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77th Society for Pennsylvania Annual
Meeting
As was voted on by the SPA Board of Directors at last years annual meeting we are hosting a Student Poster Session this year. All student posters are on display in the bookroom. Please take some time to review the work of these student archaeologists and then complete the ballot enclosed in your registration packet. There is no PAC Symposium this year. All SPA sessions will be held in the Ballroom.
Friday, May 5, 2006
10:30 am - 12:00 pm PAC Board Meeting Ballroom 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm Bookroom/Poster Session Setup Rooms 101/102 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch 1:00 pm Meadowcroft Tour Meet in Lobby 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm PAC Business Meeting Ballroom 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm SPA Registration Lobby 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm Archaeology Month Committee Meeting 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm SPA Board Meeting Ballroom 7:00 pm - Midnight Hospitality Rooms 121/122 Saturday, May 6, 2006
8:00 am – 1:00 pm SPA Registration Lobby 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Bookroom Sales Room 101 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Student Poster Sesstion Room 102 8:00 am - 9:00 am SPA Business Meeting Ballroom 9:00 am - 9:05 am Welcome Peggy Sinclair, President, Allegheny Chapter MORNING SESSION
Moderator – 9:05 am – 9:25 am The Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project, by Kurt W. Carr, Douglas McLearen, James Herbstritt and Andrea Johnson, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Bureau for Historic Preservation 9:25 am - 9:45 am Henry Mercer and the Safe Harbor Petroglyphs by Paul Nevin, Conejohela Chapter 26 9:45 am - 10:05 am Recent Examples of Archaeological Data Syntheses from Pennsylvania Watershed, by Paul Funk and Steve McDougal, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 10:05 am - 10:25 am Deep Testing in Alluvial Contexts: Should we begin to formally name paleosols? by Frank J. Vento and Patty Stahlman, Clarion University of Pennsylvania 10:25 am - 10:45 am Break 10:45 am - 11:05 am A History of Research on the Panhandle Archaic Complex of the Upper Ohio River Valley by Kenneth W. Mohney, Monroe County Community College 11:05 am - 11:25 am Late Archaic Occupation at the Raker I Site (36NB58), Northumberland County, Pennsylvania: Implications for Settlement Models in the Central Susquehanna Drainage by Andrew Wyatt and Robert H. Eiswert 11:25 am - 11:45 am The Early and Early Middle Archaic Period Occupations at the Confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, Parkersburg, West Virginia by William C. Johnson, Ryan W. Robinson, Edward J. Siemon, Denise L. Grantz, and Jonathan Glenn, Michael Baker Jr., Inc. and J. Steven Kite, West Virginia University 11:45 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch AFTERNOON SESSION
Moderator – 1:00 pm - 1:20 pm Ten New Early Woodland Dates by Christine Davis, Christine Davis Consultants 1:20 pm - 1:40 pm The Early and Middle Woodland in the Upper Juniata River Drainage: Investigations at 36BL60 and 62 and Related Sites by Paul A. Raber, Heberling Associates, Inc. 1:40 pm - 2:00 pm Recent Results from The Central Allegheny Valley Late Prehistoric Project by Beverly Chiarulli and Sarah Neusius, Indiana University of Pennsylvania 2:00 pm- 2:20 pm Separation Anxiety? by Richard George 2:20 pm - 2:40 pm Break 2:40 pm - 3:00 pm Late Woodland Settlement Systems in the Northeast: Potemkin Villages in the New World by Roger Moeller, Archaeological Services 3:00 pm - 3:20 pm Radiocarbon and the Late Woodland Period: Science vs. Archaeological Interpretation by James T. Herbstritt, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 3:20 pm - 3:40 pm Small is Beautiful: Late Woodland Occupation at 36MG378, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania by Andrew Wyatt and Rich L. White 3:40 pm – 4:00 pm Geologic Occurrence and Origin of the Vera Cruz Jasper by Frank J. Vento, Clarion University of Pa. and J.T. Marine, KCI Technologies, Inc. Student Poster Session 8:00 am – 5:00 pm The Penn DOT Curation Project by Jessica Estep, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Archaeological Curation – Returning Artifacts to Landowners by Susan Lukowski, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Time Well Spent: Labeling Artifacts by Erica Ausel, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Being Negative and Colorful by Kathy Gompers, Indiana University of Pennsylvania From Dirt to Digital by Robert Davenport, Indiana University of Pennsylvania A Reanalysis of the IUP Boyer Collection by Anna Watson and Isaac McKeever, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Archaeological Investigations at Bushy Run Battlefield by Tom Held, Indiana University of Pennsylvania A Comparison of Electronic Resistivity, Magnetic Susceptibility, and Magnetometry in Locating Cultural Features in Late Prehistoric Sites in Pennsylvania by Andy Heller, Indiana University of Pennsylvania GIS Based Distance-Decay Modeling of Prehistoric Raw Lithic Source Utilization in Southwestern Pennsylvania by Brian L. Fritz, Clarion University of Pennsylvania Native American Pottery Reconstruction by Covell, A.L. Melavas, S.A., Schmidt, R.B., Showers, H.W., A.G.E.S. Department, Clarion University of Pennsylvania 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Primitive Games Outside on Lawn 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm Cash Bar Ballroom 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm Dinner Banquet and Awards Ballroom Opening an Ice Age Time Capsule: The Archaeology and Paleontology of Sheriden Cave by Brian G. Redmond, Ph.D.., Curator and Head of Archaeology and Museum Director of Science, Cleveland Museum of Natural History 9:00 pm - 10:00 pm Auction Ballroom 7:00 pm - Midnight Hospitality Suite Rooms 101/102 Sunday, May 7, 2006
MORNING SESSION
Moderator – 8:30 am - 8:35 am Opening Remarks 8:35 am - 8:55 am The Grey Culture’s New Clothing: A look at the Late Woodland from the Jones Site (36GR4), a multicomponent settlement along Ten-Mile Creek in Greene County, Pennsylvania by Ben Demcheck and John P. Nass, Jr., California University of Pennsylvania 8:55 am - 9:15 am The Susquehannock Origin Myth by Thomas C. East, Skelly and Loy, Inc. 9:15 am - 9:35 am Current Issues in Paleobotanical Research from Pennsylvania and Vicinity by Mark A. McConaughy, Bureau for Historic Preservation, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission 9:35 am - 9:55 am Buck Garden: Forty Years and Little Progress by Bob Maslowski, Marshall University Graduate College 9:55 am - 10:15 am Break 10:15 am - 10:35 am Archaeological Excavations of the Consol Site (36WM100) by the Westmoreland Archaeological Society Continue to Yield Iinformation About People Who Iinhabited the Late Prehistoric Monongahela Village: The 2005 Season Update by Mary Jane Shaw, Westmoreland Archaeological Society, Chapter 23 10:35 am - 10:55 am In the Autumn of My Life: The role of the Archaeology Field School in Unraveling the Late Prehistory of Mon Valley by John P. Nass, Jr., California University of Pennsylvania 10:55 am - 11:15 am The Kerr Site Burial Mound by Lynne Baer and Bill Black 11:15 am -11:35 am Archeology at The Moland House (36BU301) by David T. Shannon Jr., The Millbrook Society 11:35 am – 11:40 am Closing Remarks Peggy Sinclair, President, Allegheny Chapter Paper Abstracts Baer, Lynne and Bill Black The Kerr Site Burial Mound The Kerr Site (36VE4) is located on alluvial outwash terraces at the juncture of Sandy Creek and the Allegheny River in Venango County. The known habitation sites include approximately 3 acres. A County History review, deed search, and several controlled excavations indicate both pre-historic and historic habitations. Recovered artifacts include stemmed and side-notched points, scrapers, grit and shell tempered ceramics, stone tools, and post-molds, as well as items from historic times. During the summer of 1965, Richard Ziegler and Neal Densmore located and excavated an earthen and stone burial mound on the second terrace above the Allegheny River. From journal data, photographic records, and an artifact collection, evidence suggests similarities to other burial mounds in Western Pennsylvania. It is unknown whether this mound can be directly associated to the identified habitations. The significance of a burial/cremation on the Middle Allegheny watershed bridges a gap between similar burials in Pennsylvania counties to the north (Warren), west (Crawford), and south (Allegheny/Washington.). Carr, Kurt W., Douglas McLearen, James Herbstritt and Andrea Johnson The Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project The Commonwealth’s Archaeology Program (CAP) of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has carved three dugout canoes over the past decade. These have been done as public programs using historic and or prehistoric replicated tools. The resulting dugouts have been included in a variety of presentations. While the children are sitting in the canoe, we get to talk to the parents about archaeology and preserving archaeological resources. We have built a fourth dugout using tools only available to prehistoric people. As a model, we used the Mud Pond dugout which is prehistoric in age (AD 1250) and on exhibit at the Pennsylvania State Museum. This presentation will provide background on dugouts in Pennsylvania and it will describe the carving process, including an analysis of the wear patterns on the stone tools. Chiarulli, Beverly and Sarah Neusius Recent Results from The Central Allegheny Valley Late Prehistoric Project Since 2001, we have collaborated in a series of research projects on the Pre-Columbian Cultures of the Central Allegheny River Valley in Indiana, Armstrong, Westmoreland, and Cambria Counties. The goal of the project has been to date and define the prehistoric cultures found along the east-west flowing tributaries of the Allegheny – Crooked Creek, the Kiskementas River, and the Conemaugh River. Dozens of IUP students have assisted with the research analyzing ceramic and lithic artifacts, creating GPS and GIS maps of the site locations, conducting geophysical surveys, processing flotation samples to recover botanicals including corn, beans, and squash, and assisting in the testing and excavation of seven sites. To date, we have sent 12 samples for radiocarbon dating and have found that most of the occupations date to either the 10th or 13th centuries ACE, obtained two AMS dates on beans, and have made preliminary identifications of the characteristic ceramic types in the drainages. This paper provides an update on the project. Davis, Christine Ten New Early Woodland Dates Ten new radiocarbon dates from a specific Early Woodland feature type have been recorded in the Brush Creek and Ten Mile Creek watersheds. All ten features contained hundreds of tabular fire-cracked sandstones procured from nearby outcrops. The largest of the features measured 265 cm. in length and contained nearly a ton of sandstone but no diagnostic artifacts. No other feature types or postmold patterns were found on sites where these features have been identified. This paper will explore such questions as: Why are the large FCR features characteristically not associated with nuts, bone, seeds, or other remnants of the prehistoric cuisine? Why are only one or two features found on each site? What was it about the tabular sandstones that made it worth the trouble of procuring them? Demcheck, Ben and John P. Nass, Jr. The Grey Culture’s New Clothing: A look at the Late Woodland from the Jones Site (36GR4), a multicomponent settlement along Ten-Mile Creek in Greene County, Pennsylvania Although recent site excavations have started to flesh-out the Late Woodland in the Upper Ohio River Valley, in comparison to the Late Prehistoric Tradition populations known as Monongahela, it is still a shadowy entity veiled by the mists of time. The present paper hopes to begin the unveiling process by examining the Late Woodland ceramic assemblage recovered during ten field seasons of excavation at the Hughes H. Jones Site (36GR4). In addition to describing the ceramic assemblage, information about feature morphology, associated artifacts, ecofacts, and spatial patterning of features will be summarized. East, Thomas C. East The Susquehannock Origin Myth Recent excavations in Tioga County, Pennsylvania have uncovered two archaeological sites with longhouses, keyhole structures, and palisades from Late Woodland and potentially contact period occupations. Using archaeological data from these and other sites, plus documentary, linguistic, and cartographic evidence, the conventional theory that the Susquehannock abandoned their Upper North Branch Susquehanna River homeland to settle a single large town on the southern Susquehanna River is challenged, and multiple origins for the Susquehannock phenomenon are proposed. Funk, Paul and Steve McDougal Recent Examples of Archaeological Data Syntheses from Pennsylvania Watersheds Archaeological data syntheses from several Pennsylvania watersheds completed for compliance projects are presented and discussed. Watershed syntheses are presented as excellent resource management tools and as a vehicle for increased public involvement in local watershed organizations and regional planning. George, Richard Separation Anxiety? Separating Drew tradition ceramics from "down home" Monongahela Cordmarked shell tempered pottery should present no big problem. Compared to the latter, Drew tradition pottery is believed to represent a separate cultural entity in the Upper Ohio Valley. Such attributes as a high percentage of plane ware plus, unique to this area, decoration of vessel necks with parallel trailed elements as well as multiple motifs of lip appendages. Secondly, unlike the typical Monongehala bag-shaped forms, Drew vessels are more squat or bean-pot shaped. A third significant attribute related to vessel construction is discussed, as are the implications. Herbstritt, James T., Radiocarbon and the Late Woodland Period: Science vs. Archaeological Interpretation To be certain, radiocarbon dating (C14 dating) is a vital tool in unlocking the human time line of the last 50,000 years. The pioneering work of Dr. Willard Libby in the late 1940’s provided archaeologists with an analytic tool for isolating the age of carbon rich samples such as charcoal or wood, shell, bone and numerous other organic materials of prehistoric origin. Since Libby’s discovery radiocarbon dating has undergone a number of refinements allowing for greater precision in determining the age accuracy of these materials. Even in light of advancements in high precision decadal and bidecadal calibrations for radio carbon chronologies, the reality of the method’s uncertainty remains. In fact, a C14 date is really nothing more than a statistic that bears on a 1 sigma (68%) or 2 sigma (95%) range of probability. In a normal distribution the result is its assumed age in radiocarbon years before present ([RCYBP] based on the year 1950 AD). Either sigma range can be larger or smaller depending on where the RCYBP date intercepts the tree ring correction curve. This ultimately determines whether the expectation of the archaeologist’s belief that the date is deemed valid (the human response of flying high) or the laboratory’s occasionally shaded return, that in the opinion of the archaeologist, the date is deemed invalid (the human response of crashing and burning). In this paper I present a number of case examples where radiocarbon dated Late Woodland components (ca. 800 – 1550 AD) were used as guides to address context specific problems of site chronology and archaeological interpretation. In these cases the outcome was either judged by the archaeologist to be 1) good deductive reasoning in determining the age of something (i.e. the fly high concept) or 2) circular reasoning that served nothing more than to confuse the question of “how old is it”? (i.e. the crash and burn concept). The paper will also address some of the ways by which archaeologists have used data to interpret radiocarbon dates and to point out various pitfalls that stem from using such approaches. Johnson,William C., Ryan W. Robinson, J. Steven Kite, Edward J. Siemon, Denise L. Grantz, and Jonathan Glenn The Early and Early Middle Archaic Period Occupations at the Confluence of the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, Parkersburg, West Virginia Between June 2001 and November 2003, Michael Baker Jr., Inc., Cultural Resources Section conducted Phase I-III archaeological investigations at three sites in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area as part of the environmental studies for the Appalachian Corridor D Project for the West Virginia Division of Highways and the Federal Highways Administration. At two sites, deeply buried multiple Early Archaic and early Middle Archaic period components were documented and excavated. At the Godbey Field site (46Wd214) on the lower Little Kanawha River, two small Early Archaic Palmer Corner-Notched components and a 50 cm thick package of early Middle Archaic Stanly Stemmed and Kirk Serrated projectile points, tools and hearths were documented. At the West Blennerhassett site (46Wd83-A) located on the lower end of Blennerhassett Island in the Ohio River, two late Early Archaic period LeCroy Bifurcate projectile point components were excavated at ca. 4.8 m below the surface. A 1.5 m thick Middle Archaic horizon including over 100 cultural features was recorded and excavated between ca. 2.5 and 4.0 m below the surface. The densest concentration of hearths (n=38), and multiple Kirk Serrated projectile points and tools were associated with a weak 15-20 cm thick anthropogenic horizon soil at ca. 3.4 m below the surface. Maslowski, Bob, Buck Garden: Forty Years and Little Progress The Buck Garden Ceramic Series was defined by McMichael in 1965 on the basis of a sample of 556 sherds. His original definition is reviewed and discussed in terms of modern woodland chronologies. His original definition includes such diverse types a Page Cordmarked, Intrusive Mound, Parkline and the Seneca Rocks Series. While most archeologists admit that Buck Garden is now a general term for Late Woodland in West Virginia and has little interpretive value, its use still persists and its meaning continues to be expanded. Problems with Late Woodland chronologies are discussed and solutions to these problems are presented. The paper concludes with an accurate and usable definition of Buck Garden. McConaugy, Mark A., Current Issues in Paleobotanical Research from Pennsylvania and Vicinity This paper will examine the current paleobotanical data base from Pennsylvania and the West Virginia panhandle. It will investigate important trends in utilization of various wild and domesticated plant foods during the Woodland and Late Prehistoric Period. Deficiencies in the paleobotanical data base will be noted and recommendations for future studies will be made. Moeller, Roger Late Woodland Settlement Systems in the Northeast: Potemkin Villages in the New World While reviewing more than 400 pages of manuscripts by six different authors for several archaeological publications, I was suddenly struck by a series of contradictions. Although all the authors are well-trained, highly experienced, career archaeologists, I could not accept their depictions of Late Woodland settlement systems and lifeways. All of a sudden I realized that each one was repeating many of the basic assumptions of Indian life from this period, but when everything was considered in toto, I could not believe the picture that I saw. A single article provided an elegant statement of the tragic results of a valuable heuristic device being converted into an explanatory, evolutionary model and caused me to re-think completely the prehistoric cultures of the Northeast. Mohney, Kenneth W. A History of Research on the Panhandle Archaic Complex of the Upper Ohio River Valley Abstract: The Panhandle Archaic Complex (PAC) was first defined by William J. Mayer-Oakes in his book The Prehistory of the Upper Ohio River Valley in 1955. Mayer-Oakes referred to a distinct Archaic manifestation characterized by hilltop shell mounds overlooking the Ohio River Valley and large stemmed and lanceolate projectile points, pointed poll adzes, and other artifacts associated with these sites. In general, there has been a lack of research on the PAC phenomenon and associated sites since 1955; baseline data, for instance, data regarding the nature and geographic extent of the PAC is lacking. This paper will review the history of Panhandle Archaic research in the region and will provide a brief prospectus on future research possibilities. Nass, John P. Jr. In the Autumn of My Life: The role of the Archaeology Field School in Unraveling the Late Prehistory of Mon Valley For over 30 years California University of Pennsylvania has been a principal player in the study of Late Prehistoric populations in southwestern Pennsylvania. The present paper is a narrative of the university’s investigation of Monongahela settlements and outlines its contribution to our current understanding of the Late Prehistory of the lower upper Ohio River Basin. Nevin, Paul Henry Mercer and the Safe Harbor Petroglyphs Perhaps the most distinctive "artifacts" left to us by the lower Susquehanna River's prehistoric inhabitants are their petroglyphs. Numerous 19th century observers provided insight into the glyphs and have been cited repeatedly in subsequent literature. However, one observer is missing from the record. Henry Mercer, eccentric, archaeologist, collector of pre-industrial tools and implements, and founder of the Mercer Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, visited the petroglyphs at Safe Harbor, PA in the late spring of 1885, recording his observations in his travel journal. His resulting documentation is a unique, useful, and lasting record of these spectacular carved stone designs. Raber, Paul A. The Early and Middle Woodland in the Upper Juniata River Drainage: Investigations at 36BL60 and 62 and Related Sites Recent studies of several sites in the Upper Juniata drainage in Blair and Bedford counties (36BL58, 60, and 62; 36BD173 and 221) have revealed unexpected evidence for the settlement of the region in the Early and Middle Woodland periods. Current regional prehistoric summaries suggest a substantial decline in site numbers and regional populations during those periods. At all of these sites radiocarbon dates provided the primary or only evidence for Early/Middle Woodland period components. The results emphasize the importance of radiocarbon dating in accurately evaluating the size of regional Early/Middle Woodland populations and the scale and nature of settlement. Intensive excavation at 36BL60 and 62, overlooking the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River, provided an opportunity to examine Early and Middle Woodland period camps in some detail and examine patterns of tool stone procurement and band territories. Redmond, Brian G. Opening an Ice Age Time Capsule: The Archaeology and Paleontology of Sheriden Cave The opening of Sheriden Cave in 1990 brought to light a virtual time capsule of late Pleistocene life. Contained within this small cave, located in northwest Ohio, were the extremely well preserved remains of more than 60 species of animals which include extinct taxa such as flat-headed peccary, giant beaver, giant short-faced bear, and stag-moose. In contrast to this vast faunal assemblage are a preciously small number of artifacts which document an early Paleoindian occupation of the cave. Among these remains are a few stone tools and two rare carved bone projectile points. Archaeological investigations at the site since 1996, a comprehensive radiocarbon record, and recent studies of the bone and artifact collections provided some new insights into the lifeways of some of the earliest inhabitants of the lower Great Lakes region. Shannon, David T. Jr. Archeology at the Moland House (36BU301) The presentation will cover the challenges faced by Historic Archeologists in dealing with a historic site that has been in constant use for over 251 years; how the site has suffered from misuse and good intentions during the past 50 years forcing archeologists to do more salvage and recovery work than classic archeology; and a discussion of the layering of people who used the Moland House and their relationship with artifacts found. Shaw, Mary Jane Archaeological Excavations of the Consol Site (36WM100) by the Westmoreland Archaeological Society continue to yield information about people who inhabited the Late Prehistoric Monongahela village. This paper presents the 2005 season update. The Consol Site (36WM100) sits on a high hilltop saddle in Westmoreland County and is located 1 kilometer east of the Youghiogheny River. Adjacent are two springs, one 50 meters to the north, and one 230 meters to the south of the Site. Multiple stockade lines have been exposed, but stockade trenches are not in evidence. At the end of the 2005 season, 180 degrees of the stockade had been revealed, and efforts continue to trace its route around the village. Semi-sub-terrainian, post lined features appear on the Site, appended to house patterns; but a number of the house patterns do not exhibit any appendages. Keyhole shaped features with entranceways have been excavated. The past season has yielded a greater quantity of incised/punctuated pottery than all the other seasons of excavation, as well as an interesting platform pipe made of pottery. Additionally, several features excavated during the 2005 season suggest an earlier occupation of the site. Vento, Frank J. and J.T. Marine Geologic Occurrence and Origin of the Vera Cruz Jasper This paper will examine the geological occurrence and origin of the Vera Cruz Jasper at the Kings Quarry site. Field Investigations conducted by KCI Technologies for the State Bureau for Historic Preservation entailed the excavation of more than a dozen deep backhoe trench soundings. Oriented soil samples were collected from select trench profiles for geochemical and thin section analysis. The results of these studies have provided, we believe, new information on the diagenetic formation of the jasper. Vento, Frank J. and Patty Stahlman Deep Testing in Alluvial Contexts: Should we begin to formally name paleosols? Over the last ten years deep testing in alluvial contexts has generated important data on paleoenviromental change, drainage basin evolution/terrace formation, and genetic stratigraphy and archaeological site location. More and more researches are employing the concept of litho and pedostratigraphy in mapping archaeological sites. Palesols frequently exhibit a distinct patterning of occurrence both within and between drainage basins and hence can be used as chronostratigraphic units. Given the above, should the archaeological community begin to formally name these paleosols? Other States, Texas and Illionis for example, commonly assign names to Holocene age soils which follow the North American Stratigraphic Code. Wyatt, Andrew and Rich L. White Small is Beautiful: Late Woodland Occupation at 36MG378, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania A plowed multi-component site (36MG378) was the subject of recent data recovery excavations by McCormick Taylor, Inc. for PENNDOT District 6-0 and FHWA. Located in the Piedmont of Montgomery County adjacent to a small tributary of Skippack Creek, this site hosted a small number of brief encampments from Late Archaic through Late Woodland sub-periods. The most intensive use of the site, however, appears to date to the Late Woodland based on the relative frequencies of diagnostic projectile points. One of three cultural features at the site yielded radiocarbon assays calibrated between ca. 1310 and 1450 B.P. Despite its small size and paucity of cultural features, 36MG378 offers significant insights on Late Woodland site patterning, raw material utilization, and function. Preliminary excavation and analytical results are presented together with a summary of avocational and CRM-driven surveys in the Perkiomen watershed. Wyatt, Andrew and Robert H. Eiswert Late Archaic Occupation at the Raker I Site (36NB58), Northumberland County, Pennsylvania: Implications for Settlement Models in the Central Susquehanna Drainage The Raker I site (36NB58) was the subject of data recovery excavations by McCormick Taylor, Inc. for PENNDOT District 3-0 and FHWA. The site is located in the Ridge and Valley physiographic province, occupying a small terrace of the Susquehanna River approximately one mile below the City of Sunbury. The majority of artifacts and features recovered from intact, sub-plowzone contexts at the site are associated with early Late Archaic occupations based on six radiocarbon assays ranging between ca. 5100 and 4700 B.P. Perhaps the most salient result of the data recovery lies in the identification and analysis of five deep, cylindrical pit features of early Late Archaic age. Their resemblance to large Late Woodland pits suggests higher levels of sedentism than are currently envisioned for the time frame and supports current reconstructions of logistical mobility among Late Archaic period Native Americans. Poster Abstracts
Ausel, Erica Time Well Spent: Labeling Artifacts I am planning on presenting a poster at the SSHE conference on the topic of curation. More importantly, I plan to discuss the labeling and cataloging of artifacts. Labeling is a huge part of archaeology and every archaeologist should know how to do it. Overall the process is pretty simple, there are however many guideline and directions on how to properly label artifacts. I will plan to illustrate the process as well as the tools that are required for labeling. Covell, A.L., S.A. Melavas, R.B. Schmidt and H.W. Showers Native American Pottery Reconstruction The inspiration for this project came from the work we have been doing in the Anthropology lab. In 2004, student and faculty archeological excavators uncovered many artifacts dating back 1000 years. Among these artifacts was a significant find: nearly a quarter of a broken pot. From the pottery shards we could discriminate surface texture patterns, temper, and even the basic manufacture process that the pot went through. Since all of the factors involved in the process were recognizable in the pieces that we have, we decided that we could recreate the pot the way we know the Native American’s did those 1000 years ago. To accomplish the goal of recreating the vessel, we varied each factor by using items available today. We acquired some of these from stores, but most came from the original site, including the clay itself. Davenport, Robert From Dirt to Digital This poster describes the process of converting field drawings into digital maps using Quick Cad and Arch GIS. It will include a description of an archaeological excavation at Engine House 9 in the Allegheny Portage National Historic site conducted by IUP Archaeological Services during the summer of 2005. The result of my digital mapping project is a map of the excavations and uncovered features geo-referenced to the USGS topographic quad and historic base maps. Estep, Jessica The Penn DOT Curation Project The poster I will be doing will be an exploration of the Penn DOT Curation Project explaining what its purpose is and how that purpose is met. I will outline the curation guidelines that are followed in order to properly curate a collection and go through each step needed to prepare a collection for submission to the museum. This will include a summary of what the Penn DOT Curation Project is and a summary of the curation guidelines which are used in order to properly curate a collection. Fritz, Brian L. GIS Based Distance-Decay Modeling of Prehistoric Raw Lithic Source Utilization in Southwestern Pennsylvania Chert is found naturally in Pennsylvania, but it is not a ubiquitous rock type. It occurs only in certain bedrock formations which have limited geographic exposure on the Earth's surface. In many cases it is possible to identify the raw lithic type and natural geologic source used to make prehistoric stone tools. Analysis of the spatial relationships between likely quarry sources and archaeological sites may reveal meaningful information about prehistoric settlement patterns, cultural territories, annual migrations, and trade patterns. This poster will illustrate geographic information system (GIS) based methods that integrate archaeological, topographical, and geological data within distance-decay models of raw lithic type distribution. The test case examines the archaeological distribution of Shriver and Loyalhanna Chert across portions of Bedford, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties of Pennsylvania. Gompers, Kathy Being Negative and Colorful My poster will describe into the process of cataloging photographs during archaeological collection curation. The project which I will be using as an example is 422 Indiana Bypass. My poster will present the step-by-step process showing how I organized, compared, cross-analyzed, and entered data on the Indiana Bypass photographic catalogs. Held, Tom Archaeological Investigations at Bushy Run Battlefield This poster is going to be a display of the archaeological investigations at Bushy Run Battlefield during a 6 week period in the summer of 2005. This investigation involved shovel test pits and test units in sections of the park believed to be a burial site of over 50 Scottish Highlanders and Royal Americans killed during the battle, and the assumed location of Forbes road. Our goal was to find these locations. Heller, Andy A Comparison of Electronic Resistivity, Magnetic Susceptibility, and Magnetometry in Locating Cultural Features in Late Prehistoric Sites in Pennsylvania The use of geophysical sensing technology has the potential to reduce the archaeological effort needed to investigate a site through the systematic excavation of shovel test pits. This presentation will explore the reliability and efficiency of electronic resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetometry for the location of cultural features associated with Late Woodland sites in Pennsylvania through a comparison of the three methods in addition to the systematic excavation of shovel test pits to ground truth the results. Lukowski. Susan Archaeological Curation – Returning Atifacts to Landowners I plan on doing my poster on the steps involved in returning archaeological artifacts to the original landowners. It is not always necessary to complete this step during curation, but is sometimes requested by the land owner. There are guidelines one must follow to make sure the right information is recorded before sending the items back. I plan on illustrating these on my poster along with giving examples. Watson, Anna and Isaac McKeever A Reanalysis of the IUP Boyer Collection In this poster we will show the results of the reanalysis of the IUP Boyer collection. The Boyer collection represents surface collections from several prehistoric sites in Indiana and Armstrong counties. In the course of the project the lithics and ceramics were reexamined with the ultimate goal of creating updated Pennsylvania Site Survey forms for the sites concerned. Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology Officers President Amanda Valko 1st Vice President Paul Nevin 2nd Vice President Andy Myers Treasurer Paul Cowin Secretary Judy Durista Director Melissa Diamanti (2009) Director Director Director Director Allegheny Chapter Officers President Peggy Sinclair Vice President Linda Meadowcroft Treasurer Ken Fischer Secretary Amanda Valko Director Bill Tippins Director Nina Larsen Director Robert Oshnock Planning Committee Chair Amanda Valko Local Arrangements Peggy Sinclair Program Bill Tippins Bookroom Ken Fischer Hospitality Nina Larsen Primitive Games Amanda Valko Karen Hill Karen Fennell Denise Garrott Don McGurk The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology 77th Annual Meeting May 5-7, 2006 Washington, PA |