by Deb Twigg, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center of Native Indian Studies (SRAC) located at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY
The migration paths that may have brought people across the Bering Strait Land Bridge. Photo: State Historical Society of North Dakota
More than 15,000 years ago the first people came to the Americas, walking across the Bering Strait on a land bridge from Siberia, or maybe sailing east along the coast. These people spread down and through North, Central and South America, with early civilizations like the Clovis people taking root. As the theory goes, early Americans originated from a small group of people that made it over from Asia. But when researchers dig into the genes of some Native American people, unexpected genes, genes with a European heritage, jump out.
The common assumption is that these genes were picked up, mixed into the gene pool from European colonialists. But new preliminary research, reported on by Science Magazine, tells a different story. Some early Americans came not from Asia, it seems, but by way of Europe.
From the complete nuclear genome of a Siberian boy who died 24,000 years ago—the oldest complete genome of a modern human sequenced to date. His DNA shows close ties to those of today’s Native Americans. Yet he apparently descended not from East Asians, but from people who had lived in Europe or western Asia. The finding suggests that about a third of the ancestry of today’s Native Americans can be traced to “western Eurasia,” with the other two-thirds coming from eastern Asia.
(WAVERLY, NY) "Underwater Archaeology in the Finger Lakes" will be presented by archaeologist Ron Heines at the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center at 345 Broad Street in Waverly, NY on Tuesday November 5th, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.
With over 50 years experience in underwater archaeology in the Finger Lakes region, Ron Heines will take us back to a time of the great ships like the "Half Moon" of Henry Hudson to the times of the "Horse Drawn Navy" - otherwise known as canal ships. Both historical and archaeological in nature, this presentation will show us the remains of these great ships now found covered in leopard mussels at the bottom of our great lakes.
A general admission donation of $6 is appreciated from the general public with students and SRAC members always attending SRAC events for free. Visitors are invited to come early as there is limited seating for this event, and to take time to visit the SRAC Exhibit Hall for free before the presentation. A general admission donation is requested of $6, with SRAC members $4, and students free.
We want to thank Polly Steele for her generous donation of her Duncan Piphe dining room set. It is available to be looked at the Teaoga Building across the street (firehouse) and is also being advertised at the Crooked River Co-op.
We hope to sell that set at $1,200 and the mirror separately at $400. The buyer can claim this as a donation to SRAC too. Please share this with anyone who might be interested! Thanks!
I am sorry to report that recently, SRAC lost one of their own. Mary Ann Taylor was a dear friend to all of us at SRAC, as well as a long time board member and volunteer. In fact she was the one who took the gift shop under her wing and made it work, while I was still working full time at the hospital...
Mary Ann was one of those people that although having tough times of her own, was dedicated to having fun and making people find the humor in just about anything...She would go to the Salvation Army regularly to find items for SRAC to use for table toppers and displays, and while she was there would find outrageous items for herself, like gold glittered sneakers that she would wear quite often and as many of those singing, animated toys - like Santa's reindeer on a motorcycle or whatever that she could find....
She also was loaded with artistic talent - able to sing, play instruments, paint, sew, sculpt, and create jewelry with ease, she even gave jewelry making classes and was always eager to create something for us to sell in the gift shop to raise funds.
But more than all of her talents and work she did at SRAC, Mary was our friend and you cannot imagine the horror we felt when she went last February for a seemingly routine procedure and spent the rest of her life trying to recover from it...Over that time we would visit, send her cards and pictures, and would call her when we had group meetings when she was able to talk just to try to raise her spirits...And recently we really did think that she was going to make it...as she was using a walker and was finally having surgery to close wounds that were left open since February....
You can imagine our heart break when we received the news that she passed away last Saturday...
Today the SRAC family will meet and go to Mary Ann's services at the Waverly Methodist Church and mourn the loss of our dear friend. We had these cards made for the services for everyone to have and remember her and what a special person she was in our lives. Rest in peace dear friend -in our suffering your loss, your suffering has ended.
Mary Keene (left) Mary Ann Taylor (right)
This time of year I think about how Halloween was one of Mary Ann's holidays. In fact she talked us into hosting several Halloween events over the years - and she would make sure to dress up in the most incredible costumes that she made from scratch usually.
Always one to laugh and make fun, here is a video she loved that we did years ago that sums up our silliness and love for one another. Happy Early Halloween from the SRAC Gang with this video that Mary Ann "starred" in in 2009 ! (Cast: Dr. Frankenstein: MaryAnne Taylor, Frankenstein: Ted Keir, The Bride of Frankenstein: Susan Fogel, Wolfman: Dick Cowles, Dracula: Tom Vallilee.)
(WAVERLY, NY) "Underwater Archaeology in the Finger Lakes" will be presented by archaeologist Ron Heines at the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center at 345 Broad Street in Waverly, NY on Tuesday November 5th, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.
With over 50 years experience in underwater archaeology in the Finger Lakes region, Ron Heines will take us back to a time of the great ships like the "Half Moon" of Henry Hudson to the times of the "Horse Drawn Navy" - otherwise known as canal ships. Both historical and archaeological in nature, this presentation will show us the remains of these great ships now found covered in leopard mussels at the bottom of our great lakes.
A general admission donation of $6 is appreciated from the general public with students and SRAC members always attending SRAC events for free. Visitors are invited to come early as there is limited seating for this event, and to take time to visit the SRAC Exhibit Hall for free before the presentation. A general admission donation is requested of $6, with SRAC members $4, and students free.
The Crooked River Co-op is owned by Deb Twigg and is in the former Waverly Village Hall across the street from SRAC. It just opened last week and is jam packed with artisans and their wares in the former courthouse space with the adjacent office filled with antiques being sold by several local antique dealers.
After the huge antique auction event this summer for SRAC, it was a no-brainer to add SRAC's left over antiques to the antiques being sold at the Co-op and so we are offering our supporters yet another way that you can support SRAC, by donating antiques that we can then sell to raise funds, and as usual we will be sure to give you a donation letter at the end of the year for your taxes.
So come and check out the co-op and consider donating an antique and or collectable item too to help support the Center! We'd appreciate it if you could print out this flier and share it in your community to help us get the word out too!
Have you ever wished that you could find that one necklace or bracelet that would go with that special sweater or outfit that you like to wear? Have you ever wanted a special necklace that could show off a family heirloom or pendant? Have you ever just wanted to find a necklace made of that special gemstone or color scheme that you like so much? Many jewelers are adding custom jewelry making to their services to fill this need, but SRAC is offering the opportunity for people to create their own beaded jewelry at a fraction of the cost and with high quality gemstones! On the Second Saturday of each month, Ellen Sisco holds classes at SRAC in basic and intermediate beading. Supplies include beads and all accessories to complete a necklace or bracelet. Hundreds of precious stones, clips, glass beads and polished glass chips are among the variety of items that the attendees will be able to choose from.
You can also call SRAC and request specific colors and/or gemstones that you want to make your jewelry with! Ellen will facilitate your needs and help you make the perfect piece of jewelry for yourself or for a gift for someone else. Fees for this two hour beading class is $25. RSVP's are greatly appreciated by calling the Center at (607)565-7960 or by emailing info@SRAcenter.org.
I want to personally thank everyone who attended this year's annual event, which was simply amazing! From good friends and new friends, great food, great speakers, to incredible private collections on display to the Buffalo Creek Dancers closing the event - it was a memory maker for many of us.
The amount of time and effort that ALL of our volunteers give to make this a success year after year is staggering - and I want to thank all of you as well for all of the hard work that you put in in planning, setting up, running and closing down the event. What a wonderful family we have built here, I am so proud of all we have created for our community!
Credit Unions have the ability to offer better rates to their members - but the problem for most people is that you have to be a member, and you cannot just walk in and become a member either. Instead you need to be employed by or be a member of a partner organization.
Thanks to Mike Viselli and the IR Federal Credit Union adding SRAC on their list as a partner organization, SRAC members are now able to join the IR Credit Union and take advantage of lower rates than you probably ever considered available. So the next time you want to finance a car, take out a personal loan, or make your next home improvement, if you are a current SRAC member, call the IR Credit Union and see the difference they can make.
We want to thank Mike and everyone at the IR Credit Union for giving our members this great opportunity!
