Судлаачид 2000 орчим жилийн настай 11 ширхэг чулуун эдлэлийг Хойд Америкийн эртний соёлын өв болохыг тогтоолоо.
Огайо мужийн Шугаркрик хотын ойролцоо 2021 оны нэгдүгээр сард 11 настай Жошуа Феттер гэр бүлийн аялалынхаа үеэр газраас цухуйж байсан хар өнгийн чулуунуудыг олжээ. Kent State University-ийн археологичид таван жилийн турш судалсны эцэст эдгээр олдворыг Хойд Америкийн уугуул иргэдийн Адена соёл иргэншилтэй холбоотой болохыг тогтоосон байна. “Жошуагийн цуглуулга” хэмээн нэрлэгдсэн 11 ширхэг чулуун зэвсгийг тусгайлан тойрог хэлбэрээр байрлуулж булсан байдалтайгаар илрүүлжээ.
Доктор Метин Эрэний ахалсан судалгааны баг микроскопийн шинжилгээгээр эдгээр чулуун зэвсгийн ирмэгт элэгдэл үүсээгүй байгааг илрүүлсэн нь тэдгээрийг ахуйн зориулалтаар огт ашиглаагүй болохыг харуулж байна. Энэхүү баримт нь уг зэвсгүүдийг ямар нэгэн зан үйлийн зорилгоор булсан байх магадлалтай гэсэн таамаглалыг дэвшүүлэхэд хүргэжээ. Гэсэн хэдий ч Адена соёлын хүмүүсийн оюун санааны болон шашны зан үйлийн талаарх мэдээлэл хангалтгүй байгаа тул энэ нь одоогоор зөвхөн таамаглал хэвээр байна.
Археологийн шинжлэх ухаанд чухал ач холбогдолтой энэхүү нээлтийн үр дүнг Journal of Archaeological Science сэтгүүлд нийтлүүлэхээр болсон бөгөөд Жошуа Феттер уг судалгааны хамтран зохиогчоор оролцжээ. Олдворуудыг цаашид Кливлэнд байгалийн түүхийн музейд хадгалахаар төлөвлөж байна. Судлаачдын үзэж буйгаар, мэргэжлийн бус иргэд, тэр дундаа хүүхдүүдийн санамсаргүй байдлаар илрүүлсэн олдворууд нь археологийн судалгаанд үнэлж баршгүй хувь нэмэр оруулдаг болохыг энэ тохиолдол дахин баталлаа.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A boy who once dug curious black stones out of the mud during a family vacation has grown into a published co-author of a scientific paper after discovering ancient tools. Joshua Fetter, now 17 and from Norton, Ohio, made the find at age 11 while exploring near an Airbnb in Sugarcreek. Five years later, Kent State University researchers say the artifacts may date back nearly two millennia.
The discovery, now known as the Joshua Cache, consists of 11 stone tools that archaeologists believe are linked to the prehistoric Adena culture, one of the earliest Native North American groups to combine plant cultivation with hunting and gathering. What began as a curious boy poking around a muddy field has turned into a case study on how ordinary people, often children, end up making some of the most meaningful archaeological contributions.
A Muddy Field, a Family Trip, and a Lucky Find
Joshua and his family, parents Matthew and Suzanne Fetter along with his siblings, were staying in Sugarcreek in January 2021 when the boy wandered into a field that was being excavated nearby. He noticed black points protruding from the ground and, having picked up arrowheads before, sensed these were different. Some were as large as the palm of his hand.
He began digging and brought what he found to his parents. His father recalled being hesitant at first, telling his son:
“It’s not the day for it,” before relenting. Joshua himself later said of the stones, “They were really cool.”
The family later alerted the property owner, who mentioned the discovery to a family friend, whose son happened to be a graduate student in Kent State’s archaeology department. That connection is what eventually brought professional archaeologists to the site.
Timing turned out to matter enormously. A bulldozer working in the area had nearly disturbed the stones, and rain the following day washed away additional soil, exposing them further. Had the excavation continued on schedule, the tools may never have been recovered at all.
Five Years of Study Point to the Adena Culture
According to Kent State’s Department of Experimental Archaeology, researchers led by Dr. Metin Eren spent years analyzing the nine originally recovered stones, later uncovering two more nearby for a total of 11. The stones had reportedly been arranged in a circle roughly a foot and a half wide, with additional pieces buried a short distance away.
Microscopic examination suggested the tools, described as “stone tool bifaces,” had never actually been used, based on the condition of their finely worked edges. That absence of wear led Eren’s team to suspect a ritual purpose behind the burial, though he acknowledged the spiritual practices of the Adena people remain largely unknown.
“There was a lot of work put into these,” he said. “Why would they put so much work into them and not use them?”
An article documenting the find has been submitted for publication in the Journal of Archaeological Science, with Joshua Fetter credited as one of the authors. The cache itself will be permanently housed at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
An Accidental Find Reveals A Forgotten Past
Eren emphasized that Joshua‘s find carries significance beyond its connection to the Adena culture. He pointed out that it’s meaningful precisely because a child made the discovery:
“We should encourage all of our kids to be explorers,” he said. He also noted that most archaeological finds come from members of the public rather than trained scientists, calling the public “the first line of archaeology.”
As part of the visit, Eren, who practices flint knapping himself, had Joshua and his siblings test a freshly cut piece of flint by slicing through leather, demonstrating just how sharp the ancient toolmaking technique could produce.
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