"Geology of the Twin Tiers" - April 14th, 2009

Introduction to Rocks and Minerals (Geology 101) - by Marty Borko
April 14, 2009 - 6:30 - 7:30pm at SRAC

Southern tier of New York and northern tier of PA is a unique geological region. What are the sediments that led to the bedrock, including the Marcellus Shale, in the Twin Tiers? Where did the sediment come from and how was the rock formed? How has our surface geology been transformed by glaciations? Answers to these questions will be answered in a slide supported program on April 14. Marty Borko is a retired Professor of Biology and Natural History having last served as Chair of the Biology Department at Orange County Community College; retiring after 35 years of service. All events are held at 345 Broad St, Waverly, NY. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for SRAC members and children under 18. Exhibit Hall admission is free to all attendees.

Field Schools and Volunteer Digging Opportunities in New York

The following is a list of Archaeological digs in New York State that are looking for volunteers ! Note: The listing does not constitute an NYSAA endorsement.

Western Hull House, Lancaster, Historic and McKendry Site, Irving, Prehistoric. Dates for both to be announced.Contact Doug Perrelli, SUNY/Buffalo Archaeological Survey, perrelli@buffalo.edu.

Hiscock Site, Byron, Paleontological/Paleo. Most likely dates: July 18-Aug. 8. Contact Richard Laub, Buffalo Museum of Science, rlaub@sciencebuff.org.

Mills Mansion, Mount Morris, Historic. Saturdays and Sundays in July and August, 10–7 (modest fee). St. John Fisher College. Contact Justin Tubiolo, jtubiolo@sjfc.edu, (585) 671-7886.

Bittner Farm, Rochester, Historic. June 11-25, Mon. – Thurs. 9:30-12:30, Monroe Community College. Contact Ann Morton, amorton@rochester.rr.com, H: (315) 986-3086.

Billings Blacksmith Shop, Canandaigua, Historic. July 27-Aug. 11, Mon. – Thurs., 9:30-12:30, Finger Lakes Community College. Contact Ann Morton, amorton@rochester.rr.com. H: (315) 986-3086.

Central White Site, Norwich, Prehistoric. Tuesdays, Chenango Chapter. Contact Don Windsor (607) 336-4628, windsorda@roadrunner.com.

Miller Site, Cortland County, Prehistoric. SUNY Cortland. Contact Ellie McDowell-Loudan, SUNY Cortland, loudane@cortland.edu.

SUNY/Binghamton’s Community Archaeology Program, Prehistoric. July 13-17 ($150). See
http://cap.binghamton.edu/.

Northern Perch Lake Mounds, Watertown, Prehistoric. Tues., Wed., Thurs. every other week starting March 31, Thousand Islands Chapter. Contact Diane Coates (315) 222-3802, jndcoa@wildblue.net.

Storrs Harbor, Sackets Harbor, Historic. Weekends starting late Spring, Thousand Islands Chapter. Contact Tim Abel (315) 486-0030, tabel@twcny.rr.com.

British Fort, Fort Edward, Historic. July 6- Aug. 14, Adirondack Community College. Contact David Starbuck, dstarbuck@frontiernet.net.

Eastern Schoharie Creek Site, Prehistoric. Saturdays from mid-May until late October, Iroquois Indian Museum. Contact Fred Stevens (518) 383-3107, chemical456@nycap.rr.com.

Long Island Joseph Lloyd Manor, Historic. June 24-July 31. Hofstra. Contact Jenna Coplin (516) 463-7625, anthlab@hofstra.edu.

Blydenburgh Co. Park, Eastern Suffolk Co. BOCES. July 20-23, July 27-30, 8am-noon. Open to elementary and high school students. Adult volunteers accepted. Contact Gaynell Stone, gaystone@optonline.net.

When Was Corn Domesticated?

Students Grinding Corn at an SRAC Event

Early man, the domestication of corn and the transition from "hunter/gatherer" to an agricultural society has been a hot topic in archaeology for a very long time.

Corn (maize) was domesticated from a wild grass that is found in Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua called teosinte. This wild grass has been proven to be the origin of domesticated corn, but the period of when this domestication occurred has remained elusive.

By analyzing starch residue in ancient grinding tools and charred remains in cooking pots, researchers now claim that they have found evidence that corn was being domesticated as much as 8,700 years ago. Even more impressive is that they have located a rock shelter in Mexico's Central Balsas River Valley that actually yielded evidence of domesticated corn and squash.

But wait a minute....

ROCK SHELTER...AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY? These two terms are not commonly used together! The people that used rock shelters are commonly referred to as the PaleoIndian/Early Archaic and agriculture is not thought to have been part of their lifestyle.

How this relates to the PaleoIndian/Early Archaic people who lived in our region will also be an interesting thing to watch for. If anyone has any info on the use of starch analysis in the Northeast, please send it to me so that we can learn more about this!

Journal references:

1. Anthony Ranere, Dolores Piperno et al. The Cultural and chronological context of early Holocene maize and squash domestication in the Central Balsas River Valley, Mexico. PNAS, March 24, 2009
2. Anthony Ranere, Dolores Piperno et al. Starch grain and phytolith evidence for early ninth millennium B.P. maize from the Central Balsas River Valley, Mexico. PNAS, March 24, 2009

Copper Collection Leaves Many With Questions

(click to enlarge)

Richard "Stoney" Burke displayed the above copper collection at the Che-Hanna Rock and Mineral show this weekend, and it got ALOT of attention.

It raised alot of questions as well.

I need not explain what he claims it to be, because he also had that information there with his display:

(click to enlarge)

I am no scientist and so it is not up to me to say what is "authentic" or not - but from the 500 pieces being found on very small platform to where they all are today.... these are only a few of the questions that arise when someone looks at this pristine copper grouping.

First and foremost of questions is why it is a secret where the site is that they actually came from.

Within hours, members of SRAC brought up a recent article in Fogelman's "Indian Artifact Magazine," about a copper collection that seems to be the same as the one above as well. Fogelman reports that a "friend/aquaintance in New York has been buying purported Native Copper implements from a source/friend in Michigan." He goes on to say that even he became "skeptical of both the story and the artifacts." Some of the reasons that he became skeptical were that EVERY type of copper artifact known of as well as some NEW forms were represented on that platform, and that one in fact could be identified by another of Fogelman's friends/associates as a spear that they personally had made. It was later sold at a yard sale.

I have to be honest. Gary Fogelman and I do not have much in common...I have been to affairs where he has stayed clear of me - I would suppose because he knows I do not agree with buying and selling artifacts. But I will say that Gary was right to put a piece in his magazine about this collection, and I thank him for at least trying to alert his readers about this questionable collection that is out there being presented as scientific material...

I have to agree that the display that I saw seemed PERFECT, and as one of the collector's friends came by and asked me what I thought of the display, I simply told him that it was very nice ART. He immediately got upset....and asked me why I said such a thing...I simply told him that if they were unwilling to allow anyone to study the site or the artifacts - it has no scientific significance...without it it is merely art. While he wanted to continue the debate, I declined.

As I left the event today I decided that the biggest question that this whole ordeal raised for me was what exactly does it take to get people to realize that archaeology is not a commercial business - but a SCIENCE -

?

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This Friday, March 27th - Nina Versaggi Presents at SRAC!

Archaeological investigations by the Public Archaeology Facility during the past 30 years have discovered a wealth of information about the people who lived in our region. Versaggi will discuss the early humans that lived here and what their life looked like during what is known as the Late Archaic (4,000 - 1,000 B.C.).

Using the foundation established by early archaeologists, such as William Ritchie and Robert Funk, our results add diversity to interpretations about the Late Archaic, and ask provocative questions for future research. The talk will start with a geographic model of the starkly different landscapes in New York; discuss the base of Late Archaic interpretations (Lamoka and Brewerton cultures); add PAF's recent research on the Vestal Phase; and conclude with interpretations of how people could have used their material culture for purposes other than purely functional tasks.

This will be a very informative and interesting discussion that will give the audience a better understanding of the people who used many of the items found in the SRAC Exhibit Hall. Doors open at 6 pm. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for SRAC members and children under 18. Exhibit Hall admission is free to all attendees.

Cahokia Copper Axe Stolen!

If any of you have been watching the news lately, you cannot help but understand how ignorance and greed are undermining America. And if you think that this exists only in the financial sector of the Unites States, you are sadly mistaken...

As you know I posted a pot from the Washington Boro site that was sold on eBay just last week. Whether it was stolen or not, in my opinion, the fact that it is acceptable to sell archaeological evidence on eBay and in auction houses or anywhere else is unacceptable and is allowing the thieves among other sellers to have a place to "unload their goods." I think that the SAA and all the state archaeological societies need to work towards creating a plan to work with the federal, state, and local govts to ban selling archaeological evidence.

Some issues that remain to keep this from happening are issues such as defining what a Native American "artifact" is - example - the difference between replicas and "art" as opposed to scientific evidence...and the difference between collecting and SELLING, and so on...My personal opinion is that until professionals and collectors learn to work together, the sellers get to play in this arena without anyone having a way to stop them from taking archaeological evidence like the pot from Washington Boro or the axe from Cahokia and selling it to a buyer. But if not US, then who?

Until then, here is the latest tragedy below- reported from William R. Iseminger, Asst. Site Manager/Public Relations, .Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. The following images are of the actual celt that was stolen. (Click either image to enlarge them.)

(pictures supplied by Vincent Barrows - Cahokia Historian)

Please note that the fabric impressions are quite striking and may very well make this axe VERY identifiable. Please keep your eyes out and forward this to all auction houses and buyers as well as all other collectors and museums who might come acrossed it- - -I am sure that this axe will reappear and if we all keep our eyes open, maybe we can get this back to Cahokia where it belongs.

"We recently discovered that a copper celt (axe) had been stolen from one of our exhibit cases. The thieves apparently were able to compromise the security of the case at the "Fiber" display. It was solid copper, 5 inches long, 2 | inches wide, and 7/8 inch thick. One side had fabric impressions on the surface caused by the copper oxidizing and incorporating the pattern of the cloth or bag in which it originally had been wrapped. There was a catalog number on it, 19 x 862. Please keep an eye out for this axe and if you see it or something similar for sale, please contact us.

This comes at a time when we are understaffed due to budget cuts but we are taking special steps to make sure all the cases are more secure. Other than some minor vandalism, this is the first artifact theft at the Interpretive Center in the 20 years since it opened."

William R. Iseminger,Asst. Site Manager/Public Relations

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
30 Ramey Street
Collinsville, IL 62234
Email: cahokia.mounds@sbcglobal.net
Web: www.cahokiamounds.com