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The Society for
Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc. SPA Newsletter Winter 2007-2008 79th Annual Meeting As winter turns to spring we will be anticipating our 79th Annual Meeting hosted by the North Fork Chapter #29 on April 4–6 in Clarion, PA. The early date should benefit attendance and minimize scheduling conflicts with other meetings. The SPA membership in attendance will also enjoy the opportunity to visit the award-winning exhibit at the Jefferson History Center. “Native American Lifeways in Western Pennsylvania”, was honored by the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historic Places. The award was present by Robert Gingerich, Director Emeritus of the prestigious North Museum in Lancaster at a ceremony at the History Center. Please note on your Annual Meeting registration form the reservation for the bus trip to the exhibit and reception on Friday evening. An early board of directors meeting will precede the tour. See the enclosed registration form. The Auction at Annual Meeting benefits the Elmer Erb Permanent Fund. The host chapter asks that every chapter consider send a donation for the auction in support. CALL FOR PAPERS
79TH ANNUAL MEETING SOCIETY FOR PENNSYLVANIA ARCHAEOLOGY HOSTED BY THE NORTH FORK CHAPTER #29 HOLIDAY INN CLARION, PA APRIL 4 - 6, 2008 The theme of the 79th annual meeting will be “Archaeology on the Edge: From Glacial Fronts to Historic Frontiers, Advancing Our Understanding of the Past”. There will be three open sessions, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. We will also be sponsoring a Student Poster Session this year. Anyone wishing to participate should send abstracts of 150 words or less for papers and posters to the Program Chair by March 1, 2008. Program Chair: Amanda Valko 116 E. Englewood Avenue New Castle, PA 16105 Phone: 724-654-2744 (H) Phone: 412-269-7959 (W) Fax: 412-375-3985 (W) E-mail: avalko@mbakercorp.com Reminder: Only members in good standing may present papers at Annual Meeting. Future Meeting Venues:
2009 will be hosted by the BHP in Harrisburg 2009 is the Society’s 80th Anniversary 2010 will be hosted by Westmoreland Chapter #23 near Greensburg The Society thanks the chapters that have committed to host. Volunteers to host Annual Meeting for 2011 should contact Mary Alice Graetzer Call for Nominations for the Annual SPA Awards
Any individual SPA member, or SPA Chapter as a whole, may submit nominations
in writing to the Awards Chairman of an SPA MEMBER, of any chapter, or an
SPA member who is unaffiliated with any chapter, who is deemed worthy of
an SPA award in the categories listed below:Deadline for submitting: FEB. 23, 2008 ARCHEY Award: Nominee must be a member of SPA, not just a chapter. This award is presented to a non-professional who has given significant contributions, over an appreciable period of time, toward the unselfish furtherance of archaeology. The number of separate nominations and the significance of the reasons for the nomination are weighed in making the selection for this award. The individual’s contributions toward archaeology may be offices held; numbers and kinds of speaking engagements; published articles or reports; number and kinds of sites recorded and/or excavated; work with young people to acquaint them with archaeology, etc. J. ALDEN MASON Award: This award is presented to an SPA member who is a professional archaeologist and is based on his or her contribution to education and encouragement of SPA members in the proper pursuit of archaeology. A professional in a related science, which similarly assists SPA members, may also be considered for this award. The nominee need not reside in Pennsylvania. JOHN WITTHOFT Award: This award is presented to the chapter of the SPA that recruited the most new SPA members or reinstated the highest number of delinquent SPA members since the previous SPA Annual Meeting. SHRADER/GEORGE Award: Nominee must be an SPA member under 18 years of age and be an example of the SPA’s ideal youth, whose character, accomplishments, and unselfish effort have furthered the cause of Pennsylvania archaeology. Sites upon which the nominee has participated should be recorded and have a designated State site number and the nominee should have experience in recording such sites and properly cataloging artifacts from the sites. Please provide adequate background and information on nominees as inadequate information or failure to meet the award criteria could result in disqualification. FRANCES DORRANCE Award: This is an award that will be given to the Chapter of the SPA that has recorded the most new sites with the Pennsylvania Archaeology Site Survey at the State Museum, Harrisburg, PA, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2007. Note: Members recording sites should fill in the Chapter area on the PASS site reporting form. Noel Strattan will tally the sites from these reports. New Award Available to honor our outstanding
members
GUIDELINES FOR SPA’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD · Person nominated should have at least 25 years of outstanding service to archaeology in Pennsylvania and/or SPA. · Person nominated should have been a member of SPA for the same amount of time and be an exemplary proponent of the purpose and objectives of SPA. · Person can be nominated by a Chapter or an individual member in good standing of SPA. Request for nominations will be sent to Chapter Presidents with request for nominations for the other awards. · Nominees can be either a professional archaeologist (or a professional in a closely related science), or an avocational archaeologist with an outstanding record of contributions to the field of archaeology and to SPA. · The person or Chapter making the nomination must include a detailed biography of the nominee, including information on the nominee’s educational background, positions held in SPA and other organizations, bibliography, awards received, public outreach, sites worked and research conducted. For a professional archaeologist, the person or Chapter making the nomination should include a list of the nominee’s professional achievements, positions, awards and research. · The nominee must demonstrate a passionate dedication to archaeology in Pennsylvania and to SPA and work assiduously to promote archaeology and/or historic preservation in the Commonwealth through public outreach activities. · The nominee should have inspired others to become involved in SPA and in Pennsylvania archaeology over the course of their career, as non-professional volunteers, or has served as mentor for students interested in a career in archaeology or a related field. · A special award will be given to the recipient at the banquet held during the annual meeting. Nomination forms for all categories can be found on the SPA website: www.pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com. Mail all nominations to: Awards Chair: Cathy Spohn President, SPA Chapter 21 141A Grandview Road Wernersville, PA 19565 Home Phone: (610) 678-1274 Work Phone: (610) 205-6711 Email: cspohn@state.pa.us Jacob L. Grimm IV Matching C14 Award
Submissions for the 2007 Jacob Grimm C-14 Annual Award applications should send them to: James Herbstritt, Chairperson Annual Chapter Reporting Requirements Annual Chapter report forms have been mailed or emailed to the individual chapters. This report details chapter activities for the previous year (2007). This report is a chapter obligation under the SPA constitution. Forms are available to download from the SPA website. If you have questions, please contact the Secretary. All SPA chapters are required to report chapter officers to the Secretary annually. This report is necessary for maintaining current contact information for all chapters. Please report officers even if there has not been an election or change of positions in your chapter. Please include addresses, phone numbers and email addresses if possible. News from the November 2007 Board Meeting Farm Show The archaeology exhibit at the Pennsylvania farm Show will showcase Petroglyphs. SPA President Paul Nevin will be manning the informational booth for much of the show. The show offers an educational opportunity to introduce the Society to the thousands of Farm Show visitors. Displays were provided from Ken Burkett from the Parker’s landing site and Paul Nevin’s work on the Safe Harbor Site. WQED in Pittsburgh also interviewed Ken and other members of North Fork Chapter #29 for an On Q program due to air on January 9, 2008. Both venues are great opportunities to publicize the work, study, and preservation being done on Pennsylvania’s Petroglyph sites and to promote the Society. SPA National Register Nomination Project The National Register of Historic Places is a federal listing of important historic and archaeological sites. In Pennsylvania, disproportionately too few archaeological sites have been nominated and listed on the National Register. It is important that more archaeological sites be recognized and nominated. The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA), with support from the Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation (BHP), has established a program to help facilitate National Register nominations of archaeological sites. Goals of the program are to provide technical assistance and financial support through a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission grant administered by the SPA. Currently, an SPA nomination for the 208 acre Shade Furnace Archaeological District, located in Somerset County, has been approved by the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation board for Criterion A: events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history, and Criterion B: have yielded or may be likely to yield information important to prehistory or history. The nomination has been forwarded to the National Park Service for final review and approval. The SPA is asking that its members and interested persons recommend archaeological sites that would make strong candidates for National Register nomination. Persons wishing to volunteer for nomination writing are welcome. Some financial support for nomination research and writing may be available for selected sites. If you are willing to help out or have sites to recommend, please contact Brian L. Fritz, email Brian@Quemahoning.com; phone 814-226-7519. New Newsletter Feature Allegheny Chapter No. 1, SPA
The Allegheny Chapter was the first organized chapter of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA). Founded in western Pennsylvania, the chapter has enjoyed a long and productive history. The Allegheny Chapter meets the first Tuesday of the month, February through November, at Carlow University in Oakland. Our annual Holiday Party is held at a prearranged location in December. Our meetings are free and open to the public. They include an archaeological presentation along with a short business meeting. Over the years chapter members have participated in a variety of public archaeology education programs and chapter excavations. The public archaeology programs have included an archaeology lecture series held at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and various hands on primitive technology programs held in different locations around southwestern Pennsylvania. Beginning in 1989, Allegheny Chapter members excavated for a number of years at the Wylie Site (36Wh273), a Monongahela village, in Washington County, PA. Currently, chapter members are excavating at the Hatfield Site (36Wh678) in Washington County, PA. This site is also a Monongahela village, and after the first season, several features and many artifacts were recovered. Typical artifacts include pottery, chipped-stone tools, debitage, bone refuse, groundstone tools, and bone artifacts, such as beads and pendants. Analysis of the cultural material and features from the site will be conducted this winter and spring. 
Allegheny Chapter Members and Volunteers Excavating
the Hatfield Site
Information on Allegheny Chapter #1 can be obtained on the SPA website at www.pennsylvaniaarchaeology.com or by contacting Jason Espino at jasonespino@hotmail.com or 412-585-0124 (Cell). Editors Note: Each newsletter will feature an article on our chapters beginning with Chapter #1. The purpose is to become acquainted or reacquainted with our membership. Chapter submissions are always welcome. Meetings and Announcements We have all heard the saying,” when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. With this in mind the theme of the Louisiana Archaeological Society’s 2008 Annual Meeting is “Disaster Archaeology” complete with a Hurricane Katrina Tour. The conference is scheduled for February 8-10, 2008 in Metairie, Louisiana. For more information go to: www.disasterarch.com or www.laarchaeology.org 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 Call for Papers
Eastern State Archaeological Federation The 75th Annual Meeting Hosted by the New York State Archaeological Association Nov. 6-9, 2008 Holiday Inn Lockport, New York 14094 ESAF Rate: $79.00 a night For Reservations, Please Call 1-716-434-6151 Special Events will include a Thursday Tour of Fort Niagara Meeting Contact Information Please send suggestions for individual papers and/or sessions to: Lisa Marie Anselmi – Program Chair E-mail: anselmlm@buffalostate.edu Phone: 1-716-878-6520 Department of Anthropology Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222 Book Room and Exhibits Chair Don Smith dsmith@panamconsultants.com 1-716-821-1650 Panamerican Consultants, Inc. 2390 Clinton St. Buffalo, NY 14227 For more information, go to: esaf-archaeology.org Arrangements Chair Bill Engelbrecht engelbwe@buffalostate.edu 1-716-884-6094 16 Atlantic Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222 The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology is a member of the Council of Affiliated Societies, Society for American Archaeology. A CoAS informational booth is present at each SAA Annual Meeting to promote state societies. Please visit www.saa.org if you will be attending the: SAA Society for American Archaeology 73rd Annual Meeting March 26-30,2008 Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA The Pennsylvania Petroglyph Program featured
at the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show
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