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Long described as a microcosm of the nation as a whole, the State of Ohio developed an economy based on many industries: agriculture, manufacturing, retail, professional football, a variety of things. In a virtual tie with Iowa and Brooklyn as the fictional home of the greatest number of television and movie characters in American entertainment history, Ohio serves as a representative geographical unit of everyday life. But its alleged super-normality masks certain innovations, including the Soap Box Derby and an enlightened approach to archaeology. Unlike many states in the Union, which watched, indifferent, even bored, as mound-littered sites of prehistoric significance were given up to the plow, Ohio develops a more flexible attitude. Here’s how it works: if an archaeological site deserves preservation, the land can be leased to a somebody with a plan for wringing a dime or two out of it in the meantime. This produces Moundbuilder Christmas tree farms, Go-Kart tracks, and ice rinks. It works great!