology?
Tom Van Duyn: History and archaeology are a part of me. I started to collect artifacts in my forties. I joined the Upper White River Archaeology Society in 1988. We have participated in Native American point collection and identification, through surface hunting and starting a history on each by number and recording all statistics we can find.
DR: What type of archaeology are you interested in?
TVD: Archaeology of all kinds is interesting. If it is Europe or the Middle East or world-wide. We current inhabitants are the latest groups to call North America here home. There were thousands of years when others said it was theirs. The thousands of artifacts can confirm that.
DR: What will your presentation on July 24 be about?
TVD: Native Americans lived, hunted and died where we now call ours. Napoleon’s Trace was a path to hunting and seasonal berries and mushrooms.
