What could have been a fire that destroyed a museum has instead enriched it as an archeological dig at the 19th century frontier tavern in Ohio unearths historical discoveries.

The excavation is part of recovery efforts at the Overfield Tavern, the oldest building in the city of Troy, which is located about 20 miles north of Dayton.

An accidental blaze in the early hours of December 7, 2024, gutted the interior of the tavern-turned-historical-museum, though the original 1808 log walls remained mostly intact.

This year, museum officials decided to bring Ohio Valley Archaeology Inc. to work the site before extensive restoration began.

As a result, archeologists have found items that people often lose or break in the course of everyday life but which also reveal some history. Finds includ

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