A chance find on an Ohio golf course has left archaeologists with an unusual puzzle. The collection, known as the Joshua Cache, contains eleven finely made stone bifaces buried beneath ground later altered by modern construction. Researchers have spent several years studying the artifacts, yet many questions about their age and purpose remain unanswered.
The story began in January 2021 when Joshua Fetter noticed a leaf-shaped stone object near a pond on the Sugar Creek golf course. The area was undergoing grading work for future housing development. After spotting the first artifact, he searched a small patch of ground and recovered several more. The find quickly reached archaeologists at Kent State University through family connections.
Construction activity had already disturbed parts of the site, leaving little time for investigation. Archaeologists arrived the next day and carefully excavated the area. Within a space of roughly one square meter, they recovered two additional bifaces buried slightly deeper than those found on the surface. Small pieces of charcoal appeared beneath the artifacts. The tools and associated materials were later donated to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History…