In the News: SRAC Represented at NYS Museum Event

The Native American Institute of the Hudson River Valley recently hosted their annual film screening and Roundtable Talk event at the New York State Museum in Albany , NY. The new film by director Ted Timreck was from the Smithsonian Institute’s Hidden Landscapes series, "Before the Lake was Champlain". The film which was created not only for public education but as a part of the Smithsonian Institute’s Human Studies Archive is a video documentation of the ongoing exploration and research concerning the early Native American civilizations in the Northeast.

SRAC’s Executive Director, Deb Twigg was invited to be a part of the panel of 6 commentators of the new film. “It was an honor to be a part of the NAI event this year. I attended one of their events a few years ago when they screened another film by Ted Timreck, “The Red Paint People” and I was happy to be a part of an event that would be screening another one of his works for the Smithsonian Institute.”

Twigg went on to say that Timreck is hoping to make the next episode of his ongoing work to include the research that she has done on our region. This would include her work on the early French explorer Samuel Champlain’s chronicles surrounding the Nation of Carantouan and its relationship to Spanish Hill in South Waverly, PA. The article was published in the “Pennsylvania Archaeologist” Journal in 2005.

“Because SRAC has only had their building for about a year and a half, many locals still aren’t aware that the Center exists, and we are working hard on public awareness because of it. But as for the Native American and the research community, we are pretty well known already. “

To learn ore about the Smithsonian Institute's Hidden Landscapes initiative visit: http://www.hiddenlandscape.com/

35,000 Year Old Flute Found in Germany

Paleo: ancient, early, prehistoric, primitive

Within the Hohle Fels Cave in the Ach Valley, 20 km west of Ulm, Germany, evidence of bone and ivory flutes that date back 35,000 years have been uncovered. This time period falls within what scientists refer to as "Paleolithic" times and when ice age glaciers still covered most of the Northeast of what is now the United States.

"The preserved portion of the bone flute from Hohle Fels has a length of 21.8 cm and a diameter of about 8 mm. The flute preserves five finger holes. The surfaces of the flute and the structure of the bone are in excellent condition and reveal many details about the manufacture of the flute. The maker carved two deep, V-shaped notches into one end of the instrument, presumably to form the proximal end of the flute into which the musician blew. The find density in this stratum is moderately high with much flint knapping debris, worked bone and ivory, bones of horse, reindeer, mammoth, cave bear, ibex, as well as burnt bone. No diagnostic human bones have been found in deposits of the Swabian Aurignacian, but we assume that modern humans produced the artifacts from the basal Aurignacian deposits shortly after their arrival in the region following a migration up the Danube Corridor.

The maker of the flute carved the instrument from the radius of a griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus). This species has a wingspan between 230 and 265 cm and provides bones ideal for large flutes. Griffon vultures and other vultures are documented in the Upper Paleolithic sediments of the Swabian caves." - ScienceDaily.com

Journal reference:

1. Conard, N.J. et al. New flutes document the earliest musical tradition in southwestern Germany. Nature, June 26, 2009

Upcoming SRAC Events!

We are really excited about the upcoming events at SRAC! There is something for everyone to come and enjoy for just a few dollars and a whole lot of fun!

LIVE Raptor Show, presented by Tanglewood June 26, 2009 – 6:30pm – 7:30pm

SRAC is proud to bring Tanglewood’s Raptor show to Waverly, NY. This hour-long program highlights Tanglewood’s resident raptors, Icarus, a Broad-winged Hawk, Sophie, a Great-horned Owl and Paco, a rehabbing African Gray Parrot. The program will discuss bird features, adaptations for flight and general life history.

There will be a short question and answer period at the end as well as several hands-on materials.

Admission: Adults $4, Students and SRAC members $3.Children under 12 free. Doors open at 6pm and admission to the exhibit hall filled with thousands of local Native American artifacts is included in the admission price.



The Sullivan Campaign” by J. Arthur (Archie) Kieffer, Chemung County Historian Tuesday, July 7th , 2009 - 6:30 – 7:30pm
During the Revolutionary War, General Washington under the direction of Continental Congress orders General John Sullivan to route out the British allies in this region. Ultimately this meant to engage in a campaign against the Iroquois Nation and their allies who had been raiding the frontier of New York State and Pennsylvania under the direction of the British.

Starting in Athens, PA, Sullivan led 5,500 troops through our region, and decimated all of the Indian villages and crops stretching from Athens, PA to Western New York.

The presentation is a must for anyone wanting to learn more about our region’s role during the Revolutionary War and the effects it had on the Native American cultures of our region.

The doors will open at 6pm, with the program running from 6:30 – 7:30pm. Admission is $4 Adults, $3 for SRAC members and students. The public is advised that the SRAC gift shop and exhibit hall will also be open during this time as well and to please consider arriving early to browse these areas before the program.


“Laquin & Barclay Mountain” by Matt Carl, Bradford County Historical Society Tuesday, August 4th , 2009 - 6:30 – 7:30pm
Once a thriving town on Barclay Mountain, County, Laquin was built in 1902 as a lumber town and eventually held five major factories, churches, schools, a large hotel, depot, store, restaurant, over 100 homes and many other buildings. Stretching over a mile in length, Laquin was home to approximately 1,500 people. But when the lumber was exhausted from the mountain, the buildings were dismantled and the town finally deserted in 1941.

Participants will step back in time and tour the streets of Laquin using over 100 photographs, many produced from glass plate negatives. Some of the photos to be featured in this program have never been viewed by the public and were not included in Bradford County Historical Society’s 2007 book on Barclay Mountain.

The doors will open at 6pm, with the program running from 6:30 – 7:30pm. Admission is $4 Adults, $3 for SRAC members and students. The public is advised that the SRAC gift shop and exhibit hall will also be open during this time as well and to please consider arriving early to browse these areas before the program.

Native American Pottery Symposium Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 1pm - 4pm

SRAC’s unique ability to bring collectors and professionals together to create the region’s largest Native American exhibit for a day is back collectors , professionals and museums of the region to roundup all of the region’s Native American pottery. The event includes educational presentations about our local pottery by NYS Archaeological Association President, William Engelbrecht PhD, and NYS Museum Research & Collections Director, Jon Hart, PhD.

Doors open at 11 am fro collectors to setup. (Contact Ted Keir for more information - 570-888-2718) ADMISSION: Adults - $5, SRAC Members and Students- $4, Kids under 12- $2.

9,000 Year Old Site Discovered Below Lake Huron

A potential stone hunting blind beneath
Lake Huron that is approximately 3.5 m across.
(Credit: Photo courtesy of John O'Shea/ScienceDaily.com)

Researchers from the University of Michigan will begin working on a new archaeological site that may help us understand more about how the Paleo Indian cultures of the Northeast transitioned into the early Archaic this summer. The site is located on what is 9,000 year land bridge complete with camps and caribou hunting structures. It is also located 100 feet under the waters of Lake Huron. While this underwater site will be problematic in many ways, it may reveal more information because of the underwater preservation.

"This is the first time we've identified structures like these on the lake bottom," said John O'Shea, curator of Great Lakes Archaeology in the Museum of Anthropology and professor in the Department of Anthropology. "Scientifically, it's important because the entire ancient landscape has been preserved and has not been modified by farming, or modern development. That has implications for ecology, archaeology and environmental modeling." - ScienceDaily.com

Journal Reference: Evidence for early hunters beneath the Great Lakes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 8, 2009

University of Michigan. "Archeological Evidence Of Human Activity Found Beneath Lake Huron." ScienceDaily 9 June 2009. 15 June 2009

24 Arrested in Artifacts Dealing Sting

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Federal agents in Salt Lake City, Utah arrested 24 people in what they're calling the largest investigation ever of stolen Native American artifacts. The defendants are accused of being part of a network that stole artifacts from public and Native American land and then sold them.

As you know - I have also been trying to speak out about the tragedy in America of selling what I refer to as "archaeological evidence" :

• Iroquoian Pottery With Faces
• Cahokia Copper Axe Stolen
• Copper Collection Leaves Many With Questions
• Ebay and Archaeology Don't Mix
• Buying and Selling Artifacts...and American Tragedy

Let's face it folks - - stealing artifacts from sites to sell is NOT COLLECTING!

According to KSL.com -

"According to court documents, an inside source working with the FBI secretly taped, with both audio and video, the alleged looters and bought, at the direction of the government, 256 artifacts worth more than $335,000.

"The illegal network is a very close knit entity," FBI Special Agent Patrick Brosnan wrote in the affidavit. "Individuals who deal in stolen archaeological objects are usually very careful to disguise the site of origin."

List of defendants:

1. Loran St. Clair, 47, Monticello
2. Rulon Kody Sommerville, 47, Monticello
3. Kevin W. Shumway, 55, Blanding
4. Sharon Evette Shumway, 41, Blanding
5. David A. Lacy, 55, Blanding
6. Aubry Patterson, 55, Blanding
7. Dale J. Lyman, 73, Blanding
8. Jeanne Redd, 59, Blanding
9. James D. Redd, 60, Blanding
10. Raymond J. Lyman, 70, Blanding
11. Vern Crites, 74, Durango, Colo.
12. Marie Crites, 68, Durango, Colo.
13. Steven Shrader, Durango, Colo.
14. Tammy Shumway, 39, Blanding
15. Joseph Smith, 31, Blanding
16. Meredith Smith, 34, Blanding
17. Harold Lyman, 78, Blanding
18. Reese Laws, 27, Blanding
19. Nick Laws, 30, Blanding
20. Brandon Laws, 38, Blanding
21. Tad Kreth, 30, Blanding
22. Brent Bullock, 61, Moab
23. Richard Bourret

Click here to read the list of charges:
http://www.sltrib.com/justice/ci_12562006

If convicted, those indicted face one to 10 years in prison.

Ted Keir Presents "Pottery Types Found in Our Region" June 15

The next free admission night at SRAC will be Monday June 15th from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. SRAC's Co-Founder, Ted Keir will be presenting "Pottery Types Found in Our Region." The slide presentation is filled with unique pottery found in our region as well as the Wyoming Valley, Lock Haven, Carbon and Lancaster Counties. Several huge pots will be shown that held as much as 48 quarts.

Keir, who is a well respected local historian and archaeologist for well over 50 years has done considerable research on the ceramics of both New York and Pennsylvania as this presentation will illustrate. As a result of his extensive experience at excavations in our region, he will give many personal stories on the pieces that will be presented.

The presentation will also be a kick-off for the upcoming SRAC Pottery Symposium and Roundup on Saturday, August 15th. This event will combine incredible private collections of pottery brought together for one day at SRAC to create the LARGEST pottery exhibit in the region for a day. Meanwhile we have professional speakers, Dr. Bill Engelbrecht, (president, NYS Archaeology) and Dr. Jon Hart, Director of Research and Collections at the NYS Museum who will talk to us about the newest research used on the pottery found in our region. You can download a flier here.

I hope that you consider attending this important event as we continue to learn more and more about the incredible pottery found right here in our region. If you are a collector and want to securely display your pottery please contact Ted Keir at 570-888-2718 to learn more.

The meeting serves as a joint meeting of the Andaste Chapter of Pennsylvania Archaeology and SRAC and the public is invited to attend and learn more about the Native American pottery that was found in our region. There is additionally free admission to the SRAC Exhibit Hall filled with thousands of locally found artifacts and the gift shop filled with many incredible pieces created by local artists will also be open throughout the event. Please plan to arrive early to enjoy all that SRAC has to offer on this free night of education and entertainment.

SRAC is located at 345 Broad St., Waverly, NY. For more information about events at SRAC, visit www.SRACenter.org, email info@SRACenter.org, or call 607-565-7960.

Water Weight Gain - An Application to Dating Ancient Pottery

Andaste (Susquehannock) pot found in Athens, PA

Recently the University of Manchester reported yet another new dating method for ancient pottery. This announcement comes just after the recent starch residue dating method was reported in Mexico by Anthony Ranere & Dolores Piperno.

The latest dating method using fire and water is currently capable of dating up to 2,000 years, but the researchers are confident that in time they will be able to date at least as far back as 10,000 years.

"In 2003 the Manchester and Edinburgh team discovered a new law that precisely defines how the rate of reaction between ceramic and water varies over time.

The application of this law underpins the new dating method because the amount of water that is chemically combined with a ceramic provides an 'internal clock' that can be accessed to determine its age.

The technique involves measuring the mass of a sample of ceramic and then heating it to around 500 degrees Celsius in a furnace, which removes the water.

The sample is then monitored in a super-accurate measuring device known as a microbalance, to determine the precise rate at which the ceramic will combine with water over time.

Using the time law, it is possible to extrapolate the information collected to calculate the time it will take to regain the mass lost on heating – revealing the sample's age..."

Reference: University of Manchester (2009, May 25). Fire And Water Reveal New Archaeological Dating Method. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 3, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/05/090519214945.htm

This is such a timely topic for us at SRAC as we are hosting :

SRAC Pottery Symposium and Roundup (click for more info)

Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 1pm – 4pm

At SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY

This event will combine incredible private collections of pottery brought together for one day at SRAC to create the LARGEST pottery exhibit in the region for a day. Meanwhile we have professional speakers, Dr. Bill Engelbrecht, (president, NYS Archaeology) and Dr. Jon Hart, Director of Research and Collections at the NYS Museum who will talk to us about the newest research and the pottery found in our region. You can download a flier here.

I hope that you consider attending this important event as we continue to learn more and more about the incredible pottery found right here in our region. If you are a collector and want to securely display your pottery please contact Ted Keir at 570-888-2718 to learn more.

And on that note, Ted Keir will be presenting "Pottery Types Found In Our Region" on Monday June 15th, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm at SRAC at our free night/SRAC & Andaste Chapter of Pennsylvania Archaeology joint meeting. Ted will be showing many slides of locally found pottery as he teaches us about what has been found in our region over the years. Admission to the exhibit hall is also free on our joint meeting night as well, so please plan to come early to enjoy the artifacts as well.