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The Society for
Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc. Fall 2005 Archaeology Month—A Challenge In recent years, archaeology in Pennsylvania has experienced many changes. Programs and projects have been left un-funded; priorities of government officials have veered away from site preservation toward new, inexplicable directions; and veteran archaeologists have been lost to us. The challenge left to us during Pennsylvania Archaeology Month is daunting. To discover the real value of our efforts we must look at our interest in the science and study of archaeology and anthropology and extract the meaning of what we do. Why do we do what we do? What are we working toward? Why do we think it is important? Who could best use our knowledge? Whose attention should we demand in order to ensure that these valuable assets are preserved, studied and enjoyed? If we could all manage to include one new endeavor to promote our chapters during Archaeology Month or in the year leading up to the next Archaeology Month, we would see a tremendous return on our efforts. Many organizations use contact numbers as a means to gauge the effectiveness of their programs in reaching the target audience. Keep track of the number of people you touch and we may be surprised at the results. We are an active Society. We publish journals, newsletters and the annual Archaeology Month calendar of events to get the word out. We hold meetings, seminars and digs. However, we need the help of our members. Make your presence known! You can arm yourself with posters, membership forms, “discover and preserve” brochures and website www.Pennsylvaniaarhaeology.com information. Offer to speak to a group—boy scouts, girl scouts, historical societies, libraries, and schools. Sponsor an informational table at county fairs and local events. Advertise your events in local papers, magazines, cable television, or historical society and community newsletters. All members must get involved to celebrate Archaeology Month in Pennsylvania properly. That is the challenge! Good luck! PENNSYLVANIA ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH CALENDAR OF EVENTS October 2005 SAVE THE PAST FOR THE FUTURE Archaeology Month is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council. Its purpose is to increase awareness of the important historic and prehistoric archaeological sites in the Commonwealth. These sites are part of the heritage of all Pennsylvanians. Everyday, archaeological sites are destroyed. We hope that through the Archaeology Month events, more Pennsylvanians become aware of this part of our history and work to protect our endangered resources. Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public. Note: the following event listings are organized by region. Northeast Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology - Forks of the Delaware Chapter 14 Event: William Schindler of Temple University will give a presentation entitled “Middle Woodland Exploitation of Migratory Fish in the Delaware Valley.” Date: Thursday, 6 October. Time: 8 PM Contact: Philip Perazio, Phone: 570-421-9525, Email pperaziokar@sunlink.net Description: The migratory fish resource seems to have been an extremely valuable component of the prehistoric diet. This presentation reports on recent research which investigated the possible technologies involved in the procurement, processing, and use of migratory fish and the corresponding social changes in the Delaware Valley during the Middle Woodland period by utilizing a combination of ethnographic, ethnohistoric, and experimental archaeological evidence. Directions can be found at Chapter 14's web page at the Siftings web site - www.siftings.com. Southeast Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology - John Shrader Chapter 21 Event: Hay Creek Valley Historical Association’s (HCVHA) Apple Festival Location: Joanna Furnace, Route 10 near Morgantown, Berks County Date: Saturday, 8 October Time: 7 AM-4 PM Contacts: Cathy Spohn, President, Chapter 21 Phone 610-678-1274 (home) or 610-205-6711; Email cspohn@state.pa.us Charles Jacob – Phone 610-469-9530 Description: John Shrader Chapter 21 will have an information stand at HCVHA’s annual Apple Festival at Joanna Furnace. Chapter members have been actively engaged in the archaeological investigations and restoration of Joanna Furnace over many years. SPA members will provide information on archaeology, the role of the SPA, and the various projects Chapter 21 members have been involved with in addition to our work at Joanna. We will have an exhibit of the archaeological research and field schools held at Joanna Furnace. The current excavations at the hot blast engine area and wheelwright shop will be open for visitors to see. Admission is free and parking is on site. SPA Chapter 21 will also have an information stand at HCVHA’s annual Fall Festival that runs from Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11, 2005, also at Joanna Furnace. Admission is $5 per person over age 12 on Friday and $7 per person on Saturday and Sunday. Passes for $10 for two are available through the contacts listed above. Besides the archaeological exhibits, there will be nineteenth century crafts, antique cars and agricultural machinery, a Civil War encampment, music and other attractions. The funds raised go to sponsor archaeology and restoration at Joanna Furnace. Central The PHMC Commonwealth Archaeology Program and the City of Harrisburg The public archaeological program at City Island in Harrisburg, that had for a number of years been a central event in Pennsylvania’s Archaeology Month, is again suspended this year. Federal and state funding shortfalls have resulted in budget cuts in the PHMC and consequent loss of field/lab staff in the CAP program, as well as loss of funds to use consultants when needed. As a result, the PHMC can afford neither the monetary expense nor the staff time necessary to successfully conduct the City Island program. However, we hope that this situation will turn around for the better over the next few years. Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology - Bald Eagle Archaeological Society Time: Sunday September 18, 2005, 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Location: Milbrook Marsh Nature Center, on Puddintown Road, east of State College. Event: The society will offer artifact identification, general information, and an archaeological demonstration, as part of the annual Spring Creek Day, which is hosted by the ClearWater Conservancy. Northwest Department of History and Anthropology, Edinboro University of PA Event: Open House, Fort LeBoeuf Museum Location: Waterford, PA Date: Every Saturday and Sunday in October Time: Noon to 4 PM Contact: Dr. Renata B. Wolynec, (814) 7322570 or wolynec@edinboro.edu Description: Archaeological displays at the museum include remains from the beaver trade, WPA excavations in the late 1930s, and Eagle Hotel excavations conducted by Edinboro University Archaeological Field Studies from 1975 through 1987. Of special local interest is a replica of the only known original of Celeron’s lead plate and a highly detailed model of an Iroquois village. There is no admission charge. Department of History and Anthropology, Edinboro University of PA Event: Lecture - “The Archaeological Past in Jeopardy” Location: Hendricks Hall 126, Main Campus, Edinboro University of PA, Edinboro, PA Date: Wednesday, October 26 Time: 6 PM to 7:15 PM Contact: Dr. Renata B. Wolynec, 8147322570 or wolynec@edinboro.edu Description: The discussion and activities will center on videos which show the destruction of archaeological sites. There is no admission charge. Experience Children's Museum Event: After school activities focusing on archaeology Location: Experience Children's Museum, Erie, PA Description: As part of a partnership with the Erie School District, the Experience Children's Museum will spend one week in October on activities which focus on archaeological themes. This event is not open to the public. There are numerous web sites where you can find further information about archaeology in Pennsylvania. Among these are: Pennsylvania Archaeological Council http://www.pennarchcouncil.org/ ; Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology http://www.pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com/ ; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission / Bureau for Historic Preservation http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bhp/ A Brief Overview of the Archaeology Program at the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission The archaeology program at the PHMC has been undergoing some recent changes and the purpose of the following is to briefly describe the program and our new directions. The program is being adjusted in response to budgetary cuts, although some necessary restructuring has also occurred. Archaeology at the PHMC is supported by two separate bureaus: The State Museum and secondly, the Bureau for Historic Preservation (BHP). Collections management and compliance review will continue to be at the core, but there is a need to increase public education and to begin to synthesize some of the research that has been conducted in Pennsylvania over the past thirty years. The State Museum, Section of Archaeology, manages approximately 3.5 million artifacts in the archaeological collections of the PHMC. Under the direction of the Senior Curator, Steve Warfel, and assisted by Curator, Janet Johnson, this department maintains a comprehensive exhibit gallery focusing on Pennsylvania culture history spanning from the Paleo-Indian period to the historic properties of the Commission. Collections which date to as early as 1906 represent almost a century of archaeology in Pennsylvania and these collections continue to grow. Important contributions to our knowledge of Pennsylvania prehistory have been obtained from early collections of private individuals as well as early excavations conducted by the Commission. In 2000, the entire collection was moved from the State Museum building to the adjacent Keystone Building. The Section also functions as the state repository for all state and federal archaeological compliance projects. Collections assistants, Elizabeth Wagner and David Burke audit collections for compliance to Curation Guidelines created by the Section to insure well organized and documented collections. The collections assistant positions are entirely funded by curation fees from compliance projects. This funding source has been inconsistent and jeopardizes continuation of the audit program. New collections from private individuals collected in provenienced locations throughout the state are accepted and reviewed by staff prior to accessioning. Documentation representing this diverse collection includes over thirteen hundred unpublished manuscripts, photographic collections, and excavation records and maps. Archaeological consultants working on state and federal projects use these collections to develop background information for the analysis and interpretation of new sites. These are an invaluable source of data not readily available to the public or researchers. Along with a general list of collections, a bibliography of unpublished manuscripts will soon be available to the public in an electronic format on the archaeology web site. The archaeological collections contain a wealth of information and they are frequently the focus of outside research. Requests for access to the collections require a written proposal directed to either Steve Warfel or Janet Johnson. The Commission also conducts a Scholar in Residence program which awards grants to outside scholars to enhance the understanding and interpretation of our collections. Most recently Philip Perazio, past president of the Society, worked with our collections on the interpretation of plowzone sites (i.e. lithic scatters) in the Pocono’s. This section also manages the loan-out program to other institutions for exhibit and research purposes. Currently, there are over 30 loans involving 600 artifacts. The State Museum has a long history of field research and has been especially active in the Susquehanna Valley. The work in the Lower Susquehanna River Valley with Susquehannock sites and the stratified islands represent substantial contributions to Pennsylvania archaeology. More recently, the State Museum has conducted archaeological field schools with Pennsylvania universities and colleges on PHMC properties such as the Joseph Priestley House, Fort Augusta, Eckley Miners Village and Ephrata Cloister. This work has contributed immensely to the understanding and interpretation of these properties. The PHMC continues to mitigate impacts to archaeological sites prior to construction projects on PHMC properties but funding for research and interpretation of these properties continues to be problematic. The BHP supports archaeology through a variety of programs: review and compliance, The Commonwealth’s Archaeology Program (CAP), grants, a geographic information system (CRGIS) and special projects in research and education. Review and compliance continues to represent the main emphasis of the BHP archaeology program. The National Historic Preservation Act and the State History Code continue to be the main management tools. These require that archaeological resources be considered by state and federal agencies during the planning process and usually insure the mitigation of sites destroyed by state and federal actions. Doug McLearen is the supervisor of the Division of Archaeology and Protection and the primary mission of this division is the review of state and federal projects for their effect on cultural resources. This division makes recommendations to agencies concerning the effects of their projects, the significance of resources and scopes of work for archaeological investigations. There are four archaeologists, Mark Shaffer, Chan Funk, Steve McDougal and Mark McConaughy and three historians, Susan Zacher, Ann Safley and Pam Reilly. This staff reviews approximately 8000 projects per year for their effect on cultural resources and, in addition, the archaeologists review approximately 400 survey and mitigation reports per year. Mark McConaughy is stationed at Bushy Run in Westmoreland County and he reviews mining projects. The Commonwealth’s Archaeology Program (CAP) is also part of the Division of Archaeology and Protection. CAP has been our major tool in the mitigation of archaeological resources that were threatened by private development and projects that did not involve any state or federal permits. Doug McLearen supervises this program and Jim Herbstritt oversees the field and lab work. In the past eight years CAP has systematically investigated over 40 sites through this program. If CAP had not existed, these sites would have been destroyed without any data recovery. These investigations include 18th century farm sites, a Native American cemetery (which was avoided), two Late Woodland villages, a Middle Woodland cache, a Transitional camp, several Late Archaic occupations, a Middle Archaic bifurcate site, a very large quartzite reduction station, an Early Archaic through Late Woodland rockshelter, a jasper quarry with an associated Paleoindian occupation and a dugout canoe. Resources for completing the reports for these projects have been problematic but most have now been completed or are under contract. For the past three seasons, the CAP crew has been working at the Quaker Hills Quarry site (36La1100), a late Shenks Ferry Village (circa AD 1500). Approximately 25% of the site has been excavated. Through alternative mitigation and donations, the BHP is trying to develop an Archaeology Fund to support the CAP program and there may be funds to support several technicians this spring. Our web site contains summaries of our three most recent field efforts. Due to budgetary cuts, the CAP program has been reduced and Quaker Hills Quarry will be our last field effort for the foreseeable future. We are hoping to continue field work on this site in the spring of 2006 and after that we will be conducting the analysis and writing up the report. This will take over a year to complete. While working on the report, CAP will continue to be involved in Archaeology Month during the fall and the Pennsylvania Farm Show, held each January. This year, the Farm Show will be a cooperative effort of the PHMC, the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. For the past many years, there has been an exhibit featuring CAP projects, and the dugout canoe has always been part of the display. It is a favorite with children who are allowed to sit in the dugout (29 kids at one time is our record). This gives us ample opportunity to talk to their parents about protecting archaeological sites. The current dugout of five years has become bug-infested and it will be replaced this fall during Archaeology Month with one we are carving at Fort Hunter Park, located just north of Harrisburg. This will be a public exhibit using stone tools and undertaken in cooperation with Fort Hunter, the Allegheny National Forest (Rick Kandare, their senior archaeologist, wrote his Masters Thesis on dugouts), and Michaux State Forest (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources), who donated the 22-foot white pine log. We are following the design of the Mud Pond dugout which is on exhibit at the State Museum. This is one of the few documented prehistoric (AD 1250) dugouts in the state. The Cultural Resource Geographic Information System (CRGIS) has been a major joint effort of the BHP and Penn DOT. This program is coordinated by Noel Strattan. It essentially incorporates the Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey files (PASS) with other BHP historic survey files. It combines 130,000+ historic sites, 20,000+ archaeological sites, and 5000+ surveys into one electronic system. The GIS is constantly being updated (it will never be completed) but it has vastly improved the review of state and federal projects and archaeological research, to say the least. It is on-line and we invite you to visit. The BHP grants program has supported archaeology in a variety of forms for almost 30 years. This included the Regional Archaeology Program, numerous research surveys, resource specific investigations and, most recently, the training of students in archaeology. Over the past two summers, BHP grants have supported field schools from Temple University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Kutztown University working at Quaker Hills Quarry, Bushy Run and Fort Augusta respectively. These have been very successful projects which trained students in field and laboratory work but also benefited PHMC properties and projects. The Society for Pennsylvania, Inc. and PAC both receive grants for operational support. Further, there have been several grants to individual SPA chapters and we would strongly encourage others to apply. A new major archaeological initiative within the BHP is the development of an archaeological web site to go on-line early this winter. The goal of this project is to facilitate research, inform the public on archaeology in Pennsylvania, and assist students and teachers in teaching and learning about archaeology. The professional portal for this web will include CRM report abstracts, on-line synthesis by watershed, and PHMC guidelines, policies and forms. The archaeology web site will compliment the CRGIS for researchers with the CRGIS focusing on data and the web focusing on documents. The public portal will have popular summaries of Pennsylvania archaeology for the state and by watershed. It will also contain popular summaries of CRM reports and new research being conducted in the state. The students and teachers portal will contain popular summaries, curriculums, and a resources list. A video tour of the archaeology gallery at the State Museum will be on-line and we are sending copies to schools to prepare students for a trip to the State Museum. In 2000 the BHP received funding from the Federal Highway Administration through Penn DOT to develop a synthesis of Pennsylvania archaeology. The goal is to summarize what we know concerning both historic and prehistoric archaeology, and prioritize significant research problems for the future. This should be especially useful for making decisions on where to do surveys, the significance and National Register eligibility of sites and scopes of work for mitigation projects. This project has languished for some time but has recently received additional encouraging support. The first volume covers prehistoric archaeology and consists of 18 chapters divided by time periods and drainage basins. This is 60% completed and we are looking for publication in the late spring. Volumes on historic archaeology, special topics and a popular publication are planned for the near future. Finally, the PHMC has an intern program and both the BHP and the State Museum offer internships in archaeology. These have usually involved fieldwork with CAP, PASS file data analysis with CRGIS or collections management with the Archaeology Section. The program has recently changed to a focus on student projects rather than being assistants to professionals and thus, more rewarding to the students. We strongly encourage applications in this mutually beneficial and rewarding program. I hope this has been useful in understanding the PHMC archaeology program and its many and varied initiatives. It is alive and well, protecting resources and disseminating information in a variety of formats to the public. For more information, contact our web at www.phmc.state.pa.us --Submitted by Dr. Kurt Carr Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission Scholars in Residence Program For Immediate Release Date: August 26, 2005 For further information, or an electronic version of this announcement, contact: Linda Shopes, Scholars in Residence Program Manager, 717/772-3257; lshopes@state.pa.us The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission invites applications for its 2006-2007 Scholars in Residence Program, including applications for collaborative residencies. The Scholars in Residence program provides support for up to eight weeks of full-time research and study in manuscript and artifact collections maintained by any Commission facility, including the Pennsylvania State Archives, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and twenty-five historic sites and museums around the state. Collaborative residencies fund original analytic and/or synthetic research that relates to the interpretive mission and advances the programmatic goals of a PHMC program or facility, including the agency's historic sites and museums. A collaborative residency application must be filed jointly by the interested scholar and host program/facility. Residency programs are open to all who are conducting research on Pennsylvania history, including academic scholars, public sector professionals, independent scholars, graduate students, educators, writers, filmmakers, and others. Residencies may be scheduled for up to eight weeks at any time during the period May 1, 2006 -- April 30, 2007; stipends are awarded at the rate of $375 per week. For a full description of the residency program and application materials, as well as information about Commission research collections, go to the PHMC web site: www.phmc.state.pa.us. You may also write: Scholars in Residence Program, Bureau of Archives and History, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Commonwealth Keystone Building – Plaza Level, 400 North St., Harrisburg, PA 17120-0053; or call: 717/787-3034; or email: RA-PHMCScholars@state.pa.us. Deadline for application is January 13, 2006. Notification of awards will be made in late March. The Commission does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation to participate in this program should contact the Commission at (717)787-3034 or the Pennsylvania TDD relay service at (800)654-5984 to discuss their needs. Annual Meeting News The 76th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology was held in Morgantown, PA hosted by John Shrader Chapter 21. All 14 active chapters of the Society submitted their annual reports. The chapters meet regularly and participate in the business of the society at the Annual Meeting and meeting of the board of directors. The membership in the Society is beginning to increase after a decline for the past few years. All chapters and individual members are asked to encourage state society membership for all their chapter members and colleagues. The site survey committee reports a total of 334 new sites have been reported in the last year. Site recording is encouraged to aid in site preservation. The Archey Award was presented to Andy Meyers, president of North Fork Chapter #29 for his long-term contributions to Pennsylvania archaeology. A special “Iron Man” award was presented to outgoing president, Paul Raber to show the Society’s appreciation for his masterful handling of some difficult situations during his tenure as president. Please consider nominating someone from your chapter for recognition in the future. For annual award information, visit www.Pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com Jacob L. Grimm IV C14 Award 2005 to Bob Oshnock, Westmoreland Chapter #23 for the Consol Site. Member News Eastern States Archaeological Federation Membership: ESAF will donate 20% of the membership fee to the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc. if dues are paid through the SPA. Membership includes Archaeology of Eastern North America (AENA), and informational announcements throughout the year. Fees are: $30.00 Individual membership and $40.00 Institutional. For postage to foreign countries add $5.00. Please make checks payable to Treasurer, SPA. Foreign Checks must be in US funds or drawn on a US bank. Send to: Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc., P.O. Box 10287, Pittsburgh, PA 15232-0287 Membership Status You will find your membership renewal form included in this mailing. Your current membership status can be determined by examining your address label. The paid up year is printed the label. If your dues are not current, please send the appropriate amount to: Treasurer, SPA P.O. Box 10287, Pittsburgh, PA 15232-0287. If you are an officer in your local Chapter or a member of the SPA Board of Directors or Elmer Erb Trustees, you MUST be a member in good standing of the SPA according to the Constitution. Please confirm your status and correct if necessary, as soon as possible. Pennsylvania Archaeologist Needs Paper Submissions! Bill Tippins, Editor of Pennsylvania Archaeologist, reports that he is running low on manuscripts for the journal. Although he is working hard to get the publication back on schedule, a lack of papers could jeopardize this effort. Unlike past years, when a paper might wait years to be published, a quality submission now may be in print within six months. Site reports, regional studies, or artifact photos are welcomed. Please consult the inside back cover of a recent issue or the Society's website for Submission Guidelines. Publishing is an essential part of proper archaeology, especially if a site has been destroyed by excavation. Please consider helping both the publication and future researchers by submitting a manuscript to Pennsylvania Archaeologist. Chapter News JOHN SHRADER, CHAPTER 21 Members of John Shrader Chapter 21 have been involved in two archaeological projects this summer. Three days a week Chapter members volunteer at the Marcus Hook Plank Log House in Marcus Hook, Delaware County, one of the oldest standing structures in the state. We are uncovering the foundations of part of the house which had been torn down, known as the “Counting House.” The owners of the property, Mr. Michael Manerchia and his wife Pat, believe that this house was built in the late seventeenth century, and are very enthusiastic supporters of the project. Michael and his sister Paula are involved in the day to day excavations and treatment of the artifact collection from their property. Dr. David Orr of Temple University has received a grant to conduct excavations inside the house in the fall, and Keith Doms is also volunteering his time on Saturdays to help organize the amazing artifact collection from this site. We are hoping to be able to demonstrate that the house was indeed built in the late seventeenth century. We have uncovered several pieces of tin-glazed Delft ware and early creamware, and we are still within a foot of the surface. More interest has been stimulated by coverage by Action News Channel 6 in the Philadelphia area, and there was even a very short spot on the excavation on CNN headline news two weeks ago! Although the site is privately owned and the owner wants to preserve and restore the building, there is a threat to the Marcus Hook Plank Log House, as the borough has xpressed a desire to acquire the site for housing development. All of us who are involved in this project believe that this is a very important site in Pennsylvania history which merits our interest and preservation. For more information, contact Chapter 21 President Cathy Spohn at (610) 678-1274, or at cspohn@state.pa.us, or visit the project’s web site at www.bbplankhouse.com. The Chapter’s second project is our ongoing work at Joanna Furnace in Berks County. Chapter members volunteer their time every Sunday to uncover the Wheelwright Shop at this location. Many SPA members visited Joanna Furnace during the SPA annual meeting at Morgantown this spring. Following completion of our excavations, the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association (HCVHA) will restore the building, as they have done with other structures in the complex. The excavation will be open during the Fall Festival at Joanna Furnace on September 9, 10 and 11 of 2005. The Fall Festival also features nineteenth century crafts, exhibits from our previous excavations at Joanna, a Civil War encampment, antique car and tractor parades, and lots of other fun events for all the family. Chapter 21 will have a booth in the Charcoal Barn at the Fall Festival, and also for the Apple Festival on October 8, which is Archaeology month. For more information contact Chapter President Cathy Spohn at (610) 678-1274 or cspohn@state.pa.us, or Charles Jacob at (610) 469-9530. Conferences and Exhibits The Mysterious Bog People—The Bog Mummies of Ancient Europe Traveling exhibit until January 23, 2006 at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA Clovis in the Southeast, October 26-29, 2005 Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, South Carolina. Information and registration 803-777-8170 or www.clovisinthesoutheast.net Meetings Eastern States Archaeological Federation (ESAF) will hold the 72nd Annual Meeting hosted by the Archaeological Society of Virginia in Williamsburg, Virginia on November 9-12, 2005 at the Best Western—Patrick Henry Inn. (800) 446-9228. For information go to www.esaf-archaeology.org The 77th Annual Meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology May 5-7, 2006 Ramada Inn, Washington, Pa For information and registration see the December SPA Newsletter Look for the Call for Papers in this mailing IN MEMORIUM On August 13, 2005, Dr. James “Jim” B. Petersen, 51, was dining at a restaurant in the small town of Iranduba, Brazil with several colleagues when he was murdered during a robbery. He was down there conducting ongoing research in the Amazon Basin. The shock of this devastating loss of a great archaeologist and true friend to many has been felt around the world. At the time of his death, Jim was an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, a Research Associate in the Section of Anthropology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, a Research Associate at the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology, a board member of the International Association of Caribbean Archaeology, a board member of the Vermont Archaeological Society, and a past-President of the Eastern States Archeological Federation. Previously, while working at the University of Maine at Farmington as the founder and director of the Archaeology Research Center from 1983-1997, he met his wife of nine years, Jennifer Brennan. Jim received his B.A. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh. His ties to Western Pennsylvania were strong. While he was a doctoral student at Pitt, he forged many friendships there that would turn into decades of archaeological research collaborations. He was one of the foremost pre-contact ceramic analysts in eastern North America and was actively involved with ongoing research in northeastern North America, the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and the Amazon Basin of Brazil. His friends, students, and colleagues will always remember Jim as an energetic and enthusiastic individual whose love of archaeology and the study of the indigenous peoples of the Americas was unsurpassed. He was a true ambassador of archaeology, having an impact on hundreds, if not thousands of individuals from Native American tribes to avocational archaeologists to students to professionals wherever he taught, lived, and worked. Although Jim’s loss has left those who knew him in a sad state of shock, he will always be fondly remembered. Donations in honor of Jim may be made to the: James B. Petersen Scholarship Fund c/o Natalie Fleischman, Senior Development Officer University of Vermont, 411 Main Street, Grasse Mount, Burlington, Vermont 05401 Books and Publications JACOB MY FRIEND, His 17th Century Account of the Susquehannock Indians By Barry C. Kent In hard cover or soft cover Published by Xlibris A novel and history portraying colonial events and changing Susquehannock culture during the periods of the terrible clash with Europeans and other Indians. The story is based in history, archaeology, and anthropology and is brought to life through actual accounts and a vivid fictional narrative of the Dutch trader known to the Indians as Jacob My Friend. To order: Call 1-888-795-4274, or order online at www.xlibris.com., or visit your local bookstore. Archaeologies: Journal of the World Archaeological Congress is available as a semiannual journal appearing with a first edition in June 2005. It will be the official journal of the World Archaeological Congress (WAC) and members will receive the journal as part of membership. For additional information or to subscribe from the publisher, contact AltaMira Press, 15200 NBN Way, Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17214, www.altamirapress.com
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