News

Terry Majewski and I are facilitating what will undoubtedly be a thought-provoking, highly interactive, and potentially controversial panel discussion on the training of historical archaeologists. The session, entitled “Training Historical Archaeologists in the 21^st Century: Does Theory Matter Anymore?” will be held on Thursday, January 9, from 1:30 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. (Room 301A).  Panel members will include Mary Beaudry, Lu Ann De Cunzo, John Doershuk, Adrian Praetzellis, Timothy Scarlett, Teresa Singleton, and Mark Warner.  This session will include lots of time for questions and discussions among the panel members and session audience, so we hope many of you will be able to attend the session.

The panel discussion begins with the premise that historical archaeology still falls within two overarching theoretical camps:  (1) postmodern/post-processual archaeology and (2) processual archaeology. The former includes multiple approaches such as critical theory, Marxist theory, feminist or gendered archaeology, post-colonial archaeology, practice theory, etc. Processual archaeology is a continuation of the New Archaeology of the 1970s, which applies scientific methods to archaeological research.  Our panel of prominent historical archaeologists will evaluate the role and impact of these differing theoretical orientations in preparing students for careers in both academia and the world of cultural resource management (CRM)/heritage management. Our panel members, representing both academia and applied archaeology, including CRM, will be asked to consider whether or not these two differing theoretical orientations have equal applicability toward advancing a student’s career in academia vs. a career in CRM; and toward contributing to the questions that count in historical archaeology.

The panel will be asked to address the following questions:

Question 1: The majority of historical archaeology in the United States and Canada is conducted to fulfill the requirements of environmental and historic preservation laws. How can training in a postmodern approach to historical archaeology benefit a student seeking a career in CRM, when the work they will be doing:

• will be conducted in a business or government agency context,
• will involve the production of technical reports to be reviewed by government agencies,
• will be used to demonstrate legal compliance with historic preservation and environmental laws, and
• might also involve the implementation of public outreach and engagement programs, and consultation with descendent communities and other public stakeholders in the archaeological effort?

Question 2: The articles published in Historical Archaeology and recent volumes on the discipline of historical archaeology seem to suggest that postmodernism is the predominant theoretical orientation for historical archaeological endeavors in academic settings. This also seems to be the case in terms of the sessions and papers presented at SHA’s annual meetings over the last several years.  Do you believe that this is the case, and if so, what role, if any, does a processual approach to historical archaeology have in the training of university students for a career in academia?

Question 3: Do we have an ethical obligation to objectively present the realities of the job market to students pursuing a career in historical archaeology?  If we do, what are the most effective methods and approaches to present these realities to students?

Question 4: How can we ensure as a discipline that practitioners in all career tracks have the opportunity, grounding, and commitment to make a difference and contribute to answering the questions that count in historical archaeology?

Hope to see you at the session and we look forward to some lively discussions!

There is still time to enter!

The ACUA invites SHA members and conference attendees to participate in the 18th annual Archaeological Photo Festival Competition. You can submit entries by sending or by bringing them to the conference in Quebec. Entries must be mailed by December 15 to insure delivery. For all the details, download the 2014 Instructions & Application from the ACUA website (www.acuaonline.org) or the SHA conference website (www.sha2014.com/events.html).

Whether you plan to bring or courier your entry, please email the form to Charles at: Charles.Dagneau@pc.gc.ca or fax it to him at: 613-993-9796. All entries will be displayed during the SHA conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology and will be posted to the ACUA website. Selected entries will be included in the 2015 ACUA Photo Contest calendar. Just think, your photograph could be featured on the cover! You too can enjoy the adulation of your friends and colleagues, but only if you enter.

Some of our colleagues’ images are featured in the brand new 2014 Photo Contest Calendar! It has fantastic photos by: Drew Buchner, Brett Seymour, Thierry Boyer, Robert Church, Sue Reichert, Erica D’Elia and Dan Warren.

ACUA 2014 Calendar

The Fall 2013 SHA Newsletter is now on its way to members. Of particular note in the current issue is a story from Charles Hodges regarding a recent metal detecting event at the iconic site of Flowerdew Hundred, a site which is important not just for its archaeological record, but also for its important role in the development of North American historical archaeology. In March 2013, Flowerdew Hundred was the site of the “Grand National Relic Shootout”, a largescale metal detecting event undertaken without any archaeological involvement, and allegedly without the informed consent of the landowner. This cautionary tale will be of interest to any SHA member interested in the ongoing debate about the interaction between archaeologists and different metal detecting groups. The story is being presented to SHA members in coordination with the Council for Northeastern Historical Archaeology, and will also be printed in the Fall CNEHA Newsletter. Other highlights in the Fall issue include a story from Eleanor Breen and Esther White offering a case study of surveying archaeological repositories in Virginia, and the print version of the 2014 SHA conference preliminary program – here’s hoping we’ll see many of you in Quebec City this January!

You can also download the summer 2013 newsletter at sha.org, along with an archive of all our previous versions.

This year the SHA annual meeting has new exciting opportunities for students. For the first time, The SHA and its Student Subcommittee, aided by the Ethics Committee, are sponsoring their own Ethics Bowl. We warmly encourage all undergraduate and graduate students to participate in fun rounds of friendly competition. Students are welcome to form their own teams, composed of three or four students. Individual students are also encouraged to register and we will coordinate them into teams.

Teams will be given this year’s cases in advance so they can prepare their position. The issues posed range from underwater to terrestrial contexts and are based on current challenges students will face if they have not already. We recommend resources for preparing responses to the case and students will have access to “coaches” if they need some input.

The Bowl game mirrors real life – one always has to expect the unexpected. During play, game-changing cards will be introduced. These impact all players. The card contains new information about the case and provides complications all players will need to negotiate. So, quick thinking will be a plus! Regardless, the spontaneous nature of these curve balls will make for some additional fun.

Judges have been selected by the SHA Ethics Committee and represent senior member from terrestrial and underwater backgrounds. Winners will be selected according to the intelligibility, depth, focus and judgment of their analysis of the cases, the game changing cards and answer to the judges’ questions.

Join us for the founding of a new SHA tradition for SHA students. The forum is a fun way to participate in the annual conference, meet new people, prepare for real-world archaeology and participate in a little friendly competition. You may even expand your understanding of issues vital to your future success in the field.

The registration deadline has been extended to December 1st.

For additional information and to receive the registration form for this event, please email shaethicsbowl2014@gmail.com.

We look forward hearing you debate!

Cette année, le colloque annuel de la SHA propose aux étudiants de nouvelles opportunités très intéressantes. En effet, un Ethics Bowl, ou concours éthique, y fait son apparition pour la première fois sous l’égide du « Student Subcommitee » et du « Ethics Commitee » de la SHA. Nous invitons vivement tous les étudiants de premier cycle et des cycles supérieurs à participer à cette compétition amicale. Les étudiants peuvent former leur propre équipe, constituée de trois ou quatre étudiants. Les étudiants peuvent également s’inscrire à titre individuel et ils seront ensuite placés en équipes.

Les équipes recevront les mises en situation préalablement à la tenue de l’événement afin de préparer leur argumentaire. Les cas touchent des situations réalistes relevant autant de l’archéologie subaquatique que de l’archéologie terrestre. L’accès à des ressources et à des mentors sera offert aux équipes si elles en éprouvent le besoin.

Cette activité est qu’elle est à l’image de la réalité puisqu’elle ne permet pas de prévoir l’imprévisible. En effet, durant les échanges, des « game changing cards » seront introduites dans les discussions. Ces cartes contiennent de nouvelles informations à propos de la mise en situation de manière à ce que les participants reconsidèrent leur argumentaire. Conséquemment, les participants devront demeurer vifs d’esprit, ajoutant ainsi plus de défi!

Les juges ont été sélectionnés par le SHA Ethics Committee et sont des archéologues reconnus issus tant des milieux terrestres que subaquatiques. Les équipes seront notées en fonction de la clarté, de la profondeur, de la justesse et du bon jugement exprimé dans leur argumentaire. Par ailleurs, elle seront évaluées sur leur habileté à s’adapter aux nouveaux éléments apportés par les « game changing cards » et à répondre aux questions des juges.

Joignez-vous à nous pour ce qui se veut être une nouvelle tradition étudiante dans les colloques de la SHA! Ce forum est une opportunité amusante de participer au colloque annuel et de rencontrer des collègues issus de différents milieux tout en participant à une compétition amicale. Vous pourriez même améliorer votre compréhension de différents enjeux qui pourraient éventuellement avoir des échos dans votre carrière!

La date limite d’inscription est le 1 décembre.

Pour obtenir plus d’information ou pour demander le formulaire d’inscription, veuillez vous adresser au shaethicsbowl2014@gmail.com.

Au plaisir de vous voir prendre part au débat!

Since 1997 I have been a member of the Friends of the Office of State Archaeology (FOSA) in Connecticut. I actually found out about the group on a flyer posted in an elementary school where my mom worked. I was in high school at the time. I knew I would be an archaeologist since I was a kid, and through high school and college I was a member of my local archaeological groups, including FOSA.  Upon entering graduate school and having worked in cultural resource management for a few years I took to heart the growing movement of the need for more public involvement and outreach in archaeology. I dove head first into working with FOSA, and am currently the Vice President, Volunteer Coordinator, and I serve on the Newsletter and Archaeology Awareness Month Committees. I have found that a Friends group can be a great public benefit and can make substantive contributions to archaeological research.

The Connecticut Office of State Archaeology (OSA) has only one position, the State Archaeologist, who has no additional staff. In Connecticut the State Archaeologist is a position within the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History/Connecticut Archaeology Center at the University of Connecticut. State legislation in 1987 charged the State Archaeologist with identifying, managing, and preserving Connecticut’s archaeological resources. This is a position outside the state and federal compliance responsibilities of the State Historic Preservation Office. The State Archaeologist reviews municipal and privately funded development projects and makes recommendations that encourage the preservation of archaeological resources. The State Archaeologist is the public face of Connecticut archaeology. Talks are given throughout the state on a variety of topics to a diversity of audiences.

FOSA was established to support and assist the work of the Office of State Archaeology. Connecticut may be a small state, but it’s hard for the State Archaeologist to cover the entire state when there are projects going on and public outreach to do. The group was founded by individuals who had championed the establishment of the OSA, and who realized the OSA would still benefit from their support.

When preservation of an archaeological site is not an option in the face of development the State Archaeologist must rely on volunteer labor to complete archaeological investigations on private and town lands (with permission from the land owners). FOSA has a committee of experienced volunteers, some of them professional archaeologists by trade or training, who organize the dig, set up the grid, and maintain the site paperwork. The Volunteer Coordinator sends excavation announcements to the dig volunteers who then work on the site as available. There are several digs a year, and this season there has been at least one day of fieldwork per week.

Nick Bellantoni and FOSA Volunteers at the Strong-Howard House excavation in Windsor, 2013
Photo by FOSA

When a site excavation is complete artifacts and paperwork are returned to the OSA Lab where volunteers spend the fall through spring washing, identifying, and cataloging artifacts. This past year the lab was often at capacity, and a great deal of work was completed.

FOSA not only assists the State Archaeologist with excavation and laboratory work, but also has a very active Outreach Committee that attends fairs, festivals, farmers markets, and talks. Displays on the latest OSA work share new information about local archaeology and history with the public. Artifacts are displayed for the public to handle. Knowledgeable volunteers are on-hand to answer questions and tell people where to find more information and even how to join in the fun! FOSA has sponsored and co-sponsored public events, the largest of which is the Archaeology Fair in October (CT Archaeology Awareness Month). FOSA has an Annual Meeting that is consistently well attended by the public and has brought speakers such as James Adovasio, Douglas Owsley, and Stephen Houston to Connecticut.

FOSA Outreach Booth at the Westbrook Historical Society, 2013
Photo by Westbrook Historical Society

Currently FOSA has over 200 members who pay annual dues to support the OSA and FOSA. FOSA has most recently donated funds to the University of Connecticut for the hire of a temporary assistant for the State Archaeologist to manage and organize the state’s archaeological site files with the goal of digitizing them and making them more accessible to researchers and professionals. FOSA also pays for the State Archaeologist’s mobile phone, as work often takes place outside the office.

FOSA provides opportunities for the public to be involved in archaeology in many different capacities even if they’re unable to dig themselves. Volunteers maintain the OSA library, and FOSA has a semiannual newsletter with member contributed articles which is edited by a Newsletter Committee. FOSA has volunteers who maintain our group’s general housekeeping like membership, nominations, and the website. Members can choose their level of activity in the group, and in the last two years we have noticed a great increase in our volunteer hours. FOSA volunteers are recognized for their hard work and have been requested on excavations for other organizations including the Joshua’s Trust, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, and Wesleyan University.
FOSA provides not only the support for the work of the State Archaeologist and a way to raise awareness of archaeology, but it also provides its members with a community for like-minded people. The social benefits of working together for a cause are immeasurable, and personally I have built strong friendships with many fellow volunteers. FOSA also provides a forum for professionals, students, retirees, and other members of the public to share their passion for archaeology.

FOSA Volunteers at the Connecticut Gravestone Network Symposium, 2013
Photo by Bonnie Beatrice

It has been my experience that with a group of devoted and enthusiastic people we can raise awareness of archaeology to more people with a stronger voice. The public is looking for ways to be involved in archaeology. What I would like you all to consider is how can you organize interested members in the public to support an archaeology cause? Could a Friends group help you preserve, protect, or explore an archaeological resource that’s important to you and your community?

As many of you know, last week the SHA responded to Eric Cantor and Lamar Smith’s USA Today letter advocating NSF funding regulations.  There was a rush of tweets on the issue, many tagged #WhyArchMatters; SHA’s social media sounded our collective anxieties; and a host of bloggers including the SHA Blog, AAA Archaeology Division President Rosemary Joyce, and the Society for American Archaeology echoed many of our collective concerns about the ways archaeology is being characterized in these public discussions.

The issue of NSF funding is certain to re-emerge with the end of the government shutdown, and it raises bigger questions about how we articulate the value of historical archaeology beyond our scholarly circles.  The SHA needs your help on both counts documenting the value of NSF-funded historical archaeology research.  We want to underscore specific social and economic values of historical archaeology that need to be articulated to members of Congress and the general public.

Today a form is posted on the SHA Blog that asks you to provide us some specific examples of the value of NSF-funded historical archaeological research. The form asks for

1. a description of your project;
2. a description of the specific thing your project taught us about the past; and
3. how your project directly benefited your career, your institution, and most importantly, the community or communities associated with your project – socially and economically.

Instead of providing talking points to legislators and people who are interested in archaeology, we would prefer to provide them concrete examples of the benefits of what historical archaeologists do, especially with the taxpayers’ money.  If we do not make stronger cases for all the ways historical archaeology shapes communities financially and socially we risk having others misrepresent the discipline.

We will have a Saturday lunchtime session at the January SHA Conference that will identify an action plan for engaging the US Congress and the public on why archaeology matters and the importance of NSF and other federal funding.  I will report back on that on the SHA Blog in the next couple of weeks, but I certainly hope all of you who can make it to the meeting will join us.

These are simply first steps toward effectively sharing our scholarship beyond historical archaeology circles.  Some of this communication needs to be with legislators and their staffs, many of whom have never met a historical archaeologist and simply need to know what we do.  Some of this discussion also needs to be for our public constituents who support heritage preservation and are interested in sharing the research their taxes made possible.  The SHA has been firmly committed to public archaeology for much of the past half-century, so we have laid a solid foundation.

This year’s conference has a large slate of workshops; something to answer any interest. In preparation for the conference, and to inspire your interest in coming and participating, the Academic and Professional Training Committee offers three posts introducing these workshops. This is the second of those three postings.

We hope you find something here that piques your interest, and we hope to see you in Quebec City!

Workshop 9: An Introduction to Cultural Property Protection of Historical and Post-Medieval Archaeological Sites during Military Operations
Hosted by Christopher McDaid and Duane Quates
Sites of interest to SHA members, which frequently deal with the expansion of global capitalism, the expansion of the European powers, or the forced relocation of people, are not the kinds of sites that routinely appear on the World Heritage list, and often do not receive official heritage recognition. This workshop introduces the international framework for cultural property protection during military operations, and the ways in which recent sites challenge the system. Attendees will receive an overview of militaries’ heritage management programs, the international framework for cultural property protection, how scholars can communicate information to military planners effectively, and gives reviews of several case studies involving military operations and cultural property protection.

Workshop 10: Oral History
Hosted by Edward Gonzalez-Tennant
The recording of personal histories is increasingly viewed by researchers and members of the public as a vital source of information regarding the past. Everyone has a story to tell and oral history recognizes the importance of personal experiences in understanding our shared past. Historical archaeology has a long history of valuing personal testimony. Oral histories strengthen archaeological interpretations by speaking directly to issues of memory, identity, and sharing power. This workshop will introduce participants to standard methods of oral history. The workshop will begin with a discussion of interviewing techniques. We will provide pointers for collecting personal stories, and discuss the use of digital recorders in oral history. Then, an overview of the transcription process is briefly presented. The final hour will be reserved for the collection of oral history interviews.

Workshop 11: Documentary Filmmaking for Archaeologists
Hosted by Joseph W. Zarzynski and Peter J. Pepe
The documentary is an unequalled storytelling vehicle.  Advances in digital media and documentary filmmaking make it possible for archaeologists to collaborate with video production companies to create quality documentaries on a micro-budget. The workshop, taught by award-winning documentarians, will guide participants through the documentary filmmaking process. Learn about research, scriptwriting, pitching a proposal, funding, interview techniques, acquiring and storing images, animation, legal issues, video technology, editing, selecting music, film festivals, markets, distribution, and promotion. Whether your goal is to create a television feature, a DVD or VOD to sell, a video for museum exhibit, or just for Internet viewing, an understanding of “doc” filmmaking is required.

Workshop 12: Archaeological Illustration
Hosted by 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, 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!

If you have an idea for a workshop to be held at a later conference, or if you would like to organize one yourself, please contact Carl Drexler at cdrexler@uark.edu.

Many of you know that Representatives Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) and Lamar Smith (R-Texas) last week published a piece in USA Today advocating tighter controls of National Science Foundation funding.  Their piece seized on several archaeological research projects as symptomatic examples of ill-conceived scientific research priorities.  Representatives Cantor and Smith did not single out historical archaeology, but their aim is squarely on social sciences, and many historical archaeologists have been fortunate to receive NSF support.  NSF funding has significantly impacted the discipline, transformed many scholars’ careers, and supported many archaeological projects benefitting communities throughout the country.

Today the SHA has written Cantor and Smith responding to their piece in USA Today.  Cantor and Smith’s piece is perhaps a rhetorical assault on social sciences, but some legislators are intent on radically changing the NSF in particular, if not all federal funding of the sciences.  The potential for such changes at the highest levels of federal funding could have dramatic effects on historical archaeology.

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This year’s conference has a large slate of workshops; something to answer any interest. In preparation for the conference, and to inspire your interest in coming and participating, the Academic and Professional Training Committee offers three posts introducing these workshops. This is the second of those three postings.

We hope you find something here that piques your interest, and we hope to see you in Quebec City!

Workshop 5: Practical Aspects of Bioarchaeology and Human Skeletal Analysis
Hosted by Thomas A. Crist and Kimberly A. Morrell
This workshop will introduce participants to the practical aspects of detecting, excavating, storing, and analyzing human remains from historic-period graves.  It also will address the appropriate role of the historical archaeologist in forensic investigations and mass fatality incidents.  Using historical coffins, hardware, and actual human remains, this interactive workshop is led by a forensic anthropologist and an archaeologist who collectively have excavated and analyzed more than 2,000 burials.  Among the topics that will be covered are the most effective methods for locating historical graves; correct field techniques and in situ documentation; the effects of taphonomic processes; appropriate health and safety planning; and fostering descendant community involvement and public outreach efforts.  Participants also will learn about the basic analytical techniques that forensic anthropologists use to determine demographic profiles and recognize pathologic lesions and evidence of trauma.  No previous experience with human skeletal remains is required to participate in, and benefit from, this workshop.

Workshop 6: Principles of Provenience Control and Underwater Hand Mapping in Underwater Archaeological Excavations
Hosted by Peter J.A. Waddell and R. James Ringer
In a world where technology plays an ever increasing role in the recording process of underwater excavation, it is sometimes easy to forget the importance to control fundamental techniques of provenience control and hand mapping and recording underwater. The objective of this work shop is to provide participants with a walk through the principles and techniques used to establish a provenience system for an excavation and to develop a grid system and a complementary recording method. During this very practical workshop, the participants will see the establishment of a real aluminum grid system in the classroom, learning step by step the details that make a difference. The system used will be based on the grid system developed during the Red Bay excavations and still used by Parks Canada today. The hosts both worked for Parks Canada throughout their careers and were part of the entire excavation of the Basque whaling ships in Red Bay, Labrador.

Workshop 7: Excavating the Image: The MUA Photoshop Workshop
Hosted by T. Kurt Knoerl
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 hand written 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!

Workshop 8: Underwater Cultural Heritage Resources Awareness Workshop
Hosted by the Advisory Council for Underwater Archaeology
Cultural resource managers, land managers, and archaeologists are often tasked with managing and reviewing assessments for underwater cultural heritage (UCH) resources. This workshop is designed to introduce issues specific to underwater archaeology and assist non-specialists in recognizing the potential for UCH resources, budgeting for underwater investigations, reviewing UCH-related assessments, and making informed decisions regarding UCH resources. Participants will learn about different types of UCH resources and the techniques used in Phase I and II equivalent surveys. This workshop will introduce different investigative techniques, international Best Practices, and existing legislation. Full-day (interactive lectures, demonstrations); Presentation notes and other materials provided.

If you have an idea for a workshop to be held at a later conference, or if you would like to organize one yourself, please contact Carl Drexler at cdrexler@uark.edu.