Native Americans
Pre-Contact Periods
Our museum features regionally-discovered indigenous artifacts that showcase First American history in the Big Sandy Valley and beyond. All indigenous periods are represented: Paleo, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian. Most of our collection was located in the Pauley Addition area of Pikeville, at Fishtrap in Pike County, and in the Tug Fork section, although we also feature objects from other points in the Big Sandy Valley, southcentral Kentucky, and Logan County, West Virginia. Primary contributors to our collection are local collectors Bob Shurtleff and Bill Baird. As of 2025, the museum is leading a Paleo-Indian project that will involve archaeology and result in historical signage and an interactive museum experience.
Adena and Fort Ancient Cultures
The museum features regionally-discovered indigenous artifacts from the Adena and Fort Ancient cultures (1000 BCE to 1750 CE), particularly the so-called Mound Builders. The primary tribes who occupied the valley were the Shawnee and Cherokee. Our museum contains some modern replica items from tribes.