Found an Artifact?

Do you have an artifact that you want to learn more about? Perhaps you found a curious object (a possible stone tool, a piece of pottery, an animal bone) while on a hike or walking on farm land, or a relative gave you an artifact that had been special to them. Bring it to the Archaeology Roadshow!

At all of our events, we have experts on hand who have knowledge about stone tools, pottery, animal bones, historical archaeology, and geology. Our experts will do their best to determine the object’s age, possible function and anything else they can. If you have any details about where the object was found, please bring these.

Limit – 3 objects. No financial appraisals.

Expert Panel at the 2023 Portland Archaeology Roadshow - photo by Robert Chapman
Expert Panel at the 2023 Portland Archaeology Roadshow - photo by Robert Chapman

Besides sharing their knowledge, the experts will talk with you about the importance of stewardship – and the need for all of us to take care of precious artifacts that are directly linked to descendant communities.  They will talk about the ethics and legal aspects associated with artifact collecting (see the State of Oregon website  https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/archaeology.aspx) – and suggest organizations you can join (Oregon Archaeology Society and Archaeological Society of Central Oregon) or museums to visit, to support your love of archaeology and history.     

For other resources – please visit —https://www.pdx.edu/anthropology/artifact-identification