SRAC Closed Tues. Oct. 30th

GOES Eastern US SECTOR Infrared Image

Due to weather conditions resulting from Hurricane Sandy - SRAC will not be open on Tuesday, October 30th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Incredible Native American Artwork at SRAC's Gift Shop

The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) is proud to announce that Native American artist Wesley Thomas (from the Onondaga Nation) has added many great authentic Native American items to the SRAC gift shop recently.

Wesley and his wife make many beautiful items to include bead work and bone, leather and antler artwork. Items range from pouches and moccasin hangers to fine jewelry to include earrings and "wampum shell" necklaces.

SRAC also has recently received a new shipment of Native American reproduction art by one of New York  State's leading flint-napper, Michael McGrath. Mike's specialties include not only fine flint-napped arrowheads, but also incredible pottery, trade knives and pipe tomahawks designed from the Revolutionary War era.

SRAC's gift shop will also be adding extended hours to remain open until 8pm on Thursdays with many businesses in downtown Waverly. Visitors can shop our gift shop and also visit our exhibit hall while they are in. The SRAC Christmas law-away program is underway and gift certificates are also available for those people that are hard to buy for on your list! Lastly, for every 5 dollars spent at SRAC visitors will get a free ticket to enter into our Christmas basket giveaway!

That's why everybody continues to say "THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AT SRAC!"

MAIZE EXHIBIT to Begin November 6th

Maize: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain Exhibition Opens November 6th for the Public; SRAC Members are invited to our private unveiling on Monday, November 5th at 7pm!

What is maize? Why is it important? How has it changed? 

If you are an SRAC member, you are cordially invited to the unveiling of  Maize: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain exhibit! If you attended the African Exhibit unveiling party last year - you know that this event is a really special time for us to celebrate our friendships and our new exhibit with great food lots of fun! Please call SRAC at (607)565-7960 or email info@SRACenter.org to RSVP!

WAVERLY, NY (10/27/2012) – The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) announces the opening of Maize: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain. Maize is the largest production crop in the world and plays a central role in all of United States agriculture and food production. Explore the science of maize, one of the most significant crops to humankind for thousands of years, and why it continues to surprise us today.

This ancient grain was among the many organisms that evolutionary scientist Charles Darwin examined. In his travels to South America, Darwin recognized the tremendous variation in maize and its long history of intentional breeding. In regards to domestication, Darwin stated, “Although man does not cause variability and cannot even prevent it, he can select, preserve, and accumulate the variations given to him by the hand of nature almost in any way which he chooses; and thus he can certainly produce a great result” (from The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Charles Darwin, 1868).

The exhibition explores how scientists utilize the process of evolution to encourage the selection of “functional” and useful mutations for increased disease resistance, healthier and larger plants, and maintained diversity. The natural diversity within a species can provide a plant with a buffer against changes in its environment, providing the plant with the flexibility to adapt. Scientists are using conventional and molecular plant breeding to combat world health issues, such as Vitamin A Deficiency, a major health problem for millions of people in the developing world. In extreme situations, for example drought or disease epidemics, diversity can be essential for the survival of the population.

Learn about fascinating advances in the science of plant genetics, the history, the process, and the controversies. Don't miss this opportunity to explore evolution in action through history and science in Maize: Mysteries of an Ancient Grain. Funding for this exhibition is from the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program DBI-0820619.

This exhibition is developed and managed by the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth located in Ithaca, New York. At the Museum of Earth, you can explore the Earth’s past and understand your role in its present and future through a unique mix of natural history displays, interactive science features, and art exhibitions. Touch and feel history through hands-on exploration of fossils and dinosaurs at Discovery Labs. View more than 650 specimens from PRI’s world-class collections, including the skeletons of the Hyde Park Mastodon and Right Whale No. 2030.  Enjoy the 500-foot art mural, Rock of Ages, Sands of Time. PRI is affiliated with Cornell University.

SRAC's Deb Twigg commented, "This specific exhibit was also at the "Corn Palace" in Iowa recently an is a huge accomplishment to be able to get it here in Waverly, NY for a few months, so don't miss your chance to experience it. In addition to the exhibit that will fill our huge lecture hall area, SRAC will also provide a station for visitors of all ages to use actual mortars and pestles to experience grinding corn in the way that the ancient people of our region did."

The exhibition opens at SRAC at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY on Tuesday, November 6th, with a private unveiling event for members the night before, and runs until January 26th.  The SRAC exhibit hall filled with thousands of local Native American artifacts is also open along with the Maize exhibit and tours will be available for both areas. General admission donations are accepted for the general public of $3 per adult and $2 per senior.  All school tours, kids under 18 and SRAC members get free admission to SRAC every day. (School tours should be scheduled with the Center beforehand.) For more information visit http://www.SRACenter.org or call the Center at (607)565-7960.

Iconic Tree Ring Specimen is Moving

For those of you that have cut down old trees and admired the rings that show you how old the tree was, you should know that tree ring specimens are actually useful to scientists in understanding our past as well.

While the Romans ruled the Mediterranean and the ancient Mayan civilization of Tikal reached its peak, a giant sequoia sprouted in present-day California. When the tree died in 1913, it was 1,701 years old. A 10-foot-diameter section weighing 2 tons arrived at the University of Arizona in 1931. The slice was studied and displayed in the Arizona State Museum before being placed in storage in the late 1990s. Now it will become the centerpiece of an exhibit in the new Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building. Its new home will open on the UA campus early next year.

http://azstarnet.com/news/science/ancient-sequoia-slice-is-new-lab-s-star/article_f64f5936-6cb1-5c8e-91a7-2af9d7874d23.htm

DrumBeats 2012 - a HUGE SUCCESS!

We had a wonderful day yesterday at SRAC for our 9th annual DrumBeats Through Time.

Our friends, the Buffalo Creek Dancers

First our members were given a great luncheon with a dozen tickets to drop in bags to win any of the fifty door prizes that SRAC and businesses around the area donated. From fifty dollar gas cards from the Dandy Mini Mart to to two vintage tulip chairs valued at $500, our members were given the royal treatment AT NO COST and were even given a tour of the site for the new SRAC Research Library at the Teaoga Development building.

Next, we had Dr. David Oestreicher in from New York City. He presented, "The Lenape: Lower New York's First Inhabitant"s - Dr. David M. Oestreicher is recognized as a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware), our region's first inhabitants, having conducted linguistic and ethnographic research among the last tribal traditionalists for over 30 years. David actually stayed for the whole day after his presentation which I have to say is a testament to the event for everyone!

Dr. Martha Sempowski followed David's presentation with "Changing Styles of Smoking Pipes Used By Seneca Iroquois A.D. 1550-1800" - This talk was VERY helpful to the collectors and archeologists alike in our area and was very interesting to the rest of our packed lecture hall which even included grade school children who stayed the whole day as well! The presentation consisted of a slide-illustrated overview of smoking pipes from Seneca Iroquois village sites spanning a 250 year period from the mid-sixteenth to the late eighteenth centuries, and many could be found in the SRAC collections as well!

The event closer is always our dear friends the Seneca Buffalo Creek Dancers - who have won national awards at Pow-Wows across the country. But more importantly,  Dick and Marci and the gang are like family to us, and we all enjoy catching up each year and spending the time together.

There were ALOT of hugs and great conversation all day long, and it is a great example of what differentiates SRAC from any other club or organization that I have been involved with. It is a great mix of professionals, students and locals of all ages that despite the political division these days - are able to realize - the one thing that no matter our differences, we all have in common, the heritage of our region. AND, we do it every year for everyone to be inspired throughout the day - FOR FREE. It truly was inspiring and I can't tell you how proud I am to be a part of it.

Thanks to all of the businesses that donated door prizes, the speakers and dancers who traveled hours to be a part of this, to our board members who make every day at SRAC an amazing experience for our visitors, the media who helped us get the word out about the event, and to everyone who attended the event and supported us throughout the year. It was a good day for everyone involved - and personally - I think it was the best Drumbeats yet.

Face from Spanish Hill

Dave Bentley grew up on Elmira Street, South Waverly, right below Spanish Hill.  About 40 years ago as he and his brother were walking along the southeastern face of the hill, Dave saw something sticking out of the ground.

The pictures here show what it was.

Most interesting is that the material that it is made of has been identified as anything from bone, pumice, and soapstone...whatever it is - - it is VERY light. Who made this face and when are obviously other questions we do not have answers to, but it really is a great piece to see.

Visit this link to view more pictures from different angles:

http://www.spanishhill.com/relics/D_Bentley/D_Bentley.shtml

This face is now on loan by Dave at SRAC for a limited time, so come in and see it up close and tell us what you think!

DrumBeats Through Time - Bigger than ever!

The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) has announced the schedule of events for their 9th annual “Drumbeats Through Time” celebration held at their Center located at 345 Broad St., Waverly, NY on Saturday, October 20th. The event is free to attend and will be open from 1-5pm for the public, with a luncheon for SRAC members exclusively beginning at 11:30 am.

The event schedule for guest speakers begins at 1:30pm with David Oestreicher, PhD who will present “The Lenape: Lower New York's First Inhabitants.” Dr. David M. Oestreicher is recognized as a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware), our region's first inhabitants, having conducted linguistic and ethnographic research among the last tribal traditionalists for over 30 years. The late renowned elder and traditionalist Touching Leaves Woman (Nora Thompson Dean, 1907-1984) called him her "Key in the East," and she and other elders relied upon him to help preserve and disseminate knowledge of her people. Oestreicher's writings have appeared in leading scholarly journals and books, and he completed the final portion of the late Herbert C. Kraft's The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage: 10,000 B.C. - 2000 A.D. -- a tome subsequently hailed by scholars as the seminal work on the Lenape. In 1995 Oestreicher attracted international attention when he provided the first conclusive evidence that the Walam Olum, long believed by many to be an authentic Lenape epic, is in fact a 19th-century hoax perpetrated by the well-known scholar and charlatan, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. Consequently, the Archaeological Society of New Jersey received the outstanding Award for Excellence (an annual award granted for the best piece of historical writing in New Jersey) from the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey for publishing Oestreicher's "Unmasking the Walam Olum: a 19th Century Hoax." Following the publication of Oestreicher's research, the Delaware tribe of northeastern Oklahoma officially withdrew its former endorsement of the alleged ancient epic.

 At 2:30 pm, Martha Sempowski, PhD from the Rochester Museum & Science Center and editor of the New York State archaeological journal, “the Bulletin” will present, “Changing Styles of Smoking Pipes Used By Seneca Iroquois A.D. 1550-1800.” Sempowski is the leading authority on Seneca pipes and beadwork and has published many books and scientific articles concerning the topic. Her presentation will consist of a slide-illustrated overview of smoking pipes from Seneca Iroquois village sites spanning a 250 year period from the mid-sixteenth to the late eighteenth centuries. It will focus on some of the most obvious changes in the motifs and styles represented in smoking pipes, as reflected in well-dated archaeological collections curated at the Rochester Museum & Science Center. SRAC’s Deb Twigg added, “Members and the general public are invited to bring their collections of beads and pipes for display and review by Dr. Sempowski at this event, which is an incredible opportunity for collectors to meet with such a well respected scholar to discuss their own pieces.”

The event finale begins at 3:30pm with the award winning authentic Seneca Buffalo Creek Dancers .The Seneca Buffalo Creek Dance Group began in 1988 and is well known for being very proficient in their traditional Iroquois Social Dances. Many of the dancers in this group have won dance competitions for their particular categories at Pow Wow's across the country.

Twigg said, “This is SRAC’s biggest event of the year where we celebrate our Native American history, archaeology, and culture all in one day with our members and the public and they are inspired by all the changes they see we have made over the last year. This year, the speakers that we have will be sure to bring many people in from out of the area, so locals who have an interest should sure to come early to get a good seat.” For more information, visit www.SRACenter.org.

Christmas Layaways at SRAC!

SRAC's gift shop is your only local source for many hard to find books, dvd's, local art, rare rocks and minerals and children's science and learning toys and so much more at unbeatable prices and now we are offering a lay away program for your Christmas shopping needs! Stop in soon and see why SRAC is a great place to shop for Christmas this year! And while you are at it - take time to see what other great shopping experiences you can find right in downtown Waverly!

David Oestreicher, PhD :The Lenape: Lower New York's First Inhabitants

9th Annual DrumBeats Through Time Schedule:

11:30 – Membership Meeting (Members Only)

1pm - Doors Open and event is FREE to the Public! 

Highlight for this week's announcement: 
1:30pm: David Oestreicher, PhD :The Lenape: Lower New York's First Inhabitants - Dr. David M. Oestreicher is recognized as a leading authority on the Lenape (Delaware), our region's first inhabitants, having conducted linguistic and ethnographic research among the last tribal traditionalists for over 30 years. The late renowned elder and traditionalist Touching Leaves Woman (Nora Thompson Dean, 1907-1984) called him her "Key in the East," and she and other elders relied upon him to help preserve and disseminate knowledge of her people.

Oestreicher is curator of the award-winning traveling exhibition, In Search of the Lenape: The Delaware Indians, Past and Present, which critic William Zimmer in the New York Times described as "an extended reverie," capturing "the vitality and poignancy of the Lenape saga." Oestreicher's writings have appeared in leading scholarly journals and books, and he completed the final portion of the late Herbert C. Kraft's The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage: 10,000 B.C. - 2000 A.D. -- a tome subsequently hailed by scholars as the seminal work on the Lenape. Oestreicher's monograph, "The Munsee and Northern Unami Today" in The Archeology and Ethnohistory of the Lower Hudson Valley and Neighboring Regions (1991), marked the first ethnographic account of the Hudson River Lenape (now the Canadian Delaware) since the work of anthropologists M. R. Harrington (1908, 1913, 1921) and Frank G. Speck (1945). In 1995 Oestreicher attracted international attention when he provided the first conclusive evidence that the Walam Olum, long believed by many to be an authentic Lenape epic, is in fact a 19th-century hoax perpetrated by the well-known scholar and charlatan, Constantine Samuel Rafinesque. Consequently, the Archaeological Society of New Jersey received the outstanding Award for Excellence (an annual award granted for the best piece of historical writing in New Jersey) from the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey for publishing Oestreicher's "Unmasking the Walam Olum: a 19th Century Hoax." Following the publication of Oestreicher's research, the Delaware tribe of northeastern Oklahoma officially withdrew its former endorsement of the alleged ancient epic.

2:30 pm Martha Sempowski, PhD - Changing Styles of Smoking Pipes Used By Seneca Iroquois A.D. 1550-1800 - This talk will consist of a slide-illustrated overview of smoking pipes from Seneca Iroquois village sites spanning a 250 year period from the mid-sixteenth to the late eighteenth centuries. It will focus on some of the most obvious changes in the motifs and styles represented in smoking pipes, as reflected in well-dated archaeological collections curated at the Rochester Museum & Science Center. **Members and the general public are invited to bring their collections of beads and pipes for display and review at this event!

3:30pm Seneca Buffalo Creek Dancers - The Seneca Buffalo Creek Dance Group began in 1988 and is well known for being very proficient in their traditional Iroquois Social Dances. Many of the dancers in this group have won dance competitions for their particular categories at Pow Wow's across the country