DrumBeats Through Time - 2009

Every October is Archaeology Month in PA and since our earliest event 6 years ago, we have held true to our promise that we would host this event, jam packed full of artifacts, history, and Native American culture for FREE every year. Thanks to Guthrie Health, and many other individuals in the community who have donated towards our event this year, we are able to keep our word! Click the image below to download the Event Calendar!

SRAC Rummage Sale and HUGE Book Sale!

The SRAC Lecture Hall is being setup for the SRAC Fundraiser later this week.

There is still time to drop off books and rummage sale items for the upcoming SRAC rummage sale September 17,18, and 19 (this Thursday, Friday and Saturday!) and huge used book sale going on throughout September. Both sales are fundraisers for SRAC.

Stop in SRAC at 345 Broad Street Waverly from 1-5pm tues - fri , and Saturdays from 11-4 and support the preservation of our local archaeology.

University of Cincinnati May Have Uncovered Link to Certain Mound Builders

The Serpent Mound, built on a hilltop near Locust Grove, Ohio is an amazing site to see...
all 1/4 mile of it. It was created by what scientists refer to as the "Fort Ancient" culture.

For years I have heard that the Iroquois are most likely the people whose ancestors were the ancient Hopewell and Fort Ancient people. Now the University of Cincinnati has found new evidence that it probably was not an Iroquoian but an Algonquin people that built at least one of the well known and continuously occupied hilltop Native American sites in North America.

Science Daily reports, "Ohio's Shawnee Lookout Park, with a major new mound being located and a rare kiln used to fire pottery excavated in recent weeks ... evidence was also found to bolster the theory that Shawnee Lookout was the largest continuously occupied hilltop settlement established by any Native American group. The dating of recent evidence found argues for cultural continuity at the site, meaning the Hopewell who lived at Shawnee Lookout up to 2,000 years ago are showing direct links to the Shawnee people who were living on the site less than 300 years ago...It had already been established that the Hopewell and Fort Ancient were at the site in ancient times – and historically they were the society given credit for constructing the earthworks at Shawnee Lookout. It was also obviously known that the Shawnee and others were at the site more recently."

Me standing in one of the ditches at Fort Ancient, not unlike what was found at Spanish Hill by the earliest Europeans to our region.

Click here to watch several personal videos of Hopewell and Fort Ancient mounds built by the these cultures that are seemingly being connected with the later Shawnee/Algonquin cultures. Since the mounds continued through NY and the northern edge of Pennsylvania, it will be interesting to see how this story AND OUR PREHISTORY unravels in the future.

Stay Tuned!

References: University of Cincinnati (2009, September 4). Shawnee Lookout May Be Largest Continuously Occupied Hilltop Native American Site In United States. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/09/090903110816.htm

SRAC September Fundraisers

The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) is gearing up for a rummage sale / fund raiser September 17, 18, and 19th. This event will occur in tandem with the current "Big Book Sale" taking place at the Center throughout the month of September. Anyone wishing to donate books or other items (excluding clothes) for either event to support SRAC are asked to drop off items during normal business hours. SRAC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit located at 345 Broad St., Waverly, NY. Their business hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 1-5pm, and Saturdays from 11am - 4pm. For more information, please email info@SRACenter.org, or call the Center at 607-565-7960.

The Englebert Site - By April Beisaw 2007

This is a followup from my first post about the Englebert site. (make sure to read the comments !)

The following video of April Beinsaw, PhD who did her dissertation at SUNY Binghamton concerning the Englebert Site available from SRAC's Online Videos. Her presentation, "The Englebert Site - Susquehannock or Iroquois" was given in May 2007 at the Joint SRAC /Andaste Chapter of Pennsylvania Archaeology meeting in Burlington, PA:

Click the image below to watch the video now.

Please post your comments by clicking the comments link at the bottom of this posting.

SRAC Book Sale!

Children get their first book free and each book after that for 10 cents!

Seniors get 50% off the Adult pricing!

SRAC is having an ongoing used book sale - and are asking for donations of hard and soft cover books. We are taking drop offs at SRAC between 1-5pm Tuesdays through Fridays and Saturdays from 11-4pm. The book sale will continue throughout September and include a rummage sale September 17-19.

Please consider dropping off some books or rummage sale items (excluding clothes) to help us with this fundraiser - Winter is coming- - and so are those heating bills!

Please spread the word for us! download a flier here to share!

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Bears On Broad Street Gallery

Thank you to everyone who made the Bears on Broad Street a HUGE success!

Click HERE to go to the Picture Gallery!

(Photos from the event are on sale in the SRAC Gift Shop!)