SRAC POTTERY SYMPOSIUM - Saturday August 15

Native American Pottery Roundup and Symposium

Saturday, August 15, 2009 from 1pm – 4pm
At SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY
(download flier here)

SRAC’s unique ability to bring collectors and professionals together to create the region’s largest Native American exhibit for a day is back! The Native American Pottery Roundup and Symposium invites collectors , professionals and museums of the region to roundup all of the region’s Native American pottery for a one day event that includes the following educational presentations:

What Can We Learn from Pottery?
By NYSAA President, William Engelbrecht
Remains of ceramic vessels are often the most common artifact on Iroquoian village sites and are certainly the most studied in New York State. The methods used to study ceramics vary depending on the purpose of the study. This talk will discuss some of the different types of ceramic studies that have been done in New York and will suggest avenues for future research.

Dr. Engelbrecht received his Ph. D. from the University of Michigan 1971 and retired in 2003 after teaching for 30 years at Buffalo State. He received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1990. His publications
include Iroquoia: The Development of a Native World (Syracuse, 2003). He is currently president of the New York State Archaeological Association.

Pottery, Maize and Long Houses By NYS Museum Research & Collections Director, John P. Hart, PhD
In this presentation Dr. John P. Hart reviews new evidence, much of it obtained from cooking residues adhering to pottery, that demonstrates northern Iroquoians practiced agricultural systems based around three crops: maize (Indian corn), common bean, and squash that each have a separate history in central New York. Also reviewed is recent research that indicates long-term trends in pottery technology are associated with increased importance of agricultural crops in the diet.

Dr. Hart received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He regularly publishes articles on the results of his research in professional journals such as American Antiquity, Journal of Archaeological Science, and Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, among others.

COLLECTORS: Doors open at noon for secure setup. Please call Ted Keir at (570) 888-2718 to reserve space for your pottery display. Admission is free for all who share their pottery for the event!

ADMISSION: Adults - $5, SRAC Members and Students - $4, Kids under 12 - $2