Scientists reveal a first in Ice Age art

IMAGE: This fragmented fossil bone found in Vero Beach, Fla. is the oldest and only known example of Ice Age art to depict a proboscidean in the Americas. The engraving, approximately 13,000 years old, is 3 inches long from the top of the head to the tip of the tail, and 1.75 inches tall from the top of... Click here for more information.

Researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Florida have announced the discovery of a bone fragment, approximately 13,000 years old, in Florida with an incised image of a mammoth or mastodon. This engraving is the oldest and only known example of Ice Age art to depict a proboscidean (the order of animals with trunks) in the Americas. The team's research is published online in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

The bone was discovered in Vero Beach, Fla. by James Kennedy, an avocational fossil hunter, who collected the bone and later while cleaning the bone, discovered the engraving. Recognizing its potential importance, Kennedy contacted scientists at the University of Florida and the Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute and National Museum of Natural History.

"This is an incredibly exciting discovery," said Dennis Stanford, anthropologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and co-author of this research. "There are hundreds of depictions of proboscideans on cave walls and carved into bones in Europe, but none from America—until now." (Public Release: 21-Jun-2011, Journal of Archaeological Science)

Read full article here: Scientists reveal a first in Ice Age art

"History of Sayre" July 5th

(WAVERLY, NY) Sayre historian and retired teacher, Jim Nobles will be presenting “The History of Sayre,” with hundreds of rare photos at the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC)on Tuesday, July 5^th from 6:30 – 7:30pm.

The bulk of the program will be a visual presentation showing rare views of Sayre, following the route of the Waverly, Sayre and Athens Traction (Trolley) Company. Along the route there will be photos showing sites one would have seen if riding the trolley, including churches, business section, Howard Elmer Park, hospitals, schools, and the railroad just to name a few with little known stories about many of them. Side trips from the trolley will add views of those areas not adjacent to the trolley line as well. People such as Howard Elmer and Robert Sayre will also be covered during this presentation.

Nobles is a life-long resident of Sayre who has had a longtime interest in the history of our region and has been a member of the Sayre Historical Society for many years. He is also a retired teacher from Sayre High School where he was well known for his creative and visual educational techniques.

A donation of $6 is requested by the general public and $4 from SRAC members for this event which includes admission to the SRAC Exhibit Hall filled with thousands of local artifacts.

SRAC is located at 345 Broad St. in Waverly, NY. For more information, please contact SRAC at (607)727-3111 or email info@SRACenter.org.

BEARS on Broad Street Resource Page

I have created a webpage that will continuously be updated concerning everything going on with the Bears on Broad Street event - so please bookmark the following link and visit it often to get the latest news and plans and special offers!

http://www.sracenter.org/Events/bears2011.asp

SRAC's Deb Twigg will join other authors at Strawberry Festival Book Signing

The Tioga County Historical Society Museum, at 110 Front Street Owego NY, has announced that it will play host to the authors of local history books on the afternoon of Owego’s Strawberry Festival, June 18th, 2011, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. The general public is invited to come in, visit with the authors, get books signed, ask questions, share your memories, old photos and stories, and see the exhibits of local treasures currently on display at the museum.

Practically every author who has produced a book related to Tioga County history in the most recent few years will be present:

Carol Henry, who recently finished her book on the Town of Candor, for their bicentennial will have copies available. Carol has written several books on Candor’s history, and has plans for more.

Berkshire historians Ray Hunt, and Maurice Stoughton will have copies of their first book on Northern Tioga history and will be accepting advance orders for their next book, which will be published this summer.

Authors of the History of Tioga County Schools, Joan Hunt, Linda Williams, and Ray Hunt will be on hand, with copies of their recent book, and looking for more information and different pictures for a second volume on local schools.

R.W. White, who has written several historical novels, as well as a biography of Tioga County’s first historian, early lawyer Charles P. Avery, will be on hand to greet visitors and share stories.

Deb Twigg, Director of The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center in Waverly, will be bringing copies of her book on Spanish Hill and Carantouan. This will be the first time Ms. Twigg will be signing her books in Owego.

Emma Sedore, Tioga County and Town of Owego Historian will discuss local history and sign copies of her recent book on the Town of Owego, or her earlier book on Hiawatha Island.

This will be the largest gathering of local authors in one place and the best opportunity to collect autographs ever held at the museum. As always, there will be a number of special exhibits and other events at the museum for the Strawberry Festival. Please call us at 607-687-2460 or visit our website at www.tiogahistory.org for more information. The Tioga County Historical Society is at 110 Front Street, Owego and is regularly open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Bears On Broad Street - An UPDATE

Things are really shaping up for this year's Bears on Broad Street program! Here are some quick updates!

• The billboard should be up on I-86 (Rte 17) coming east and on the left just before exit 60 any day!
• Bear Shows are scheduled for 1 and 5pm both Saturday - August the 13th and Sunday the 14th - reserved front row seating is going fast!
  
• The Railhouse Restaurant will be having a Chicken Barbeque and a vendor trailer for refreshments on the street both days!
• The WBA and Palmer House will be hosting "Talons" a live bird of prey show on Saturday!
• The Methodist Church will be hosting music and two different meals all day Saturday!
• There will be mini concerts in the green space across the street from the Railhouse Restaurant!
  
• Don Merrill will be doing tours at his museum once Saturday and once Sunday!
• The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce is looking to do something up on the Valley Bowling Center lawn so stay tuned!
• Elderwood is planning a bazaar or bake sale!
• There are also other businesses on Broad Street that will be doing special sales and events at their locations
• WBA will be creating a program for the weekend for everyone to be know what is being held and where throughout the weekend!
• Red Tail Mulch/ Jim Kier and Jodi Keir Walters will be driving a hayride tractor and wagon from stop to stop all weekend long!

We are also looking for help to get a clown car and family with balloons, magic, face painting and so much more for both days so send a few bucks to us if you want to support that ! (It is tax deductable of course!)

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES EACH WEEK!

Showtimes are August 13 and 14th and both days have two showings at 1pm and 5pm. (Rain delays may occur but I am assured that the shows will occur rain or shine.) As a result there will be no refunds.

Pre-Sale ticket pricing is students (under 18) and seniors (over 60) $7, general admission $9, and reserved (front section seating) $11. SRAC members get $7 pricing for general admissio0n everyday!

To get these tickets, you can either stop in SRAC, call us at (607)565-7960, or mail a check with your date and time choices and types of tickets you want to SRAC, PO Box 12, Sayre, PA. (Sorry - we will not be able to take reservations without payment.) PLEASE INCLUDE PHONE # IN CASE WE HAVE QUESTIONS!

You can also use the form below to order your tickets online: (choose the type(s) and dates and then you will go to the checkout to choose number of tickets)

Choose Type of Presale Tickets

Students and Seniors $7.00 General Admission $9.00 Reserved Seating $11.00 CURRENT SRAC MEMBER $7.00

Choose which Bear Show (Date and Time)

Saturday August 13th at 1pm Saturday August 13th at 5pm Sunday August 14th at 1pm Sunday August 14th at 5pm

Thank YOU!

Click image to enlarge:

Thank YOU Robin - for allowing us to do what we love for the kids !

SRAC Donates Artifacts to Wyalusing Museum

(WAVERLY, NY)The Susquehanna River Archaeological Center’s Ted Keir has been the leading avocational archaeologist for Bradford County for well over 50 years. In fact, Keir was part of an important excavation lead by King’s College Archaeology department in 1972. The excavation was of the site of Friedenshutten, a Moravian Missionary/Indian Village near Wyalusing, PA that was founded in 1763 by the famous Moravian missionary, David Zeisberger. Reports show that by 1766 it consisted of 29 log houses, 13 wigwams, and 7 stables. The village also had a church with a steeple and bell, and a wing made into a schoolhouse. But as a result of the ongoing unrest between the settlers and the Native Americans at the time, Friedenshutten was abandoned in 1772.

By the mid 1970’s the Archaeology department at King’s College was phased out, and the artifacts left at the college from Friedenshutten were given to Ted Keir to display in his own private museum, and to be a part of his many educational programs in Bradford County. These artifacts again changed hands in 2005 when Keir donated all of his collections, to include the Friedenshutten artifacts, to the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) in Waverly, NY.

In a full circle of events, many of the Friedenshutten artifacts recently ended up back in Wyalusing, PA, where they were excavated nearly 40 years ago. SRAC’s Deb Twigg explained, “SRAC has had members of other museums on their board since our inception. For instance, Mark Madill, a long time board member of the Wyalusing Museum has been on our own board for several years now. As a result, Mark has kept us abreast of all that the Wyalusing Valley Museum Association has been able to accomplish as they moved from the cellar of the local library to their own location, the “Bixby House” where they are working diligently to expand their museum and exhibits. Because we have such a large amount of artifacts from Friedenshutten, and Ted Keir was 100% in support of the idea, we decided to go ahead and donate a large amount of the artifacts back to the area where they originated, thereby assisting the Wyalusing Museum to display evidence of this part of their early history.” Wyalusing’s Mark Madill added, “This will be a great addition to Wyalusing Museum’s Native American exhibit. Before this we only had a couple of gun flints from the Friedenshutten site to display.”

Madill went on to explain that the Wyalusing Museum also loaned a display of artifacts found locally and in southeastern Pennsylvania to be exhibited at SRAC. Twigg continued, “The Wyalusing display at SRAC includes many jasper and quartz points that are quite rare. By having each museum exhibit collections from the other, we enhance each other’s collections and the relationships between our organizations. We also are letting people know where to find more great exhibits concerning our region’s Native American past. It’s a good thing for everyone, and I hope that we can work with other museums like this in the future.”

Picture Caption: SRAC’s Ted Keir (left) and Wyalusing Museum’s Mark Madill stand behind a portion of Native American artifacts that were shared between their organizations recently.