More than Pipes: Reflections from the Squier & Davis Collection at the British Museum

In March 2025, Dr. Laura Murphy spent two weeks working in the British Museum’s collections facility in London, England, where over 2,000 artifacts from the Squier and Davis collection are housed. She had the opportunity to view and describe a majority of these items in storage that consist of a variety of Hopewell cultural materials beyond the most well-known effigy pipes from Mound 8 at Mound City, which are on display. This talk will provide a brief history of the Squier & Davis collection, reveal findings from the collection inventory and archival research, and offer reflections and new suggestions for future collaborations with the British Museum in light of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks UNESCO World Heritage status.

Join Hopewell Culture National Historical Park and the Mound City Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Ohio as we welcome Dr. Laura Murphy Associate Professor of Anthropology at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. The talk will take place in the Mound City Group Visitor Center Auditorium. For more information, call the park at 740-774-1126.