Above: Dr. Michelle Bebber, left, oversees a student working in the Kent State University Experimental Archaeology Lab.
At the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, science is a shared endeavor—and discovery rarely happens in isolation.
It’s why the Museum has worked to build interdisciplinary teams of scientists, foster international collaborations, and share knowledge beyond our walls. And recently, the Museum’s ongoing partnership with Kent State University has resulted in several awe-inspiring examples of scientific collaboration in action.
The partnership between Kent State and the Museum spans decades, beginning as natural exchange of ideas and resources. Kent State anthropologists have long studied the Museum’s collection of fossils and artifacts related to ancient humans, while graduate students have led archaeological digs with the organization. It’s easy to see why the collaboration is a natural fit: Kent State and the Museum have complimentary resources. And today, the partnership continues with Kent State’s state-of-the-art Experimental Archaeology Lab.
Founded in 2016 by Dr. Metin Eren—Kent State’s Director of Archaeology and a Museum Research Associate—the lab walks in lock step with the Museum’s vast collection of specimens and artifacts. Both are committed to studying the Stone Age people of the lower Great Lakes, an area whose unique glacial patterns have made it ripe for Paleolithic discoveries. And together, the organizations are working to advance scientific discovery like never before.
If you tuned in to the 2024 Paris Olympics this past summer, you may have glimpsed a product of this collaboration in action: a video highlighting the incredible work happening as a result of Kent State and the Museum’s combined efforts. Watch as Dr. Eren and some familiar Museum faces discuss how the Museum and Kent State combine research and resources to explore our ancient roots:
Forging History in the Experimental Archaeology Lab
The intentions of this partnership are manifold, but its main aims are to advance research that will spark curiosity for the natural sciences and provide a deeper understanding of our history—and, hopefully, inspire a new generation of scientists to ponder the mysteries of the past while forging new paths for the future.
Fortunately, in Kent State’s Experimental Archaeology Lab, forging isn’t only metaphorical; it’s also physical.
In the lab, researchers are bringing history to life—recreating the tools, techniques, and innovations our ancestors used to survive life in the Stone Age. Artifacts that would have been used by ancient humans are cleverly recrafted to explore how our ancestors created and wielded everything from weapons to pottery. These recreations help us understand the sheer resilience our ancestors needed to adapt to the challenges of their environments.
This unique emphasis on hands-on experimentation with ancient technologies sets the lab apart, allowing students and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the artifacts and their practical applications. While the lab has the resources to replicate these vital aspects of our past, the Museum has the collections to accurately inform and inspire each recreation. Each project allows for a more immersive and tangible understanding of the past.
Above: Dr. Michelle Bebber, Co-Director of the Kent State Experimental Archaeology Lab, prepares to launch an atlatl.
Testing the Tactics, Terrain, and Tools of Our Ancestors
One recent example of a breakthrough that has come about as a result of this partnership is “The gravity of Paleolithic hunting,” a study published this month in the Journal of Archaeological Science that was co-authored by Dr. Eren and Dr. Michelle Bebber—the lab’s Co-Director, a Museum Research Associate, and an Assistant Professor at Kent State. In the study, researchers explored how topography influenced ancient hunting strategies by testing two classic Stone Age hunting tools—the javelin and the atlatl.
Through their research, scientists wanted to see how well these weapons performed in certain hunting scenarios that varied by landscape—and what better way than to test the weapons themselves? Using a scissor lift, the researchers launched both types of weapon from four different heights, using high-speed cameras to measure their velocity and kinetic energy—and the results were fascinating. The research suggests that early hunters may have strategically chosen their weapons not only based on prey, but also the terrain they faced—revealing greater intention and resourcefulness in our ancestors than previously thought.
In an article the university published last month, “Uncovering History: Inside the World’s Premier Experimental Archaeology Lab at Kent State,” Dr. Bebber underscored the motivation behind the lab’s research. “We are really trying to understand how culture, or technology in the past, changed over time, and how it functions, and why do people make these decisions,” she said. “By using this very carefully controlled scientific method, we can actually get into the motivations behind ancient people’s behavior, which I think is really interesting."
From left to right: Dr. Metin Eren and Dr. Michelle Bebber are pictured in the Kent State University Experimental Archaeology Lab.
A Natural Collaboration
For Dr. Eren, the Museum is not merely a valuable partner—it also provided experiences that helped to inspire his career in archaeology.
As a high school student, Dr. Eren’s passion for the distant past sparked a connection with the Museum’s then-Curator of Archaeology (now Emeritus Curator of Archaeology), Dr. Brian Redmond. “My first experience with the Cleveland Museum of Natural History was as a 16-year-old kid,” said Dr. Eren. “Usually, the field schools are for college kids.” However, this didn’t deter Dr. Eren from approaching Dr. Redmond and asking to join his dig.
Fortunately, Dr. Redmond took a chance on allowing a younger-than-usual digger at a field school put on by the Museum. “He stood out pretty quickly,” said Dr. Redmond. “But once he got really interested as a professional, I think it really took off in terms of our collaboration with Kent State.”
In the years since, Dr. Eren’s archaeological endeavors have led him all over the world, with notable work in England, China, India, and elsewhere, and have made him a leading expert in Stone Age history. As fate would have it, he wound up back where his love for it all started—in Northeast Ohio. Today, Dr. Eren’s lab is internationally renowned for its state-of-the-art techniques in recreating ancient artifacts.
“There’s not a lab like it anywhere in the world,” said Dr. Eren. “We can recreate any artifact from the last 3 million years of human evolution.” And, he added, “Pretty much any tool that ancient people use, the Cleveland Museum has an awesome example of it.”
Above: Students work in Kent State University's Experimental Archaeology Lab.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Just as a Museum dig fueled Dr. Eren’s interest in archaeology, the organization hopes that this partnership will help to inspire the next generation of scientists and educators. So far, the Kent State lab has drawn curious minds from all corners of the university—including those who may not have previously had an interest in archaeology. And according to the university, all laboratory student members who went on to graduate school have received full tuition waivers and scholarships—a 100% success rate—and many have traveled the globe to continue their studies.
“If you’re a Kent State student and you’re coming to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to do research, it’s going to change your life because you’re going to see things that are hundreds, thousands, millions of years old. You’re going to work with the top minds in your field of choice. You’re going to have experiences and see things that you wouldn’t see anywhere else,” Dr. Eren told the university.
In addition to inspiring students and our communities to ‘dig deeper’ into natural history, the Museum hopes that the partnership will allow people from around the world to learn more about the remarkable, 3-million-year story that is the Stone Age. It’s one of resilience, showcasing humanity’s earliest adaptability and creativity; one where the very first social structures of our species emerged; and one where cultural expressions formed and bonds strengthened.
As we continue to uncover the complexities of our ancient past—both its habitat and inhabitants—the Museum remains dedicated to sharing these discoveries with the world, building meaningful collaborations, and inspiring all to learn more about our shared history.
Learn more about Kent State's lab in their article, “Uncovering History: Inside the World’s Premier Experimental Archaeology Lab at Kent State.”
