Archaeology Dude

Researchers Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Maya Water Filtration System

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 04:21:00 +0000

Researchers Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Maya Water Filtration System: The city of Tikal purified one of its reservoirs with technology comparable to modern systems

Archaeology, time, and POW/MIAs.

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 26 May 2020 17:49:00 +0000

Hi All,

I wanted to post this interview I gave for Calu Connections, at California University of Pennsylvania. It brings up to date the work I did on Diggers, the DPAA, and my time as an adjunct at the university. Pour yourself a rum neat, and enjoy the interview. I think the next interview will be about classic British motorcycles. Take care,

Archaeology Dude

https://www.caltimes.org/6527/showcase/dr-marc-henshaw-a-k-a-the-archeology-dude-talks-about-adventures-and-field-opportunities/

Early 19th-Century Canal Boat Found in New York Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Thu, 04 May 2017 14:28:00 +0000

Early 19th-Century Canal Boat Found in New York Lake

A short article on an interesting find.

Frack and ruin: Archaeologists fear drilling could obliterate Chaco connections

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:10:00 +0000

Frack and ruin: Archaeologists fear drilling could obliterate Chaco connections: In recent years, advances in aerial photography have shed new light on the Chacoan landscape, illuminating how it was tied together by a road system radiating from Chaco Canyon. Some roads lead to isolated communities with similar architecture. Others lead nowhere. Scholars increasingly believe that whether they were pilgrimage routes or corridors for trade and commerce, the roads are key to finally comprehending Chaco’s reason for being.

Archaeological Conferences and a Need to Attract New Blood.

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 20:39:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Over this past weekend, I attended the annual Eastern States Archaeological Conference in Langehorne, Pennsylvania. This is probably my thirteenth ESAF conference since I was an undergraduate in 1997. I presented a paper titled, "Riding the Lightning: An examination of the Waynesburg and Blacksville Street Railway Company in Green County, Pennsylvania." This was a summation of an archaeological survey that the company I work for performed over the summer.

While I have been an active conference goer for most of my archaeological career, I would like to point out the value of attending such conferences. I was lucky as an undergraduate, I had a professor who had the means and where-with-all to take a group of you adults to a meeting, sometimes states away, and have them actively participate in giving papers and networking with advocationalists and professionals in our trade. He also had the fortitude to put up with nights of partying with archaeologists, who like pirates, enjoy liquid refreshments of the alcoholic type.

One of the things I have noticed over the years is a lack of attendance of these national conferences both by professionals and students. Granted we've lost a few good women and men due to ravishes of time, but we also have ignored the costs to students and young professionals just starting their archaeological career. The costs of travel, memberships, registration, hotel, and board have skyrocketed. I know many will say, "but we have student discounts!" Sure and that is admirable. Some even have prizes and some colleges have travel grants. I know many archaeology/anthropology student who have to work a job or even two just to stay in school. Education is skyrocketing and conference attendance is down. How do we stop this?

While sitting and listening to papers I had an idea. I'm a bit of a technology guy, and I think technology can offer unparalleled access to those in need, and I'm not just talking about archaeology. Ted talks and podcasts are the rage right now as people live in small sound bites or lives that can be paused and resumed at will. I think this offers a unique opportunity for students and conference organizations.

My idea would be to POD cast the papers live and record them for Youtube or some other media outlet. Let students pay a small fee, or better yet, allow classes to pay a small fee so that archaeology professors can show these videos to their class on their own time. Conferences such as the Eastern States Archaeological Federation (ESAF), Mid-Atlantic Archaeological Conference (MAC), Society for American Archaeology (SAA), and Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), plus others, could offer a digital membership to students or classes. These conferences could be integrated into lesson plans and used instead of physically attending the meetings. Students could watch them live, download them, and save the ones most relevant to their own research.

What do you think?

Where have I been?

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 21 Jul 2015 18:30:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!

Well it's been a few months since my last blog post and many of you know the reason why. I became the onscreen production archaeologist on the National Geographic show Diggers. For those of you who read my blog you know that I was an outspoken critic of the show specifically in the way that the digging… or um looting of artifacts to some, was portrayed. I was approached by Michael Baker International an engineering/environmental firm out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the on camera role and to keep all activity of the Diggers crew within Department of Interior standards for archaeological survey and excavation. I want to stress, and this is where my colleagues come in, the show has had an archaeological firm behind it since Season 2. Bryan Cunning (Principal Investigator for Michael Baker International) has been providing consulting services as the Supervising Archaeologist since Season 2 and has ensured that all artifacts were recovered and recorded according to professional standards. Although Bryan only appeared a few times on-screen, Mike Durkin (Archaeologist with Michael Baker International) was the Production Archaeologist providing field recordation, on-camera assessments, and support. During Season 2, Diggers participated in excavations conducted by RISHPO, Charles Ewen (SHA President), and at Fort Adams (Rhode Island State Park). None of this would have been possible without the support of Michael Baker archaeologists, who remained mostly behind the scenes...it is, of course, a show about two other guys. I was merely coming in for the third season as a full-time archaeologist who possessed a PhD and over 17 years of field experience and several years teaching at a university level.

The production company really didn’t want me. They feared I’d hold them to task and make shooting the show difficult. I can tell you that staying within the standards is easier than trying to skirt them. Half Yard (through the advice of Michael Baker) approached Trimble about sponsoring a GPS handheld so that all artifacts could be marked at sub-centimeter accuracy and plotted in GIS. After my field recordation and on-camera assessments, Bryan conducted all the artifact processing, analysis, report writing, and ensured the land owners received their artifacts.

Is this the perfect system for showing archaeology on a reality TV series like Diggers? No. Can this create a foundation where one community (archaeologists) and another community (metal detectorists) can work together? Absolutely. Common ground is what we seek, and have to seek. There are no laws protecting cultural resources on private land. The show never went on any property that was not privately held and always with landowner written consent. Archaeologists have to accept the fact there are people with metal detectors. We cannot lament their existence or try to stifle their use. Fathers take their sons or daughters out metal detecting, people comb beaches with metal detectors, and looters raid sites with them. All of them are passionate about history even the ones who feel they are entitled to own it. It is then up to us, the archaeologist to guide the narrative. For too long has organizations like the SAA (Society for American Archaeology) and SHA (Society for Historical Archaeology) called for a public presence of archaeologists to engage the public about the value of cultural resources. We are to be activists leading the charge in the public’s eye as the holders of the arcane knowledge of the past! That is a pervasive sentiment among our profession. Who owns the past? The archaeologists? We feel we’re the most qualified to interpret it. The metal detectorists? Many have a deep connection to the land and feel as if history can be owned or commoditized.
The Diggers show has introduced me to both camps now and everyone in between. I met hardened looters who keep what they find and distrust archaeologists. I’ve met archaeologists who keep what they find in white storage boxes in backrooms ready for their “analysis”. Diggers places us in a unique position. For one, we as archaeologists should have had shows like this a long time ago. Instead we attend conferences and write papers waiting for the production companies to come to us and talk about public engagement. Now there is a controversial show where we must be reactionary. I disagree, this is the moment we need to seize. This is the moment we can help metal detectorists and others in their community become stewards of the past like we are. We can educate by creating programs like the one Matt Reeves established at Montpelier, Virginia, using metal detector enthusiasts to help interpret a site. Both communities can work together to explore and preserve the past.

Threatened! Junction Group in Ross County

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:45:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

As usual here in the US, archaeological sites are under constant threat of development. The laws aren't as strong here as they are in Europe for protecting heritage sites especially from developers. Part of this stems from we are colonizers of this land, Native Americans are not a part of many of our ancestries. If these were the sites of the American Revolution, or the Civil War, then maybe this conversation would be different. Actually, I know it would be. But here we are sitting at the eve of the possible destruction of a very large earthworks in Chillicothe, Ohio. This site represents the most intact Hopewell earthwork complexes not bisected by roads or development. Here is a link to the article: http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20140308/NEWS01/303080032/Conservancies-hoping-preserve-earthworks

I have included the text from the email I recieved today. Please read it and decide for yourself if this site is worth protecting. Please donate to help save it.

Archaeology Dude

Here is a link on how you can help:
http://www.earthworksconservancy.org/

Squire and Davis from earthworksconservancy.org

Results of Jarrod Burk's geophysical survey of the site, overlaid on a satellite image from .chillicothegazette.com

One of Ohio's major earthwork sites is threatened: the Junction Group in Ross County. It was made famous by Squier and Davis's map of the site from the 1840s. It is going to auction on March 18th and a consortium of organizations are working together to purchase it. A few years back another Squier and Davis site, Spruce Hill went up for auction, and it was saved through a similar effort that came through with a lot of wonderful support...we are attempting to do the same sort of thing now with the Junction Group.

Junction Group is a collection of nine small-to-medium sized enclosures, including Ohio's only known quatrefoil, found during a magnetic survey in 2005. The site covers about 20-25 acres but is part of a 89.4-acre field, and this is the parcel we need to buy if we are to save the site. The earthworks are located just at the SW edge of Chillicothe in an field with road frontage and nearby city water and sewage--in other words, a housing development could very likely destroy the earthworks if developers buy the land.

The Heartland Earthworks Conservancy (HEC) is one of the organizations leading the charge on the Save the Junction Group campaign. At this point we are seeking donation pledges, not actual money yet. Our goal is to get a grant to cover most of the cost of the acreage, but such grants require matching funds. This is where we all can make a difference! We need to raise the money to cover the matching funds. The grant application is underway and there is a good chance we will get the grant. While we would love to make an offer before the auction, we may be going to auction to make this purchase and this is why we are asking for pledges rather than money donations. This worked great for Spruce Hill, and we think it will work well again for Junction.

Please visit the HEC website (www.earthworksconservancy.org) for more information about the Junction Group, to see the 2005 magnetic data, and to make a pledge. Every bit helps and we greatly appreciate your support!

Thanks,

Jarrod Burks, President
Heartland Earthworks Conservancy

Gas wells threatening region's archaeological sites - heraldstandard.com: New Today

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 17:40:00 +0000

Gas wells threatening region's archaeological sites - heraldstandard.com: New Today

Gas wells threatening region's archaeological sites

By Joyce Koballa

A pipeline installed for natural gas drilling operations that
runs through the middle of a farm on the north fork of Ten Mile Creek in Washington County is threatening the land, according to a Greene County archeologist who goes there to find artifacts and hunt.
The property is just one of many in southwestern Pennsylvania on the radar of Ken Gayman of Carmichaels, who is pushing
to protect archeological sites that he believes are being damaged or
destroyed by oil and gas extraction operations.
“There are no provisions in the Oil and Gas Act
to protect any archaeological and historic sites,” said Gayman. “Some date back 8,000 years.”
John Nass, anthropology professor at California University of Pennsylvania, called the potential disturbance of artifacts “a pressing issue.”
“It’s a major problem,” said Marc Henshaw, former president of the Mon-Yough Archaeological Society and member of its board of trustees.
Henshaw said that some oil and gas companies are not conducting property surveys before they drill, which is impacting archaeological sites.
He added the DEP doesn’t require property surveys when a company is drilling on a parcel of land that is less than 5
acres. That creates a problem when gas and oil companies purchase
numerous acres and split them into smaller parcels, Henshaw said.
Hundreds of archaeological investigations are conducted yearly in Pennsylvania, in compliance with the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act and the Pennsylvania History Code, according
to the state Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), which evaluates various sites for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
“However, most gas well development sites fall outside of federal or state law and policy when it comes to historic and archaeological resources,” the PHMC website reports.
Proposed gas drilling projects do not come to PHMC for review to determine if they will have an impact on historic and archaeological resources — unless the projects involve a federal permit, or an area that is more than 10 acres, according to the site.
“As a result, neither the developers nor the PHMC
are aware of historic and archaeological resources that could be
impacted by such projects,” according to the PHMC site.
Gayman said drilling companies should hire a certified archaeologist to survey a property before constructing any
well pads, compressor stations, impoundment ponds used to store water, pipelines and roads leading to them to determine that they are not destroying any archaeological or historical sites.
“I recommend a provision be adopted in the Oil and Gas Act to protect these sites for myself and all the people in Pennsylvania,” said Gayman.
A member of several historical and archaeological organizations in Washington and Greene counties, Gayman serves as president of Izaak Walton League of America Shawnee Chapter of Washington County.
Additionally, Gayman chairs the Historic and
Esthetic program for the Shawnee Chapter of Washington County and the Harry Enstrom Chapter of Greene County.
“My concern is if they do it, then do it the right way so they don’t pollute the water and destroy archaeological sites,” said Gayman, who is also a member of the Mon-Yough Archaeological Society of Pennsylvania Chapter 3.

John Snowdon and Son's Vulcan Iron and Machine Works: 2013 Field Season

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 03:08:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

It sure has been a while since my last post, and much has been going on. For one, we reached above and beyond our Kickstarter goal raising over $1700! That allowed us to buy the required liability insurance and some much needed tools to continue excavations at the Snowdon and Son's Foundry. The second thing that has been going on is the excavation, with the help of volunteers. I'll briefly refresh everyone why the foundry is important not only locally, but nationally as well.
The Vulcan Iron and Machine Works has a rich history in our nation's early industrialization. It patterned and cast the first iron bridge in the United States, the Dunlap Creek Bridge in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. The foundry cast the half of the iron obelisk markers on the National Road, now Route 40. The foundry also built numerous steamboats and stationary steam engines some of which were used in the Mexican American War.
I want to share the first weeks field season photos with you, and hope you enjoy them.

Brownsville archaeology dig’s future at stake Group needs cash to continue at Brownsville site

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 22:28:00 +0000

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130402/NEWS01/130409851#.UVyljSV2U5a

Brownsville archaeology dig’s future at stake
Group needs cash to continue at Brownsville site

by Scott Beveridge
Staff Writer
sbeveridge@observer-reporter.com
Published Apr 2, 2013 at 11:17 pm (Updated Apr 2, 2013 at 11:17 pm)

Volunteer Sean Rothaar cleans part of a foundation uncovered last year at the site of the old Snowden Iron Works in Brownsville.

(Photos courtesy Marc Henshaw)

An old postcard shows Snowden Iron Works before it was razed to pave the way for Monongahela Railway in Brownsville in the early 1900s.

BROWNSVILLE – Volunteer archaeologists looking for clues about workers who built the nation’s first cast iron bridge, along with steamboats used during the Civil War, may have to call off a dig at the site of the foundry in Brownsville.

Marc Henshaw, lead archaeologist at the former John Snowdon Vulcan Iron & Machine Works, said he needs to raise about $1,000 to purchase liability insurance for the job or Fayette County, which owns the property, won’t led him continue to work at the site.

“The preservation is really excellent,” Henshaw said. “We’d like to get a sample of the whole complex.”

Armed with volunteers, some from nearby California University of Pennsylvania, Henshaw began excavating the property behind the Flatiron Building on Market Street last May and uncovered part of a building’s foundation three feet under the surface. The foundation will serve as a starting point to assist in locating other buildings on the property alongside the Monongahela River.

The team also found a 1906 penny, peanut shells, leather items, peach pits, bricks marked with the name Vulcan, part of an old wheelbarrow, failed iron castings and broken pieces of glass and ceramics.

The site is significant to U.S. history because it is where Snowdon cast Dunlap’s Creek Bridge in downtown Brownsville between 1836 and 1839, a span along an older section of the National Road that is still traveled to this day.

The foundry, which employed 110 workers, also created half of the mile markers along the National Road.

Bridge enthusiasts from across the country are drawn to the 80-foot-long span because it is a national landmark recognized as a breakthrough in technology by the American Society of Materials International, a distinction it also bestowed on the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.

Henshaw planned to spread the archaeology project over several years until the liability issue was raised. He also wants to raise another $500 for supplies through the website Kickstarter, a program that has experienced much success in funding mostly technology-related projects.

The dig has been challenging because workers need to chisel through stone and grit covering the property, remnants from the years it served as Monongahela Railways’ headquarters, beginning in the early 1900s.

The plant closed in 1889, and part of it later reopened as a tenement building for immigrant coal miners.

Henshaw is in Arizona finishing his doctoral degree and hopes to begin work again in Brownsville after he returns in May to teach an introduction to anthropology course at Cal U.

He said the dig would help to attract people to downtown Brownsville and serve to educate the public, hands on, about the region’s rich industrial heritage.

He also wants to create a mobile photograph and artifact exhibit on Snowdon to take to area historical societies to provide a broader awareness of local history.

For more information about the project, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casearchaeology/brownsville-archaeology-festival

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Today we started our own Kickstarter to help fund excavations at the John Snowdon and Son's Vulcan Iron and Machine Works. As many of you who follow me have read, this site is of national significance especially in the realm of industrial archaeology and heritage. Please click on the link and check out our Kickstarter, then if you would like, please donate. Help us change the model for how archaeological projects get funded by placing the public at the forefront. Let's crowd source this project and get a green light to start digging this season!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/casearchaeology/brownsville-archaeology-festival?ref=live

A Plea for Help!

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 08:21:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I know that we are still aways off from Brownsville Archaeology Month in May, but the Mon/Yough Chapter for the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology is in desperate need of volunteers, members, and donations. At the present rate, the cost of insurance and the excavations cost over $1300. We need all of the help we can get to continue this project at the Snowdon Foundry. If you would like to join our club, the dues are $20 per year and we meet the 3rd Thursday of each month at California University Frich Hall Room #203. If you would like to donate to our organization so that we may keep educating the public about its rich heritage, please mail a check or money order to:

Mon-Yough Chapter #3
Carl Maurer Treasurer
45 Acheson Ave
Washington PA 15301

For information about our chapter and its activities, please contact me at: nemacolin.archaeology@gmail.com.

Thank all of you for your continued support!

Marc Henshaw
President Mon-Yough Chapter #3

New Mon-Yough Chapter #3 Brochure

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 04:51:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I thought I would post the updated Mon-Yough Chapter #3 brochure. We are an archaeology club out of Southwestern Pennsylvania. For those of you who read my blog, the Mon-Yough has excavated various sites I talk about here such as the Gormley and Cox Houses, and the John Snowdon and Son's Vulcan Iron and Machine Works. Our specialization is integrating and educating local non-profit organizations who focus on historic preservation and the local community to come together and participate in archaeology at the "hands on" level. We also provide education resources to college students who are pursuing careers in Anthropology or Archaeology. Please download the brochure, and join up if you are passing through the area. The field season starts in May! Click on an image to enlarge it!

Timbuktu mausoleums 'destroyed'

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 02:41:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

From the BBC: "Islamists in Mali have begun destroying remaining mausoleums in the historic city of Timbuktu, an Islamist leader and a tourism official said."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20833010

'Alien-like' skulls are unearthed in 1,000-year-old cemetery

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Archaeologists have known for decades that some native groups practiced skull deformation. I guess the "Alien-Like" is something to grab the attention of readers. Very cool discovery!

'Alien-like' skulls are unearthed in 1,000-year-old cemetery

Some Post Excavation Thoughts: Snowdon Vulcan Iron and Machine Works

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:49:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Things have been busy for me this past month, so I haven't had time for an update. The John Snowdon and Son's Vulcan Iron and Machine Works excavations in Brownsville, Pennsylvania have come to a close for this field season. I cannot thank the volunteers enough and the students from the WVU Field School who came out to pick through some of the toughest fill material I have ever encountered. We have recovered an incredible amount of data dating back to the turn of the 20th-century. Personal items, industrial artifacts, and a variety of little unidentified items that will keep us busy for a long time. However, we also have the most important artifact, the foundry itself, a mausoleum to 19th-century industrialization in the Monongahela River Valley. It is my estimate that we have excavated 5% of the total structure. We haven't even begun to excavate within its interior except along the foundation walls.

In the first three photographs show an air pocket that we hit during excavation. Within it are the remains of a barrel laying on its side. The strapping is just visible to the left of that concrete floor joist support. When the building was demolished by the railroad, the area next to that floor joist created an air gap with brick from an interior wall. No artifacts were found with the barrel that would indicate its contents. the final picture is Erin who came out do some mapping of our foundations!

Air gap with barrel strapping.

Close-up of the barrel remains.

The Completed excavation unit with exterior wall to south. Barrel removed.

Erin field mapping in the shade!

Snowdon and Sons: Random Archaeology Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I thought I'd just post some random pictures from the excavation for some weekend viewing. Hope you enjoy!

Don and Carl

Julz excavating around bottles

Sean cleaning the foundation of debris

Our mascot Riley

A view of the foundation with railroad ballast (fill) on the left (dark Stain)

Snowdon Foundry: Influencing the Younger Generation to Archaeology.

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 04:18:00 +0000

Hello all,

Zander Harden

This is a mini post showcasing two of our younger members in the SPA Mon-Yough Chapter #3 who come out to volunteer. We hope that their exposure to archaeology and historic preservation will make them better stewards of our town's history. Because the excavations are public, we encourage children and young adults to come out and get a taste of discovery first hand. As archaeologists, sometimes we become desensitized to history, we ourselves begin to take it for granted. However, for the people, the stakeholders of the communities in which we live, us archaeologists are a bridge into their past. To many people, this bridge to the past is shrouded in a fog of misunderstandings, misconceptions, and often misguidance. We must reach out to the public for interpretation and acceptance of their past, no matter how harsh or contested. It is our job to hold the public's hand and guide them through the fog into a knowledgeable and tangible past. That is what sets us apart from historians, people can actually take the past into their own hands and ponder the artifacts and perhaps make a connection with those who created and used them. Children and young adults are the future consumers of heritage, if we don't educate them on what is valuable then we'll have many many more Rick Savages using a backhoe for a quick buck. Yet if we, the experts, teach the children of our community the societal and cultural value of archaeology and preservation, then perhaps we have justified our existence.

Chaze Eddings

Chaze Working on Straitening those Walls!

Zander and Carl Exploring the North Foundation of SVIMW

Zander checking out his work.

I found Something!

Julz and Chaze cleaning out the South Excavation Block.

Snowdown and Sons: Field Pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 02:36:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Things have been running on overdrive at the Snowdon Site! We are in the process of completing our first field season there at the end of this week, although it looks like we may be there next week as well. We've made a startling discovery as well, that I will elaborate on in my next post. For now, here are some great photos of this past week's field work. Enjoy!

Julz and Kyle

Outside North Foundation Wall

N116-120 E100-108 Excavation Block

Volunteer Chaze Excavating around the remains of puddled iron

Kyle holding the remains of a leather sack! (We also have the contents!)

Carl Mapping a portion of the exterior North Foundation.

History Unearthed

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Wed, 30 May 2012 00:20:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Here is an interview I did for the Herald Standard newspaper from Uniontown, Pennsylvania. It was a little short notice and off the cuff. Over all a good description of what is going on in Brownsville!

Cast iron bridge foundry being unearthed - heraldstandard.com: Local News

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Hello All,

Check out this great news article about the John Snowdon and Son's Foundry: Happy Memorial Day!

Cast iron bridge foundry being unearthed - heraldstandard.com: Local News

Snowdon and Sons Vulcan Iron and Machine Works: Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Today we had a reporter from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review out on the site today. He asked me an interesting question, one that I hadn't given much thought. "Out of all the places you've worked, in the forests [Allegheny National Forest], the plains, and in urban environments, which one do I like the most? I was taken aback by this question. Usually I would say that I love working in the woods, excavating sites hidden by nature and in areas that are far less traveled than most places. However, urban archaeology has really caught my eye. The urban environment. Here the sites aren't obscured by trees or shrubs (not always!), but here they are hidden in plain sight. Often times we walk past them everyday, an old building, an empty lot, a field by the river. What was there? Our limited ability to measure time in our own life cycle leaves enormous gaps in our historical record. Take the Snowdon and Sons foundry. Many have said, "I thought this was just an empty field!" or "Wasn't this only used by the railroad? I remember the railroad ran through here." The urban environment allows the archaeologist to peal away like an onion the many layers of time and present an ever present population with their own history. Everyday I get to shock someone into thinking about the past in a novel way, not a static past, but one that gets evolve and incorporate their memory. In urban archaeology I get to demystify my field and bring it out of the esoteric and into the tangible world. There is nothing like seeing a retired steel worker holding a tool from the foundry and perhaps wondering if their experience was similar to that of their 19th-century counterpart. How cool is that?

Juls, Sean, and Liz. Looks like a Penndot road crew!

Pattern Shop Wall extending 6.5 feet below ground surface. The original ground surface was at the bottom of the unit.

Same unit as above, notice the brick debris from the Pattern Shop wall.

Hopefully this is where the foundation turns a corner eastward.

Same unit as above from a different angle looking east.

Archaeology useless? Not in educated society

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:22:00 +0000

Hello All,

Here is an interesting article from the Columbus Dispatch. I believe that the author, Bradley T. Lepper from the Ohio Historical Society explains it well. To discourage bright, intelligent minds from archaeology, let alone any subject is wrong in our society. The very thing that makes the United States stand out, is that everyone has a choice in what they want to study and what career to follow. Granted, barring socio/economic standing! This article reminds me of the use rant that Governor Rick Scott from Florida went on about not needing any more Anthropologists in his state. What the hell is wrong with these people? I feel that as an archaeologist, part of these notions fall directly on myself and the archaeological community. I think we should be more visible in our places of residence and conduct more excavations at the community level. Thus Brownsville Archaeology Month. I couldn't tell you how many visitors reacted to the site as if I had just performed a magic trick, or revealed a hidden object from under a cloth. I guess that's what I did. Except my cloth is 3 feet of railroad fill and my hidden object is a 600ft iron foundry. to my fellow archaeologists, let's be more visible in our communities and more interactive with the very people who appreciate our finds. If we could all just give a few talks a year to a bunch of 6 year-olds or bring a bus of screaming kids out to our sites once in a while, maybe we can secure our own future.

Archaeology useless? Not in educated society

Snowdon Foundry Weekend Work Day 7-8.

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:30:00 +0000

Hello Everyone,

Updates didn't occur these past couple of days due to a lack of Internet service. Anyhow, I'm back to report on this weekend's activity at the Snowdon and Sons Vulcan Iron and Machine Works. This weekend was the Market Street Arts Festival in downtown Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Like last year, this is a time when we coordinate Brownsville Archaeology Month to coincide with the festival. After all, isn't archaeology an art? Sure it is, we paint and sculpt the past as well as any artist! So to say the least, we had quite a few visitors to our site to check it out. Although we have been excavating for over two weeks, we still have yet to see any Brownsville Council person, the mayor, or any Brownsville Historical Society official at the site, let alone anyone from the Fayette County Historical Society. A shame really, as these are the people who we expect to advocates for the town, but really only care about the limited world views that they have. Anyhow, here are the pics from the weekend!

Pattern Shop Wall

Pattern Shop Wall Excavation Block with Security Fence

The Pattern Shop Foundation extends 6 feet below ground surface

Interior Pattern Shop Excavation Block

Liz taking elevations

Left to right: Jonathan Crise, Kyle Norman, and Marc Henshaw (Archaeology Dude)

Archaeologist laments razing of house in Brownsville - heraldstandard.com: Local News

noreply@blogger.com (Archaeology Dude) — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:37:00 +0000

A nice little article based on my rant here on this blog.

Archaeologist laments razing of house in Brownsville - heraldstandard.com: Local News

Archaeology Dude

Researchers Uncover 2,000-Year-Old Maya Water Filtration System

Archaeology, time, and POW/MIAs.

Early 19th-Century Canal Boat Found in New York Lake

Frack and ruin: Archaeologists fear drilling could obliterate Chaco connections

Archaeological Conferences and a Need to Attract New Blood.

Where have I been?

Threatened! Junction Group in Ross County

Results of Jarrod Burk's geophysical survey of the site, overlaid on a satellite image from .chillicothegazette.com

Gas wells threatening region's archaeological sites - heraldstandard.com: New Today

Gas wells threatening region's archaeological sites

By Joyce Koballa

John Snowdon and Son's Vulcan Iron and Machine Works: 2013 Field Season

Brownsville archaeology dig’s future at stake Group needs cash to continue at Brownsville site

A Plea for Help!

New Mon-Yough Chapter #3 Brochure

Timbuktu mausoleums 'destroyed'

'Alien-like' skulls are unearthed in 1,000-year-old cemetery

Some Post Excavation Thoughts: Snowdon Vulcan Iron and Machine Works

Snowdon and Sons: Random Archaeology Pictures

Snowdon Foundry: Influencing the Younger Generation to Archaeology.

Snowdown and Sons: Field Pictures.

History Unearthed

Cast iron bridge foundry being unearthed - heraldstandard.com: Local News

Snowdon and Sons Vulcan Iron and Machine Works: Day 9

Archaeology useless? Not in educated society

Snowdon Foundry Weekend Work Day 7-8.

Archaeologist laments razing of house in Brownsville - heraldstandard.com: Local News

Related articles