The prehistoric artifact is believed to be over 1,000 years old and have originated in Oklahoma
Prehistoric artifact: lost to history and found in Goodwill.
Prehistoric artifact found in a New York Goodwill could be a remnant from the Spiro Mounds archaeological site in Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society. The site has been inhabited for 8,000 years.
The 7.5 inch piece of pottery found its way through Goodwill’s New York distribution center before being recognized for its potential historical significance. A note inside the pottery read, “Found in a burial mound near Spiro Oklahoma in 1970.” It was not known who donated the prehistoric artifact to Goodwill.
According to Dan Victori with Goodwill Industries of Western New York, the prehistoric artifact could be anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 years old.
Jeremy Juhasz, Goodwill’s local social media and website coordinator, told the Buffalo News that workers were “amazed that the thing wasn’t (a) broken or (b) just thrown out.”
Goodwill has said it will return the prehistoric artifact to the Caddo Indian Nation.
Juhasz stated, “Once we were alerted to what it was, there was no doubt that we were happy to donate it back to them.”
This incident is just another in a series of strange historically-significant artifacts to pass through the doors of Goodwill.
Victori told Buffalo news affiliate WKBW that Goodwill has received a number of pricey accidental donations, including a book written by Albert Einstein in his native German language. With approximately 50,000 pounds in donations per day in western New York alone, it is no surprise that such items find a new home on their shelves.
