Zimmerman Kame
Encyclopedia
The Zimmerman Kame is a glacial kame
and archaeological site
in McDonald Township
, Hardin County
, Ohio
, United States
, near the community of Roundhead
. A circular hill approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in height, it was a commercial gravel pit
for a time before being abandoned in the 1970s after artifacts of the ancient Glacial Kame Culture
of Native Americans were found at the site. Today, the kame is tree-covered and surrounded by farm fields; there are no obvious signs of its significance.
The Zimmerman Kame is one of many archaeological sites in Hardin County. A survey conducted in the early twentieth century revealed at least five different archaeological sites in McDonald Township and the adjacent Roundhead Township
and a total of forty-four sites across the county. Many burial sites were located on top of hills such as the Zimmerman Kame. Among the most significant artifacts found at the Zimmerman Site were small objects of pottery; previous to the Zimmerman discovery, the Glacial Kame people were not known to have produced ceramics.
In 1974 the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
because of its potential to yield more information about the Glacial Kame Culture. It was the first such kame to be listed on the Register.
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
and archaeological site
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
in McDonald Township
McDonald Township, Hardin County, Ohio
McDonald Township is one of the fifteen townships of Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 914 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southwestern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Cessna Township - north...
, Hardin County
Hardin County, Ohio
Hardin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 32,058. Its county seat is Kenton and is named for John Hardin, an officer in the American Revolution.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the community of Roundhead
Roundhead, Ohio
Roundhead is an unincorporated community in southeastern Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43346...
. A circular hill approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) in height, it was a commercial gravel pit
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
for a time before being abandoned in the 1970s after artifacts of the ancient Glacial Kame Culture
Glacial Kame Culture
The Glacial Kame Culture was a culture of Archaic people that occupied southern Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana from around 8000 BC to 1000 BC. The name of this culture derives from its members' practice of burying their dead atop glacier-deposited gravel hills...
of Native Americans were found at the site. Today, the kame is tree-covered and surrounded by farm fields; there are no obvious signs of its significance.
The Zimmerman Kame is one of many archaeological sites in Hardin County. A survey conducted in the early twentieth century revealed at least five different archaeological sites in McDonald Township and the adjacent Roundhead Township
Roundhead Township, Hardin County, Ohio
Roundhead Township is one of the fifteen townships of Hardin County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 752 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the southwestern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:...
and a total of forty-four sites across the county. Many burial sites were located on top of hills such as the Zimmerman Kame. Among the most significant artifacts found at the Zimmerman Site were small objects of pottery; previous to the Zimmerman discovery, the Glacial Kame people were not known to have produced ceramics.
In 1974 the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
because of its potential to yield more information about the Glacial Kame Culture. It was the first such kame to be listed on the Register.
Further reading
- Cunningham, Wilbur M. A Study of the Glacial Kame Culture in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
: U of Michigan PUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
: 1948.