News

Here is a riddle, what technology is used by an archaeologist working on a 19^th century farmstead, an archaeologist recording a wreck in the Mediterranean, and an archaeologist explaining a site to a group of fourth graders? The Answer – Photography. This week the SHA Technology Committee is excited to present the fourth installment of Tech Week on the SHA blog. This tech week focuses on the many uses of photography in archaeology. All three bloggers discuss how they use photography to not only record the past, but how they use it to better understand it too.

The week begins with a post by Drew Fulton. Drew’s work as a conservation photographer and filmmaker took him to the Kızılburun wreck in the Aegean Sea. The logistics of photographing a wreck 150 feet below the surface of the ocean can be staggering, but Drew was able to capture the wreck in breathtaking 360 degree interactive panoramic images.

Following Drew’s post, Karen Price discusses the use of photography in preservation at Mount Vernon. Karen provides tips and tricks for both the amateur artifact photographer and the professional archaeologist, while making a call for all archaeologists to reconsider their approach to field and lab photography. She also provides some stunning examples of her work.

The final blogger for Tech week is Carrie Fulton. Carrie discusses her work on the ship that was discovered at the World Trade Center site in New York City. Typically, archaeologist painstakingly record each timber of a ship, but because of the nature of the site and the heavy push for construction, Carrie and the team of archaeologists working at the site, didn’t have time to record the ship in such detail. Utilizing a wide range of technology they created a detailed digital record that allowed them to create a 3d model of the ship that recorded the exact spatial layout of each timber.

Check out the #TechWeek Posts:

Going Interactive Underwater by Drew Fulton
Preservation Photography: Roles and Rules by Karen Price
Photographs into Models: Documenting the World Trade Center Ship by Carrie Fulton

By Drew Fulton

When you first tell people that you are going to spend a couple weeks during the summer diving on a 2,000 year old shipwreck in 150 feet of water in the Aegean Sea, people start asking a lot of questions. It is such a unique experience and the logistics of excavating underwater are so specialized that I wanted to take the opportunity share that experience with others.

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Dock_02/Dock_02.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

Now, let me put this out there before we get started. I am not an archaeologist or researcher. I am married to one. I work as a conservation photographer and filmmaker, but on occasion I get to tag along on my wife’s projects to help with the media side of things. That is how I ended up diving on the Kızılburun shipwreck about five years ago. As a photographer, I was using 360° interactive panoramic images to transport viewers to hard to access places. Most notably, I had been using this technology to immerse students in the forest canopy in the cloud forests of Costa Rica. So why not try to use the same technology to transport viewers to the sea floor to experience the excavation of the Kızılburun wreck?

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Morning_Meeting/Morning_Meeting.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

The Kızılburun wreck was a first-century BCE marble carrier that was probably headed to the temple at Claros, transporting a monumental marble column and several other unfinished pieces of marble. This column was nearly 2 meters in diameter and was broken up into 8 separate drums that were almost 1.5 meter tall each and a capital. Each of these marble drums weighed in excess of 8 tons. When the marble had reached Claros, the column would have been assembled by stacking all of the drums on top of each other with the capital on top, and then the flutes would have been cut into the column once it was assembled.

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Conservation/Conservation.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

By the time I came to the project, in the third and final major season of excavation, the drums had been moved from their location in the wreck and placed on a flat piece of bottom about 25 meters from the site. This gave researches access to the fragile remains of the wooden hull and other small artifacts. Throughout the field season, the archaeologists carefully removed the sand, exposing nails and wood that were evidence for the hull.

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Millawanda_Stern_PM/Millawanda_Stern_PM.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

Prior to the field season I spent a lot of time researching the technical aspects of 360° panorama. At the time, the most common use for this technology was in the real estate business to showcase homes that were for sale. My previous project, Canopy in the Clouds, took this idea and used it to virtually immerse students in the canopy of Costa Rica’s clouds forests. So while I had created these images while hanging on a rope 100 feet high in a tree, capturing these images underwater was totally new for me. After some research I found there were very few underwater examples available and none that were captured at high resolutions. For the work I had done in the cloud forests, I had utilized a specialized tripod head that helped me to position the camera correctly with a very high precision, something necessary for stitching together the high resolution images. However, since it was an expensive piece of equipment, I had no interest in submerging it in the salt water of the Aegean. This meant I had to basically fabricate my own.

To create these panoramic images doesn’t require a specialized camera or lens, it just requires taking a bunch of images and stitching them together after the fact. I utilize a fisheye lens and take about 6-8 images while rotating the camera horizontally to capture the entire horizon and then take a few images to capture straight up and straight down. It sounds pretty easy but to make a seamless image, the camera has to rotate precisely—that’s where the specialized tripod head comes in to play. Since I didn’t have access to the underwater housing until I was on site and the site was very remote, I had to basically show up with a diverse range of options to fabricate a head on site. It took about three dives of testing and some help from the ship’s captain and his welder, but we fabricated something that resembled a tripod head and worked well enough to get the job done.

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Downslope_Working/Downslope_Working.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

Over the course of 2-3 dives over several days, I started photographing the site and the archaeologists at work. After my dives, I’d quickly download the images and start stitching them to be sure that everything had worked and I could move on to the next image. My goal was to shoot several panoramas to showcase the different areas of the site including the bow, stern, and drum garden. I also spent some time creating panoramas in camp to showcase the place and the work we were doing.

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Drum_Garden_03/Drum_Garden_03.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

Now, five years later, technology has come a long way and improved a lot. Today, you can purchase a simple 3D printed holder that will hold six GoPro cameras and not only create panoramas like this but do it in 360° video! This gives the viewer a chance to pan around as the camera moves through the environment!

[pano file=”http://www.drewfulton.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/panoramas/Empty_Site_01/Empty_Site_01.html” width=”95%” height=”400″]

Overall, I really enjoyed my time working on the Kızılburun wreck and the challenge of transporting viewers to this unique site. Not being an archaeologist myself, I really enjoyed having an opportunity to experience an excavation and see how things worked. It was my hope that these images will give other viewers the same sneak peak. How have you tried to show others a window into your own work? Do you feel like it has brought attention to you research and opened doors to talking about the work you do?

Acknowledgements: I’d like to thanks Dr. Deborah Carlson for including me on the excavation, Eric Kemp for the use of his camera and housing, Feyyaz Subay for his help welding the improvised tripod head, and my wife, Carrie Fulton, for letting me tag along on the excavation.

Check out the other #TechWeek Posts:

Tech Week: Photography in Archaeology by Jonathan Libbon
Preservation Photography: Roles and Rules by Karen Price
Photographs into Models: Documenting the World Trade Center Ship by Carrie Fulton

By Karen Price

There’s something about a photograph. Humans are visual and I think pictures can sometimes reach broader audiences than can words. 21^st century technology has only helped our addiction to the visual with the advent of digital technology and social media platforms. Digital cameras have now made the photographic process quicker. Yet, their user-friendly, high-quality format as well as their instantaneous outcome has, on the downside, introduced a cult of point-and-shoot photography.

This is where I was at until around three years ago when I came to Mount Vernon for an archaeology internship. After having a lecture on artifact photography and a project that involved a digital portfolio, I attempted through trial and error to become an artifact photographer for the Archaeological Collections Online project, a two-year endeavor to digitize important finds from the Washington households’ 18^thcentury midden. This necessitated taking the camera off automatic, learning about aperture, ISO, shutter speeds and white balance in order to get the best possible shot for the database.

I have now expanded my role from photography intern to Preservation Photographer. There are generally two types of photographs that I take both in the field and in the studio: record shots (figure 2) and creative or candid shots (figure 3). These are not mutually exclusive and all follow the same basic compositional guidelines. I always photograph in RAW format (as opposed to, say, JPG), constantly assess the light, and ask myself if the picture makes sense to the viewer.

At work my general tasks are to document our current excavations and pre/post/ongoing restoration projects around the Mount Vernon Estate. I also do a bit of landscape photography to aid in the preservation of Mount Vernon’s Viewshed looking east across the Potomac River and I’m starting to assist our Collections staff with in-house photography. My favorite, however, is artifact photography, which is where I feel most comfortable creatively. This not only involves standard record photographs, but dramatic detail shots (figure 4), 360 degree spinning GIFs, and thematic pictures (figure 5). I love how sometimes, with just the right lighting and depth of field, a picture can bring out qualities in an artifact that aren’t as visible with the naked eye (figure 6).

I’ve got a couple of projects (experiments) lined up for 2015 that will take me out of my comfort zone and hopefully enhance my photographic skills. For starters, a new photographic technique called Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) that synthesizes multiple photos of an object, each using a different angle of lighting, to bring out 3D details in a 2D format. I’m also going to try and create actual 3D files through digital images using Agisoft Photoscan.

My main goal in this job, however, is to create a standard protocol for field and artifact photography that anyone can follow. This ensures that archaeologists do not have to simply “point-and-shoot”, but can follow guidelines for setting up a shot. And really, taking a second to think about the composition of a shot will do wonders for the quality of our photographs. In the studio these include photographing in RAW format so that you can correctly adjust gray balance, orienting the object correctly (figure 7) and blocking reflective glare from ceramics. Forget RTI and 3D imaging- basic, high-quality archaeological photography can be done in-house, on a fairly low budget, and by non-photographers.

There are a few things you may want to invest in if you’d like to up your photographic game. I’m a big proponent of photographing in RAW format so you’ll need a digital camera capable of this, which will be your biggest investment. You’ll also need a computer software capable of opening RAW files (I use Adobe Photoshop but RawTherapee is a budget-friendly option). In the studio I recommend having an X-rite color checker (this will help correctly color balance your photo), two photographic strobe lights, a tripod, small scales, and a suitable background for your artifacts (black velvet works well with most objects). If I had to pick the bare necessities? The camera, the software, and a color checker.

I think that with the current technology we can, and should, expect a change in the discipline in regard to how it treats photographic documentation. I’m all for a great iPhone photo, but I’d love to see archaeologists taking the camera off automatic and experimenting with what today’s digital cameras can do. Our pictures may not speak a thousand words, maybe only a handful. But, if they open up dialog about archaeological research and material culture, or even just get the general public excited about our discipline, then I think they’re worth the effort.

I’d love to hear your tips, thoughts, or questions on archaeological photography!

You can see some of Karen’s preservation photographs on the Mount Vernon Midden database, the Digital Archive of Comparative Slavery, COVA’s Culture Embossed, on Facebook, and on the cover of American Archaeology, fall 2013, volume 17, number 3.

Check out the other #TechWeek Posts:

Tech Week: Photography in Archaeology by Jonathan Libbon
Going Interactive Underwater by Drew Fulton
Photographs into Models: Documenting the World Trade Center Ship by Carrie Fulton

By Carrie Fulton

If you attend any archaeology conference or glance through recent issues of journals, you will quickly see the extent to which photogrammetric documentation has become a part of an archaeologist’s toolkit. Take a few photos, import them to software, and hit go. Violà! You now have digital models of your site or object. Ok, so the steps are slightly more detailed, but with new technology, the interfaces and steps to producing accurate models are getting easier and less technical.

The benefits of digital recording are massive: increased speed of recording, preservation of three-dimensional information, geo-referenced data, digital preservation of contexts that are destroyed through the process of excavation, and easy dissemination of information. How can this technology be used effectively? And are there drawbacks? If so, how can they be mitigated?

Let’s look at the excavation and documentation of the remains of a late 18th-century ship discovered during the construction at the World Trade Center site in July 2010.

Since the ship was found in one section of an active construction site, we had to move quickly so the timbers could be removed and construction could continue. Approximately 32 feet of the ship’s stern (back end) remained. However, a modern retention wall bisected the ship and destroyed evidence for much of the forward half of the ship except for a very small section of the bow (forward end) of the ship that was uncovered in August 2011 when the other side of the wall was cleared.

To capture the relationship between timbers we used laser scanning, photographs, videography, and sketches. This enabled us to give each timber a unique identification so that upon disassembly we could keep track of each piece and reconstruct the in situ relationship. Once removed from the site, we had more time to analyze the timbers, but the next step in the preservation of the ship hadn’t been determined. We were faced with the question: How do we record each timber accurately and quickly? We settled on an approach that combined traditional methods for documenting timbers with recent advances in photogrammetry to create three-dimensional digital recordings of the timbers.

Traditionally, nautical archaeologists record the dimensions by tracing the timbers in 1:1 reproductions or making scaled drawings of each face (Figure 2). The advantage of this approach is the close examination and documentation of each face, noting patterns in fasteners, tool patterns, and any biological growth that might be indicative of post-depositional processes. However, this method is extremely time consuming, and there is the possibility for dimensions to be distorted in tracing (due to parallax) or in condensing information into a scaled drawing.

For the best use of resources and time, we made 1:1 tracings of the two sides of the frames where the ceiling planking and the outer planking were attached. This allowed us to record the arrangement in nail patterns, which is crucial to answering questions about whether the ship timbers had been repaired. To document the curves of the frames that are difficult to render in two dimensions, we used photogrammetry to generate three-dimensional models. For all other timbers of the ship, we also used photogrammetry rather than tracings.

Each timber still had its own data sheet with notations for tool marks, measurements, marine growth, and any other information that might aid in the reconstruction of the ship and its life history. However, the timber is now preserved in a digital record as a three-dimensional model. Creating a model involved a three-step procedure:

STEP 1: Photograph the timber. For the version of PhotoModeler Scanner in 2010, stereo pairs of photographs were taken from each side of the object, with the photographer maintaining a 45-degree angle between the object and the camera. To aid in linking the photographs together, computer generated and coded dots were placed around the timber. We used push-pins to mark nails and other features so that they could be easily spotted in photographs. This allowed us to maintain the high degree of detail afforded by the tracing method while decreasing recording time.

STEP 2: Generate 3D data. The photographs were then used to create a 3D model in PhotoModeler Scanner by first creating cloud data of the timber and then transforming the cloud data into a triangulated mesh. This mesh recorded the curves of the timbers and was exported into the NURBS modeling software Rhinoceros.

STEP 3: Render into a model. Using Rhinoceros, a 3D image was created and nails were added following the locations of preserved nails. From this model, individual drawings can be produced to link the timber to information from field notes and examination in the lab. Additionally, these individual pieces were combined digitally in Rhinoceros to reconstruct the ship, using the aid of data from the laser scan.

The emphasis for us was integrating three-dimensional recording techniques with traditional measuring and documentation techniques to quickly and accurately record the ship and enable analysis when access to the actual timbers may not be possible. On the one hand, it is easy to see the benefits: it’s a fast process in the field, it preserves and records curves very well, it facilitates collaboration and dissemination of information with digital files that can be easily shared. On the other hand, we tend not to think about the costs associated with it: digital cameras with high resolution files requiring terabytes of storage, the possibility of having corrupt hard drives, and long hours and tedious manual work to render the digital data into final forms. Most significantly, while advances in digital technology enable better documentation, will these advances make our early attempts obsolete? For example, the version of PhotoModeler Scanner that we used has already been updated, no longer requiring stereo-photographs. Using the photographs from the World Trade Center Ship, I am eager to try rendering models using newer versions of software to see what these changes might mean for our data. However, what would happen if I could no longer open the software used to access the data?

The power of photogrammetric techniques lies in their integration with traditional techniques, using them alongside measurements and drawings to record the archaeological data. While it’s a helpful tool, we still need to future-proof our data. From the 3D models, we can still produce standard drawings and take measurements. By supplementing recordings in the field and tape measurements, this redundancy can help catch errors in recording while producing a complete visual record of the object.

While moving forward with new technologies and digital recording procedures, are we at risk of advancing too quickly? Is there a risk that we will no longer have the computer programs or software to open these files and thus render our documentation obsolete? Or, is this a way of ‘future-proofing’ our data?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Archaeologists at AKRF, INC., Diane Dallal, Michael Pappalardo, Elizabeth Meade, and Molly McDonald, managed the excavation of the site for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). The principle investigation of the ship was led by Warren Riess (University of Maine) and Carrie Fulton (Cornell University). Drawings were made by Kathleen Galligan. Drew Fulton (Drew Fulton Photography) photographed onsite panoramas and the timbers for photogrammetry. Timbers were initially stored at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory and are now held in the Conservation Research Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The LMDC and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey provided funding for this project.

Check out the other #TechWeek Posts:

Tech Week: Photography in Archaeology by Jonathan Libbon
Going Interactive Underwater by Drew Fulton
Preservation Photography: Roles and Rules by Karen Price

A continuation of the events at the 2015 SHA conference in Seattle:

ROUNDTABLE LUNCHEONS

The roundtable luncheons are scheduled from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Sheraton Hotel on Thursday and Friday. A minimum of six participants per table applies to all roundtables. Maximum of 10 participants for each roundtable. All roundtable luncheons will cost $30.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

RL-1 Jobs in Nautical Archaeology

Leader: Paul Johnston (Smithsonian Institution)

What are the different job types and career tracks in nautical archaeology? This discussion will examine public archaeology (NOAA, National Park Service, MMS, Parks Canada, state programs, etc.), private-sector cultural resource management (contract archaeology, consulting), private foundations, academic positions and museum work (public and private), and treasure hunting. We’ll talk about the advantages and disadvantages of these various enterprises, as well as prospects in these fields.

RL-2 Public Archaeology in the Pacific Northwest

Leader: Doug Wilson (Northwest Cultural Resources Institute and Ft. Vancouver National Historic Site)

Participants will discuss public archaeology programs in the Pacific Northwest, including the use of field schools, public engagement events, and archaeology month programs. Participants will explore ways of engaging the public and descendant communities and means to evaluate programs for effectiveness.

RL-3 The Archaeology of World War II

Leaders: Stacey Camp (University of Idaho) and Jodi Barnes (University of Arkansas, Arkansas Archeological Survey)

This session will explore the historical archaeology of World War II. Potential discussion topics will include artifact identification, methodological challenges, useful theoretical models for interpreting World War II archaeological sites, and artifact patterning across different types of sites.

RL-4 Numismatic Archaeology  

Leader: James C. Bard (Cardno ENTRIX)

The intent of the luncheon is to bring together professionals interested in the recovery and interpretation of coins and tokens from archaeological sites. The roundtable hopes to promote greater understanding of the interpretive potential of coins and tokens, as there is more to these artifacts than simple description and dating. The luncheon is an opportunity to explore the many interpretive possibilities of coins and to connect with others who are working with this common, yet under analyzed, class of material culture.

Friday, January 9, 2015

RL-5 How to Get Published in Historical Archaeology

Leader: Meredith Morris-Babb (University Press of Florida)

This roundtable luncheon will offer some practical advice to prospective authors on navigating the publication process from submission to publication. The format is flexible and participants should feel free to come with questions or concerns. Possible topics can include the peer review process, publication ethics, marketing and social media, and the logistics of digital publishing.

RL-6 Exploring Chinese Healthcare Practices through an Archaeological Lens

Leader: Sarah Heffner (PAR Environmental Services)

Small, aqua Chinese medicine vials are ubiquitous on Asian American archaeological sites and are frequently viewed as the most representative type of material culture associated with Chinese medicinal practices. Interpretation of these vials in the archaeological literature is often limited, and they receive little mention other than as entries in an artifact catalog as “Chinese medicine bottle,” or “Chinese medicine vial.” In reality, Chinese medical practitioners utilized a wide range of medical devices and ingredients (plant, animal, mineral) for both internal and external applications. Only fairly recently have historical archaeologists begun to include discussions of other forms of material culture and faunal/floral remains that may.

RL-7 Tips for Finding a Job in Archaeology

Leader: William A. White, III (University of Arizona)

What do you need to do to land your dream job in archaeology? That is a question most archaeologists spend their entire careers answering. From the entry-level archaeological technician to the most venerated professor, we all need to learn how to find and successfully land a job in our chosen career field. In this luncheon, we will discuss the three most important things you need in order to land an archaeology job: deciphering job postings, writing a killer resume and cover letter, and building your professional network. Attendees should bring a copy of their resume and an example of a job posting for a position that they would like to have. Be prepared to build a strategy for career success.

RL-8 Historical Archaeology and CRM in the Pacific Northwest: Challenges and Opportunities

Leader: Lorelea Hudson (SWCA Environment Consultants) and Robert Weaver (Environmental History Co.)

Historical archaeologists working in the Pacific Northwest face challenges that are somewhat unique to the region. We have few people working in CRM who were directly trained in an academic historical program. In addition, politicians and bureaucrats focus almost exclusively on prehistory as archaeology. Even among practicing professionals, there is a bias against historical sites, in part due to the fact that our sites are “too recent”-mostly from the 1850s onward. Compliance review processes are inconsistent, and the laws are antiquated. The intent of this luncheon is to bring together professionals working in CRM from various parts of the country to discuss how we might begin to address some of these problems and work towards raising consciousness and improving standards for historic sites in the Northwest Plenary Session.

 

PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY SESSION

The Public Archaeology Session will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at the University of Washington, in conjunction with its annual Public Archaeology Day.

Archaeology Day is a family-friendly event featuring Northwest archaeologists, educational displays, and activities geared toward a general audience.  The Burke has produced this event annually for over 12 years and it regularly draws more than 600 visitors to the museum. SHA- registered guests are admitted free to the Burke Museum, with their conference credentials, anytime during the week of the conference. This event will open at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m.

Bus service will be provided between the Sheraton Seattle and the Burke Museum. A bus will depart the Seattle Sheraton on the hour between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for the Burke and will depart the Burke Museum on the half hour between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for return to the Sheraton.

The SHA 2015 Seattle preliminary program is available and online registration is now open until December 19, 2014!

Registration

                                  Until 12/1/14    After 12/1/14       
SHA Member:                    $180               $205
Non-Member:                     $280               $305
SHA Student Member:      $85                 $110
Student Non-Member:       $140               $165
Guest:                                $50                 $75

Online: www.sha.org
Until December 19, 2014: The link to the online registration system for the SHA 2015 Conference is posted the SHA website homepage. Instructions on how to register online are available on the website.

Fax: 866.285.3512
Please submit your completed registration form with your credit card payment information to SHA by December 19, 2014.

Mail
Please submit your completed registration form and payment information (check or credit card) by December 19, 2014 to:

Society for Historical Archaeology
13017 Wisteria Drive #395
Germantown, MD 20874 USA

Conference Facilities and Hotel Accommodations
Sheraton Seattle Hotel
1400 Sixth Avenue Seattle, WA 98101

Phone Reservations: 1-800-204-6100

Online Reservations to Receive Conference Hotel Room Rate: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=140 8270530&key=12D5B991

A limited number of rooms are available at the conference rate for single and double occupancy are $129 plus tax (15.6%) and a $2 per night tax assessment fee. Hotel amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center, bar and restaurants in the hotel, valet parking, and in-room hair dryer, safe, coffeemaker, and iron/ironing board. Note: the hotel has free wireless Internet in the hotel lobby or in-room Internet for a fee.

The “cutoff date” for reserving rooms in the SHA Room Block at the negotiated room rate is 5:00 p.m. PST on Thursday, December 4, 2014. Rooms are filling up fast, so if you wish to stay at the conference hotel at the conference rate, reserve your room soon!

Student Volunteer Positions are Available

Are you a student planning to attend the 2015 SHA conference in Seattle?

If so, you can receive free registration if you sign up to be a volunteer! For more information on volunteering and requirements for free registration, please visit the SHA annual meetings page and scroll down to SHA 2015 Volunteer Form.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the volunteer director at SHA2015Volunteer@gmail.com

The Conference: Workshops and Tours

The 2015 conference will have FOUR preconference workshops. All workshops will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

W-01: Excavating the Image: The MUA Photoshop Workshop
Host: T. Kurt Knoerl (The Museum of Underwater Archaeology)
This Photoshop workshop covers basic photo-processing techniques useful to historians and archaeologists. We will cover correcting basic problems in photos taken underwater and on land, restoring detail to historic images, and preparation of images for publications. We will also cover the recovery of data from microfilm images such as handwritten letters. No previous Photoshop experience is needed, but you must bring your own laptop with Photoshop already installed on it (version 7 or newer). While images used for the workshop are provided by me, feel free to bring an image you’re interested in working on. Warning … restoring historic images can be addictive!
Full-day workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Maximum enrollment: 25
Cost: $80 for members, $105 for nonmembers, $50 for student members, and $70 for student nonmembers

W-02: Archaeological Illustration
Host: Jack Scott
Want your pen-and-ink drawings to look like the good ones? Pen and ink is all basically a matter of skill and technique which can be easily taught, and the results can be done faster and cheaper, and are considerably more attractive, than the black-and-white illustrations done on computer. Workshop participants will learn about materials and techniques, page design and layout, maps, lettering, scientific illustration conventions, problems posed by different kinds of artifacts, working size, reproduction concerns, ethics, and dealing with authors and publishers. A reading list and pen and paper (tracing vellum) will be provided, but feel free to bring your own pens, tools, books, and, of course, questions. Be ready to work!
Full-day workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Maximum enrollment: 30
Cost: $85 for members, $110 for nonmembers, $50 for student members, and $70 for student nonmembers

W-03: Underwater Cultural Heritage Resources Awareness Workshop
Host(s): The Advisory Council for Underwater Archaeology
Cultural resource managers, land managers, and archaeologists are often tasked with managing, interpreting, and reviewing archaeological assessments for submerged cultural resources. This workshop is designed to introduce nonspecialists to issues specific to underwater archaeology. Participants will learn about different types of underwater cultural heritage (UCH) sites, and the techniques used in Phase I and II equivalent surveys. This workshop is not intended to teach participants how to do underwater archaeology, but will introduce different investigative techniques, international best practices, and existing legislation. The purpose of this workshop is to assist nonspecialists in recognizing the potential for UCH resources in their areas of impact, budgeting for UCH resource investigations, reviewing UCH resource assessments, developing interpretive strategies, and providing sufficient background information to assist in making informed decisions regarding UCH resources.
Full-day workshop: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Maximum enrollment: 25
Cost: $80 for members, $105 for nonmembers, $50 for student members, and $70 for student nonmembers

W-4: GMAC Anti-Racism Workshop
Hosts: Flordeliz T. Bugarin (Howard University), Michael S. Nassaney (Western Michigan University), and Dr. Emily Drew (Crossroads)
The Gender and Minority Affairs Committee, with the support of the SHA Board, has worked to identify racism in our organization and profession, develop strategies to transform our society, and strive towards a more diverse archaeological community. We recognize that a lack of diversity within our organization has negative outcomes on every member, and as such should be a central concern for all of us. In this effort and in collaboration with Crossroads, we have organized this workshop to show SHA members how to develop a systemic analysis of racism. The goal will be to assist us (both as individuals and as a society) in beginning and strengthening our institutional interventions against racism. During this workshop, trainers from Crossroads will expose SHA members to a common language and mode of analysis, which will in turn assist us in forming a transformation team to develop effective long- term strategies. Participants will learn how to develop and use a common language about racism, as well as a shared definition. We will discuss how to understand racism as a systemic issue in the United States and by extension throughout the world-and not only as an issue of individual attitudes and actions. We will also discuss the racialization of our discipline, both historically and in our contemporary practices of pedagogy and scholarship. A major goal of this workshop is to understand how racism and other policies act as barriers specifically to an all-inclusive SHA. This workshop will in turn explore approaches to dismantling racism that can provide the foundation for institutional interventions against systemic racism. Registration is free of charge, but space is limited, so please register in advance using the option provided on the conference registration form.
Afternoon Workshop: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Maximum enrollment: 40
Cost: Free of charge

Tours

This year’s Conference offers FIVE exciting tours. All tours will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

(T-1) Behind the Scenes Tour at the Burke Museum
Join the museum’s curators and explore the Burke Museum Archaeology Collections, which include more than one million objects from around the world and focus on cultural materials from the Pacific Rim. The Burke is best known for its collections of artifacts from the Lower Columbia River and the Puget Sound region of Washington State.

Three groups of 10 people each will receive a personal tour as follows:
• Group 1: Leave the Sheraton at 9:30 a.m., tour: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon; return to Sheraton at 12:30 p.m.
• Group 2: Leave the Sheraton at 10:30 a.m.; tour: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; return to Sheraton at 1:30 p.m.
• Group 3: Leave the Sheraton at 11:30 a.m.; tour 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m.; return to Sheraton at 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $30 per person (includes transportation and admission to the Burke)

(T-2) Washington State Wine and Beer Tour
Tour Washington State’s Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery and enjoy a sample of its award-winning wines. Then you’ll travel a short distance to the Redhook Brewery for a walk-through of the state-of-the-art brewery, information about Redhook history, an overview of the brewing process, a tasting of some of Redhook’s beers, and a souvenir glass! There will also be time for lunch at your own expense at the Brewery’s Forecaster Pub.

Tour start time: 10:00 a.m. The bus will depart from the Sheraton and will return at 4:00 p.m. In the event of extremely inclement weather, the tour will be canceled and your fee refunded. Dress appropriately!

Maximum number of participants: 50

Cost: $50 per person (includes transportation and tour/ tasting fees at Chateau Ste. Michelle and the Redhook Brewery)

(T-3) Seattle Underground
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour is a leisurely, guided, 75-minute, walking tour beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets. As you roam the subterranean passages that once were the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, your guides will regale you with the stories our pioneers didn’t want you to hear. It’s history with a twist! The tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House, a restored 1890s saloon. Following a short intro, you’ll walk through historic Pioneer Square to three different sections of Underground-about three blocks in all.

Tour start time: 2:00 p.m. The entrance to the Underground Tour is at 608 First Avenue in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, between Cherry Street and Yesler Way and approximately 1 mile (12 blocks) from the Sheraton Seattle. Transportation will NOT be provided with this tour.

Cost: $14 for adults (18-59 years old), $12 for students (with valid ID), $12 for seniors (60+). (These are discounted prices for the SHA tour.)

(T-4) Whidbey Island Tour
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve is an historic rural landscape that includes stunning panoramas, historical communities, Fort Casey and Fort Ebey State Parks, and lands farmed by the descendants of families who filed Donation Claims in the 1850s. The reserve is located north of Seattle on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound and is unique within the National Park Service because most of the land is privately owned. A partnership of the landowners-federal, state, town, and county-provide support to the current community in the preservation of their cultural and natural legacy. This historic rural landscape preserves direct connections to many layers of Pacific Northwest history-Coast Salish peoples, English explorers and traders, American farmers and sea captains, and Chinese farmers. Whidbey Island is the largest jewel in the Puget Sound’s island crown. You’ll travel to Whidbey via bus and ferry. Lunch will be on your own at one of the restaurants on the island.

Tour start time: 9 a.m. The tour bus will depart from the Sheraton and will return by 5:00 p.m. In the event of extremely inclement weather, the tour will be canceled and your fee refunded. Dress appropriately!

Maximum number of participants: 50

Cost: $50 per person

(T-5) Beaux Arts and Art Deco Seattle Walking Tour

During the first quarter of the 20th century, Seattle, “Gateway to the Orient,” could boast of international trade, up-to-date skyscrapers, a thriving entertainment district, and a planned commercial center that would be the envy of other cities. This tour shows off brick- and terra-cotta- clad skyscrapers, private clubs, financial and banking headquarters, and commercial buildings, which expressed the confidence and sophistication of Seattle’s builders. The tour will be led by Larry Kreisman, Honorary AIA Seattle, architectural historian, author, preservation consultant, and since 1997, Program Director for Historic Seattle. He is the author of several books on Seattle’s architecture and history.

Tour start time: 1:00 p.m. This tour will leave from the main entrance of the Sheraton Seattle. Tour will take two to three hours. In the event of extremely inclement weather, the tour will be canceled. Dress appropriately.

Maximum number of participants: 30

Cost: $15 per person

By: Jennifer McKinnon

East Carolina University and Ships of Exploration and Discovery Research

The words public service announcements (PSAs) and archaeology are rarely uttered together. In fact, a quick search finds very few examples of archaeology or cultural heritage PSAs. Yet PSAs can be an effective way of reaching out to a very large audience to promote protection and preservation of heritage. A recent project that explored community consensus building for the protection of WWII-related caves on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands utilized radio and television PSAs for the purpose of sharing a message of protection and preservation of caves with the local island community.

In recent years, with more visitors, more development and more spelunking and exploration, natural and human-made caves that hold remnants of both ancient Chamorro culture and WWII history are being more heavily impacted. This activity was brought to the attention of the local community and archaeologists when videos and photographs of cave exploration, artifacts and rock art began appearing on blogs, Flicker and YouTube. This concerned local community members and as a result, a project was created to assess community interest in protecting these resources. Funded by an American Battlefield Protection Program grant, the project consisted of community meetings, landowner consultation and interviews, archaeological survey of caves on private and public lands, development of radio and television PSAs and ultimately the creation of a preservation plan with input from the community.

Why PSAs? The idea of a public service announcement came to me while I was on the island for another project and got a catchy little jingle in my head – “Don’t give snakes a break.” I don’t know the first time I heard it on the radio, but it certainly impacted my subconscious because there I was singing it as I was driving down the road. Had I seen a snake, I probably wouldn’t have given it a “brake.” Brown Tree Snakes are an invasive snake that wiped out indigenous bird populations on Guam, and Saipan has worked hard to prevent and eradicate its presence. In fact, a PSA project raising awareness about brown tree snakes had remarkable results in eradicating them from the island. Bumper stickers, radio jingles, TV commercials, and special events were all part of the plan to raise awareness.

Sooo….when thinking of how we could get the message out to local landowners about how important the caves were to their history as well as that of the wider world, PSAs seemed the best option. Print options like brochures or mailings are limited in that they are generally viewed once and when they are distributed or out of print, they no longer exist. PSAs on the other hand can be aired and thus viewed over and over again, reinforcing the content’s message. When aired during peak time slots such as the evening news, they can become even more effective. For a Pacific island that relies on television primarily for its news, PSAs serve to reach the widest possible audience. In addition, radio PSAs can reinforce and even reach a younger generation of stakeholders.

The creation of PSAs were only one part of the larger cave heritage project but their development built upon all aspects. Landowners who came to the meetings to voice their opinions were invited to participate in the PSAs. They also opened their properties to the archaeological team who visited various caves to get a picture of what types of caves exist, what history they may hold and what is impacting them. Finally, many community members participated in interviews during which they related their and their family’s stories about caves use during WWII. Ultimately the message, “Our History, Our Stories” was chosen as the tagline for the PSAs to reflect the multiplicity of connections the community had to caves. Caves on the island of Saipan provided shelter to the ancient culture when they arrived thousands of years ago, they were the canvas on which the ancient peoples communicated  through rock art and served as their burial grounds. During the war, families used the caves for shelter from bombs and bullets and today they still serve special purposes such as places of commemoration and memorialization. As community member Fred Camacho relates, “This has become part of our family album, and we have the obligation to protect it.”

View all of the PSAs at Ships of Discovery’s YouTube Page.

by Kimberly Pyszka

Graduating and beginning your career as a professional historical archaeologist can be stressful – writing and defending your thesis or dissertation, applying for jobs, looking into student loan repayment options, and likely moving once you do find a job. Financially, this time of transition can be unstable and honestly, a bit scary. On top of everything else you realize that you no longer qualify for SHA’s discounted student membership rate. For many recent grads, including myself, the costs of renewing as a “Regular” member may seem daunting. You may even make you think twice about renewing your SHA membership at a time when membership benefits are the most valuable to you.

But don’t fear or throw out your membership renewal notice! Beginning in 2014 SHA began providing an alternative for recent grads, as well as others who are entering the profession for the first time, to help them bridge the financial gap between the Student member rate ($80 annually) and the Regular member rate ($135 annually).To quality for the “New Professional” member rate ($105 annually) you must have graduated and/or gained employment in historical archaeology within the past five years. New professionals can take advantage of this special rate for up to two years.

So if you’re a recent grad and/or joining the ranks of professional historical archaeologists, we encourage you to take advantage of this new membership category!

SHA 2015 Seattle is only a little more than three months away. While you’re writing your papers, designing your posters and making travel plans, we’ll be introducing you to Seattle past and present and giving you some tips on how to enjoy the city during your visit. Kicking things off are some neat images that bridge the divide between past and present, giving a glimpse at among other things, the dramatic landscape modifications the city saw early in the 20th century and the impact of local, national and world events on the city and it’s people.

http://www.quirksee.org/2014/09/18/cross-time-photos-show-snapshots-of-seattles-past-and-present-side-by-side/