The Sterling Hill Mining Museum, located in Ogdensburg, NJ, formerly known as the Sterling Hill Mine, once had one of the world’s richest zinc ore deposits and is now recognized as a National Historic Site. If that were not enough, they have recently made some discoveries and connections to a collection of native artifacts, dating back 12,500 years ago!
In the Fall of 2024 archeologists along with educators and students examined a private collection of arrowheads and stone tools. Everett Conklin, one of the researchers noted, “When I first saw the collection at the mine, it was beautiful, but there was no archaeological or cultural context. There was no timeline to help the public understand what they were looking at.”
With help from Sussex County Community College’s archeology lab and modern x-ray fluorescence analysis they were able to trace these artifacts to known quarries and other sites in Sussex County. The college is now using this collection as an educational tool helping with preserving and cataloging this very important part of our local history and its first inhabitants.
Based on these findings, the museum is developing a new paired down archeological exhibit. Conklin states, “Instead of displaying 335 artifacts, we want to curate about 70 pieces that represent specific time periods and cultural developments. Our goal is to create a meaningful, well-organized research collection that is thoroughly documented and accessible for both students and the community.”
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