Celtic Collection Program Ancient Exhibitions
The following 12 ancient collections, Civil War Collection and a late19th Century antique bottle display make up the exhibition division of the Celtic Collection Program, Inc. They are available ongoing and each one can be loaned for up to three consecutive months per year. When an exhibition is displayed, some precautions are needed to ensure its protection. The bronze artifacts or 1862 letter cannot be exposed to direct sunlight, chemical fumes, smoke, or be touched without wearing cotton gloves. The Celtic long-sword cannot be handled by anyone other than a professional archivist, curator or Lewis Hales. Every item must be displayed within a locked viewing area. Because some of the exhibitions contain hundreds, and even thousands of specimens, only an anthology of a particular collection will be displayed. It is requested that the local police be notified of the exhibition(s) tenure and to ask them to increase their patrols at the facility until the artifacts are removed. A press release about the exhibition will be provided to the local newspaper by Lewis Hales. Sometimes an exhibition is assigned to a Celtic Collection Model to represent in the media. If this is applicable, the facility administrator will be informed so that everyone’s schedule can be coordinated for the media photo-shoot and or interview. It is requested that the facility provide five copies of the newspaper(s) in which the article appears; this refers only to newspapers within the county of the facility. Archaeology
1. The Celtic Collection. The largest privately owned collection of Celtic artifacts in the United States, dating from the Hallstatt culture (1200B.C.-500 B.C.) to the La Tene Period (500 B.C.- ca 100A.D.) of Celtic Development. Over 150 artifacts include brooches, finger and toe rings, beads, belt-plates, shell money, arrowheads, a javelin blade, a torc, 3 Hallstatt period vases, a horse finial, four sacred bells and a ceremonial oil lamp and necklace. There are fifteen of these artifacts, including two ceremonial bells that feature symbolism about Celtic astronomy, which was a primary spiritual value throughout Celtic society. Published articles and educational information written by Lewis Hales about the interpretation of their designs are available upon request.
2. The Ancient Celtic Sword Collection. This Celtic long-sword (2100 B.C.) is the same one featured in the La Tene Collection, but appears separately without the stones. A historical summary about its significance and special features are included. This exceptionally beautiful and rare artifact is made of iron, is 27 ½ inches long and was purposely bent and thrown into a body of water as a votive, where it sank below the floors surface and was preserved. The sword was likely sacrificed to a female deity, or a to invoke her protection and blessings during battle. The sword was bought in Germany by Hixenbaugh Ancient Art, New York, and sold to the Celtic Collection Program, April, 2008.
3.The British Paleolithic and Mesolithic Collections
A.The Mesolithic (Ca. 10,000-4,000 B.C.) Collection consists of 7 flint stone artifacts, including a drill, 2 handaxes, a “Thames Pick” (Formerly in the Henk Huffener Collection), and 3 scrappers. These artifacts were originally from a private collection in England and were donated to The Celtic Collection Program in December, 2013. The artifacts were discovered at the River Thames in London and at Hertfordshire, England. B.The Paleolithic Collection features 5 Lower Paleolithic (Ca.700,000-250,000 B.C.) flint artifacts that include 2 Acheulian handaxes, a pebble chopper, a pointed chopper on an elongate flint nodule and a cortex backed blade. All of the artifacts were discovered in Hampshire, England by Geologist Nick Zachariades. Astronomy
4. The Meteorite Collection consists of eleven meteorites and one impact specimen discovered in Russia, China, Texas, Africa, the Libyan Desert and Arizona. The meteorites are older than the Earth and our solar system (4.567 billion years old), and although they were retrieved from all over the world, they likely originated from the asteroid belt orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. Information about meteorites and other facts about the universe in the information summary were approved by Fernbank Science Center astronomer April Whitt. Exceptional graphic charts provide in-depth information about the nature of meteorites and their origins. The meteorites were purchased from Jensan Scientifics. Refer to The Celtic Collection Exhibition about artifacts featuring astronomy symbolism. Conchology
5. The Ancient Sea-Shell Collection. Discovered by Lewis Hales, M.A., M.A. in 2008 at the pre-historic Native village in Lamar County, Georgia. Over 40 oyster bi-valves were recovered and identified to be between 4,200 and 3,000 years old by Dr. Stephen W. Henderson, Associate Professor of Geology at Oxford College at Emory University. Two additional shells are included in the collection that were discovered within the Lamar County village complex; a tulip shell likely worn as ceremonial decoration and a scallop shell used as a cutting tool (scraper). The shells likely came from the Archaic Period because they were discovered with arrowheads from that timeline. Also refer to The Fossil Collection. Geology
6. The Ancient Crystal Collection consists of over 5,000 crystal clusters, individual points and crystallized stones from the Mississippian Epoch (300-320 Mya). They were formed when Africa collided with North America. The crystals were discovered 2008-2010 by Lewis Hales in Lamar County, Georgia, and were classified by Dr. Garrison, Professor of Geology and Anthropology at the University of Georgia. The exhibition also features polished crystals from China's mainland and from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Three of the China specimens contain water inclusions and are approximately 30 million years old.
7. The Ancient La Tene Collection. This display includes a Celtic long-sword (2100 B.C.) from the La Tene III period of Celtic Development, eight stones discovered at Lake Neuchatel, village La Tene, Switzerland, and a ceremonial oil lamp from the La Tene (3d-1st Century B.C.) timeline. Geologist and Professor Dr. Henderson provides information about each stone and evaluated that their diverse mix indicates they were collected from several locations and brought to La Tene by a glacier that formed Lake Neuchatel. One of the stones contains deep glacier scratches called “artifacts”, which occurred while it was in the glacier.
8. The Marble Collection features three elegant statues, two spheres and five raw specimens from Polycor, located in Tate, Georgia. The Polycor marble types include “White Cherokee”, “Alabama Marble”, “Pearl Grey”, “Etowah Fleuri” and “Solar Grey”. The statutes were mined in Carrara, Italy, and molded by artist Gino Ruggari, who produced many sculptures for the Santini family. It is approximately 200 million years old and comes from the Lower Jurassic Age. Georgia marble comes from the Neoproterozoic Era, Ediacaran Period (542-635 Mya). Its origin began at the bottom of the ocean that covered North Georgia about 600 million years ago. Shells and bones of small sea animals gradually built up a reef of calcium carbonate. Over time, the reef was transformed into limestone and then into a unique compact marble with sparkling calcite crystals. Numismatics
9. The Ancient Coin Collection. This exhibition features seven silver and bronze coins from the reign of Boudica, Queen of the Celtic British Iceni tribe (62.A.D.); Constantine the Great (312-337 A.D.); A Primary Sceatta from the Early Anglo-Saxon Period (680-710 A.D.); Alfred the Great (871-899 A.D.) Edward the Confessor (1042-1066 A.D.); and King Edward l (1272-1307 A.D.). Coins were purchased from Damron Numismatics Atlanta and Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art New York. Paleontology
10. The Fossil Collection features fossils from the Ordovioan Period (44.3-488.3 Mya) to the Holocene Period (12,000 years ago to present). Specimens were discovered worldwide and include a stromatolite (ca. 50 Mya); dinosaur egg pieces of a Titanosauris (ca. 65.5- 99.6 Mya) and an Ovirapter (ca.72 Mya); a fern in matrix (ca. 360 Mya); a pectin shell collected Antwerp, Belgium, from the Pliocene Epoch (2.558-5.332 Mya); a marine shell, discovered in Virginia from the Paleocene Epoch, 60 Mya. A Miocene (5.332-23.03 Mya) shark’s tooth found in South Carolina; a Dastilbe (in matrix), which is an extinct bony fish from Brazil that lived about 112 million years ago during the Aptian Age of the Early Cretaceous Period; a Mammoth bone and hair strand (50,000 Ya); a Trilobite (ca.443.7-488.3 Mya) and 24 extinct Floridian sea shells from the Miocene Epoch (5.332 -23.03 Mya) to the Pleistocene Epoch (12,000 Ya to 2.588 Mya). Fossils were obtained from Jensan Scientifics, Sanibel Shellers, and Curio Grove.
11. The Antique Bottle Collection
The Antique Bottle Collection features bottles from America during the 1860’s-1890’s and represent some of the earliest prescribed attempts to treat psychiatric illnesses in this country. The collection includes Kilmer’s Swamp Root, Hood’s Sarsa, St. Jakobs Oel, Chamberlain’s Pain-Balm, Fellows Syrup of Hypophosphites, Dr. Jayne’s Expectorant, Dr. Pierce’s Favorite Prescription, and the infamous Mrs. Windslow’s Soothing Syrup for children.
12. The Civil War Collection
This group features a wide range of artifacts from the Civil War era including soda/mineral water bottles, perfume bottles from Paris and olive oil, ink well and medicine bottles from both southern and northern states. A Confederate cannonball 2" grape projectile fired from a canister at Appomattox, Virginia; an original letter written by a young wife to her Georgia Confederate soldier husband in 1862 and a 58 Caliber Washington Arsenal Confederate star bullet are also part of the exhibition. Lewis Hales, M.A., M.A. / CEO
