WARREN, Ohio – A vast and historically significant archeological collection that details many digs that took place in the county has been acquired by the Trumbull County Historical Society.
It preserves information and artifacts on the prehistory of the Mahoning Valley, according to Samantha Moss, collections and research manager of the historical society.
The collection was donated by the late Thomas R. Pigott of Southington, who died in July. Pigott, a steward of local history, spent years curating the materials, which he collectively named the Pigott Archives.
The documents and artifacts illuminate the history of indigenous people in what is now Trumbull County. “There is not a lot of information on them,” Moss said.
The work of three local figures in Ohio archeology can be found in the archive: Pigott himself, the late Olaf Prufer and the late Charles “Chuck” Sofsky.
The collection contains original research, documented artifacts, books, field notes and photographic records from some of the few archeological excavations ever conducted in Trumbull County, according to Moss.
Sofsky founded the short-lived Warren Archaeological Society in 1953. His work led to the formal registration of the first 60 archeological sites in Trumbull County.
Sofsky’s collection includes materials from excavations at the Byler mound, Morgan Village and the extensive Erskine site.
The collection given to the historical society includes an unpublished piece that Sofsky did not complete before his death.
Prufer’s items include artifacts, photographs and his personal library. He was considered a preeminent figure in Ohio archeology from his arrival here in 1959 until his death in 2008.
It includes documentation from his seminal 1967-68 excavations at the Libben Site in Ottawa County, which includes a cemetery from approximately a thousand years ago. It is one of the largest excavations carried out in Ohio in the past century.
Pigott was a former student and friend of Prufer’s, and he penned the professor’s obituary in Ohio Archaeologist.
The collection donated to the historical society also includes materials from Robert Converse, longtime editor of Ohio Archaeologist; thousands of scanned slides and documents that expand the region’s archeological record; and hundreds of reference books.
The historical society will now begin the meticulous process of cataloging and conserving the collection, according to Moss.
When complete, the historical society will establish a research room for the collection that will give scholars, students and the community an unprecedented window into the ancient history of the Valley.
For information about the Pigott Archives or to inquire about supporting its conservation and the creation of the research room, call 330 394 4653 or go to TrumbullCountyHistory.org
Pictured at top: This photo shows archeologists analyzing artifacts from the Varner dig site in the 1950s. It is part of the collection given to the Trumbull County Historical Society. The site was excavated by the Warren Archaeological Society.