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A.S.C.NEWS

Issue No. 225 Newsletter of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut January 2011

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

January 14, 2011

Dear Members,

As I am writing this, I am staringout the window at six to seven footsnow drifts left from what hasturned out to be a record snow fallfor the state. This has already beena cold and snowy winter which canonly generate fantasies of the springand the return to field archaeology.

To fuel those fantasies, FOSA andASC are jointly sponsoring FOSA’sannual meeting speaker who thisyear is John Jameson, the seniorArchaeologist for the National ParkService. His topic will be.“Andersonville and Fort Pulaski:Archaeology of Two AmericanCivil War Prisoner-of-War Sites inGeorgia.” Dr. Jameson hasexcavated at both sites so he will besharing first hand experiences withus on a type of site that has beenrarely dealt with in the literature ofHistorical Archaeology. Thisprogram will be on Saturday,January 29th in Glastonbury (see theflyer on the last page of thisnewsletter.) so mark your calendarnow and do not miss our offering tokick off the 150th anniversary of theCivil War.

For our Spring meeting we areplanning a joint meeting with the

Massachusetts ArchaeologicalSociety for the first time in severalyears. A lineup of Massachusettsand Connecticut speakers will giveus the latest on the topic of CurrentResearch. We will gather at acentral location for both societies ofSturbridge, MA on May 21. Pleasesave the date, and watch for the nextnewsletter for a detailed programand directions.

Writing of our web site, JayMcMahon continues to do a superbjob of bring in local archaeologicalnews and links to otherarchaeological sites across theInternet. He has also arranged toget the Society a slight stipend forarchaeological books bought onAmazon through the web site.Please go to the web site for details.You will also find a list of suggestedbooks dealing with localarchaeology and ethnic studies ifyou click on the “suggestions”button under the ASC Bookstore.(There is also a page dealing with“Reproductions” which is worthyour attention - just look for the“Reproductions” button also underthe ASC Bookstore.)

Our Lyent Russell Award winner, asannounced at our fall meeting, isRob Wallace who will be using themoney to secure radiocarbon datesfor the prehistoric shell middensrecovered from his Fairfieldexcavations. We anxiously await

his results. I would like to suggesthere that you make use of thisopportunity to fund somearchaeological work that you aredoing. Applications for this awardwill be sent with the next newsletterin March.

I am sorry that more of you did nottake advantage of our fall meeting atthe Wood Memorial library in SouthWindsor. It was a dynamic reviewof the archaeological work of ourpast members so it was aretrospective and memorial forthose who went before. Onespeaker for that meeting, JohnPfeiffer, was unable to make themeeting and has been scheduled forthis spring. He will be speaking onthe work of Don Malcarne. Staytuned for the rest of the details ofthat meeting. Continued p.2

IN THIS ISSUEPresident’s Message 1Electronic Delivery of ASC News 2Friends of the Office of StateArchaeology (FOSA)

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Connecticut Archaeology Center 2American Institute of Archaeology 4SHPO/CRM Reports 4Institute for American IndianStudies

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Current Research: Fort Hill Rd.,New Milford

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Suffolk County Arch. Assoc. 9Current Publications (3) 9Calendar 10ASC Officers 11Flyer - FOSA Annual Meeting 12

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Continued from p.1

Again I solicit your comments andsuggestions. I also invite you tobecome more active in the Society.We still need someone willing tohelp with programming, publicity,or some of the ASC’s other projects.I look forward to seeing you inGlastonbury on the 29th.

Dan CrusonPresident

ASC News BeginsElectronic Delivery

Beginning with the next (March2011) issue, ASC News will bedelivered electronically to memberswho provide their e-mail addressesand who do not opt out. There areadvantages both to readers and ASCfor going electronic. The electronicversion is delivered faster, iselectronically searchable, and hasworking internet links and colorphotographs. For the Society, thishas the potential to greatly reducecosts. Printing and postage are byfar the greatest expenses we incur.

We understand that many membersdo not have internet access or preferthe hard copy. Simply check off onthe membership renewal form(included with this issue) that youprefer to receive a hard copy and wewill continue to mail them to you.

This change only involves thenewsletter. For the present, theBulletin will be continue to bepublished only in hard copy. If youhave questions, please contact LeeWest at lfwest@sbcglobal.net

NEWS FROM OTHERORGANIZATIONS

FOSA NEWS

Plans for the Fourteenth AnnualMeeting of FOSA are in place forSaturday, January 29, 2011. JohnJameson, archaeologist with theNational Park Service, will present“Andersonville and Fort Pulaski:Archaeology at Two American CivilWar Prisoner-of-War Sites inGeorgia.” See the flyer at the end ofthis issue for all the details. Wehope to see many of you there for ameeting which helps to kick-off the150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The cataloging of artifacts atHorsebarn Hill will begin the end ofJanuary – when heat is returned tothe building. Meanwhile, work onthe OSA Library took place in thefall with the help of a Work-studystudent and a UCONN studentwhose help FOSA paid for. Bothstudents will be working again thisterm with FOSA again paying thesalary of the UCONN student.

If you are interested in volunteeringat Horsebarn Hill on Mondays,please contact Cynthia Redman,c.redman26@comcast.net.

Cynthia RedmanPresident-FOSA

ConnecticutArchaeology Center

Calendar of Activities

Special Lecture & Meeting of theFriends of the Office of StateArchaeologyAndersonville & Fort Pulaski:Archaeology at Two AmericanCivil War Prisoner-of-War Sitesin GeorgiaJohn H. Jameson,

National Park ServiceSaturday, January 29, 2 pm (Snowdate: Sunday, January 30)Smith Middle School, 216 AddisonRoad, Glastonbury, CT(see last page of this newsletter)

Ancient Technologies—SoapstoneCarvingCheri Collins, Museum StaffSaturday, March 19, two sessions:10 am - 12 noon or 1:30 - 3:30 pmMuseum of Natural History, UConnStorrs (map will be mailed toparticipants)Advance registration required: $25($20 for Museum members)Includes materialsAdults and children ages 10 andabove. Children must beaccompanied by an adult.

Because of its unique geologicalcharacteristics such as heat retentionand ease of carving and polishing,soapstone has been used by peoplethroughout the world to producemany different items of utility andbeauty. Learn about the geology andthe history of human use of thismineral. Examine samples ofdifferent types of soapstone fromlocal quarries and around the world,as well as both ancient and modernsoapstone cooking vessels and artobjects. Then, using traditionalimplements make a carving of yourown design to take home!

Feasting with the Dead on the Eveof Agriculture: Ancient AnimalRemains from a Burial Cave inIsrael

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Dr. Natalie Munro, Department ofAnthropology, UConnSunday, March 20, 3 pmBiology/Physics Building, Storrscampus, Room 130No registration required—FREEAdults and children ages 10 andabove. Children must beaccompanied by an adult.

Zooarchaeological evidence from asmall burial cave in Israel revealsevidence that prehistoric funeraryfeasts and shamanism werepracticed as early as 12,000 yearsago, at the very beginning of humantransition from hunter-gatherer toagriculturalist. The site of HilazonTachtit in Israel, where Dr. Munrohas conducted her research forseveral years, contains a variety ofunusual animal deposits associatedwith funerary practices.

Some of the animal remains aredirectly interred with humans’graves while other animal remainswere likely produced as part of theactivities associated with humanfuneral practices. In particular, thebutchered remains of parts of atleast three Aurochs (ancient wildcattle) provide early evidence forfeasting at the site, as do thebutchered remains of more than 70tortoises that were later interred inthe grave of one woman. Thiswoman’s grave also containsunusual purposely-deposited animalparts; these remains attest to theunique position of this womanwithin her community. The animalremains from Hilazon Tachtit haveimportant implications for social lifeand ritual practice during theMesolithic Natufian culture of theEastern Mediterranean, and theNeolithic period that followed.These remains provide strong earlyevidence for communal activities inthe Natufian period, one ofagricultural transition.

Ancient Technologies—Quillworkon BirchbarkCheri Collins, Museum Staff,UConn

Saturday, March 26, 10 am to 12noonMuseum of Natural History, UConnStorrs (map will be mailed toparticipants)Advance registration required: $20($15 for Museum members)Includes materialsAdults and children ages 8 andabove. Children must beaccompanied by an adult.

The Native American art ofdecorating birch bark boxes andother ornaments with porcupinequill “embroidery” is a beautifultraditional craft. The work of bothskilled historic and modernquillwork artists is highly prized bycollectors and museums. You willlearn about the lore and naturalhistory of the porcupine and thebirch tree, and see examples ofquilled birchbark in a slidepresentation by Ms. Collins. Then,you will learn how to do thisunusual art form using naturalmaterials to create a piece to takehome.

Bringing the Ancient World toLife Through Video GamingDr. Roger Travis, Classics andAncient Mediterranean Studies,UConnSaturday, April 16, 10 am to 12noonUConn Storrs location (map will bemailed to participants)Advance registration required: $20($15 for Museum members)Adults and children ages 8 andabove. Children must beaccompanied by an adult.

Video games are a popular pastime,especially among college students.Some academics have begun toadapt video gaming to the teachingof traditional subject matter,bringing a fresh perspective and anew excitement to learning in theinstitutional setting. In thisworkshop, we will engage in aGreek classics micro-course, usingthe game-based format that Dr.Travis has developed to teach hisclassics courses. With the otherparticipants in the workshop, youwill play the beginning of whatTravis calls a “practomimeticcourse,” becoming a member of ateam tasked by the all-powerfulDemiurge with saving civilizationby learning to read Greek and toappreciate the achievements of theancient Athenians. This workshopwill allow you to play with theancient classics in video-gameformat, a dramatically new andunique approach.

Ancient Technologies—MakingFlint ToolsHeather Cruz, Anthropology,UConnDr. Cara Roure-Johnson,Anthropology, UConnSaturday, April 30, 10 am to 12noonMuseum of Natural History, UConnStorrs (map will be mailed toparticipants)Advance registration required: $20($15 for Museum member) IncludesmaterialsAdults and children ages 12 andabove. Children must beaccompanied by an adult.

You may have seen “arrowheads”and other ancient stone tools on

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exhibit in museums—this is yourchance to make and use them! Inthis workshop, you will learn aboutthe history and art of flint knapping:producing stone tools with sharpedges by percussion and pressure.This type of tool use predatesmodern humans by at least 1.5million years, as discovered byUConn scientist Dr. Cara Roure-Johnson. Learn how archaeologistsidentify and date these tools, whatproperties make materialsappropriate for use in this type oftool manufacture, and discover themany different types of sharp-edgedstone tools used by our ancestors.

Through experimentation, andobservation of the people who stillmanufacture and use these tools, wenow have a good understanding ofthis ancient technology. Today,there are many individuals andorganizations devoted to knapping.Learn how to use some of thesetools for woodworking and foodpreparation. Then, you will flint-knap to create tools yourself! Tryyour hand at this type of stone toolmanufacture under the guidance ofUConn archaeologist and “knapper”Heather Cruz in this excitingworkshop.

To register for a program or formore information, contact the

Connecticut Archaeology Center at860-486-4460 or E-mail to

www.cac.uconn.edu

Lectures

Hartford Society

February 21, 2011, 8:00 pmLecturer: Jacques PerreaultThe Kilns of Thasos: An IslandPotter's Workshop in AncientGreece (6th century B.C.)

March 7, 2011, 8:00 pmCrete before the Cretans: TheEarliest Hunter-Gatherer Sea-Faringin the Mediterranean

April 11, 2011, 8:00 pmLecturer: Jeffrey FleisherSpaces of Power, Purity, andProtection: A History of SwahiliUrban Settlements

Hartford Society Contact:Prof. Martha Rissermartha.risser@trincoll.edu

New Haven Society

Wednesday, January 26, 4:30pm

Location: Yale University, PhelpsHall, Room 407New Haven, CTLecturer: Pamela GaberAbstract: History of Portraiture inthe West - Portraits: HumanIntrospection

Tuesday, February 22, 4:30pmLocation: Yale University, PhelpsHall, Room 407New Haven, CTLecturer: Jacques PerreaultAbstract: Argilos: a Greek Colonyin Thracian Territory

Website: http://www.yale.edu/aia

STATE HISTORICPRESERVATION OFFICE

The following news items fromvarious organizations are beingshared with us courtesy of DanForrest, Staff Archaeologist,Historic Preservation and MuseumDivision, Connecticut Commissionon Culture and Tourism, also knownas the Connecticut State HistoricPreservation Office or “SHPO”).Dan sends out e-mail updatesregularly, and you can contact himat Daniel.Forrest@ct.gov aboutbeing placed on his mailing list.

(See following page)

AmericanInstitute ofArchaeology

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CRM ReportsThe following table is a sample of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) activity in Connecticut. This is a list of CRM reportstransferred from State Historic Preservation Office to the public archive at UConn, shared with us courtesy of Dan Forrest, StaffArchaeologist.

CRM Reports Transferred to UConn's Dodd CenterRep # Authors Year Subject1808 Walwer & Walwer 2009 Phase Ib Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of the

Proposed Railroad Station Parking Garage in Stratford1809 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of Two

Cellular Communications Facility Alternatives (81 James Roadand 422 Rockville Road) in Voluntown

1810 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of theProposed Reconstruction of Peck Hill Road in Woodbridge

1811 Archaeological & HistoricalServices

2010 Phase I Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey: SheltonRiverwalk - Phase 2, Shelton

1812 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of aProposed Cellular Communications Facility at 174 SouthGrand Street, Suffield

1813 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of aProposed Cellular Communications Tower at 14 Cross Lane,Old Lyme

1814 Raber 2009 Archaeological Reconnaissance for Replacement of Route165 Bridge Over Pachaug Pond, Bridge No. 01411, StateProject 57-113, Griswold

1815 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of a 14acre Parcel of Land Located along Oak Ridge Drive inWindsor Locks

1816 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of TwoCellular Communications Facility Alternatives (589 BraymanHollow Road and 140 Ragged Hill Road) in Pomfret

1817 Heritage Consultants 2010 Phase I Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey of ProjectItems Associated with the Perry House (1125 West BroadStreet), Stratford

1818 Walwer & Walwer 2010 Phase I Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of theIntersection Improvements at Ninth District and Sokol Roadsand State Route 190 (Main Street) in Somers

1819 Feczko, Wacker & Leahy 2009 Nomination Report for Proposed State ArchaeologicalPreserve Designation of West Parish Meeting House HistoricProperty, Historic District Commission, Westport

xxx Historical Perspectives 2010 State-Level Documentation Report: Tomac Avenue Bridge(Metro-North Bridge No. 03955R), Town of Greenwich

xxx Raber 2009 Historic Properties Management Plan, Mansfield Hollow HydroPower Project, Mansfield

xxx Saunders & Schiedermann-Fox

2010 Documentation: Remington Rand Facility, 180 Johnson Street,Middletown

xxx BL Companies 2010 Historical Documentation/Recordation Package: Mathews andWillard Factory, 16 Cherry Avenue, Waterbury

xxx Raber 2010 Documentation of Hales Road Bridge over Metro-NorthCommuter Railroad, Bridge No. 03852, State Project 158-200,Town of Westport

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The Institute forAmerican Indian Studies

museum & research centerCalendar of Events

January – March, 2011

New Exhibits – Opening February 1, 2011

A kaleidoscope of color,the southeastern Indians

The Homelands of the Southeast Woodland Indiansstretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the MississippiRiver and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Ohio River.Large tribal societies like the Cherokee, the Chickasawand the Creek lived in the mountains and forests of thenorthern part of the region. Smaller tribes like theNatchez, Biloxi and Seminole lived in the grasslands andswamps of the southern area. The Native Americans ofthe Southeast were artistic peoples producing colorfulclothing and art using natural dyes. On display areexamples of 19th century traditional crafts such aswinnowing baskets, turtle dance rattles and more.

Native American pottery -Connecticut’s first crock pots & more!

Pottery functioned mainly as cooking pots in southern New Englandprior to European contact. Although the pot itself might be broken,fired clay pottery shards are virtually indestructible by naturalelements. Consequently, they are one of the most common artifactsrecovered from archaeological sites. The examples of pottery ondisplay were recovered from a variety of geographic areas within thestate and represent over two thousand years of indigenous potteryproduction. The social, cultural, technological and theoreticalinformation they provide clearly reveals the significance of theseartifacts for better understanding Connecticut’s past.

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Artifact identification daySunday, February 6th 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Still wondering about that artifact you found or inherited? Ifyou would like to learn more about local stone artifacts andNative American cultural items bring them to IAIS foridentification by renowned archaeologist and IAIS Directorof Research and Collections, Dr. Lucianne Lavin, aspecialist in Eastern Woodland material culture. Limit 12 perperson please.

Fee: Included in regular museum admission; IAISMembers free

Litchfield Hills Archaeology Clublecture series presents:The Templeton Site:10,000 year old secretsrevealedSaturday, March 13th 3:00 pm

The Templeton Site, 6LF21, located in Washington Depot wasexcavated by IAIS (formerly the American Indian ArchaeologyInstitute) more than 30 years ago. At the time it was the oldest datedhuman camp site in New England (10,190 years ago). This was anundisturbed, deeply buried, single occupation camp with evidence ofwoodworking, hunting, hide working, bone working, foodpreparation, and tool manufacturing. This one site destroyed thestereotype of Paleo-Indian camp placement, environment, lithicprocurement strategies and selection, and long term site preservation.Presented by Dr. Roger Moeller, former Director of Research ofIAIS and author of “6LF21: A Paleo-Indian Site in WesternConnecticut (available for purchase in our gift shop).Fee: $5 General Public; LHAC Free

The Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT, 860-868-0518 WWW.BIRDSTONE.ORG IAIS@CHARTER.NET

CURRENTRESEARCH

Fort Hill Road, New Milford

Cece Saunders,Historical Perspectives

The proposed construction ofOverlook at Fort Hill, a residentialdevelopment located on the eastside of Fort Hill Road in NewMilford, was initiated throughprivate funding approximately fouryears ago before the real estatemarket downturn. At that time, sitepreparation work on the Fort Hill

Road terrace – completed accordingto permits issued by the Town ofNew Milford – entailed razing themid-20th century structure on the lotand removing existing blacktop.Topsoil from the center of the sitewas banked along the easternmargin of the development envelopefor future reuse on site.

Project financing shifted in 2009and the completion of sitedevelopment for Overlook at FortHill now entails coordinationthrough the Federal Housing andUrban Development’s (HUD) 221(d) 4 program. Such coordinationhas triggered a Section 106 reviewthrough the Connecticut State

Historic Preservation Office(SHPO). In compliance withapplicable federal Section 106guidelines, the Connecticut SHPOassessed the potential sensitivity ofthe project site. The roughly 4.5acre parcel is in an area of knownprecontact use, aptly named FortHill after a Native Americanfortified village that reportedlystood nearby. A previouslyinventoried precontact site, Fort Hill#1 Site (CT Site #96-09), wasidentified in the immediate vicinityof the project site. Site #96-09,recorded in 1979 but reportedlyexcavated in 1920, produced fourburials: three in a traditional flexed

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position and one extended, togetherwith beads.

Additional precontact occupationsites in the general Fort Hill areahave been inventoried with theOffice of State Archaeology. Thepresence of a Native Americanburial ground in the vicinity hasbeen documented in severalarchaeological and historicalsources. Historical documents andarchaeological reports confirm thatthe large terrace that hosts theproject site was the location ofNative American burials and burialmounds, first identified in the early18th century. Samuel Orcutt, in hisHistory of the towns of New Milfordand Bridgewater, Connecticut1703-1882 states that NativeAmericans left the Fort Hill areashortly after 1705, “it having beenmany years the principal location oftheir huts or settlement, includingthe site of their old fort. Theirresidence here must have beencontinued many years, or after itbegan, their numbers must havebeen large, for…the number ofburials must have approached threehundred…” The 1859 Map ofLitchfield County identifies bothsides of Fort Hill Road, south of itsintersection with what is now Route7, as an “Indian Burying Ground.”

State Archaeologist NickBellantoni, together with FalineSchneiderman-Fox and CeceSaunders, both of HistoricalPerspectives, completed a visualsurvey of the site, which is locatedat the extreme eastern edge of theFort Hill terrace, during the summerof 2009.Fragmented and weatheredosteological material was scatteredacross the surface in the west andsouth-central portion of the Fort HillRoad development envelope. [Inaccordance with Connecticut law,the State's Chief Medical Examiner'sOffice was notified of the findings.]All locations of bone were flagged,numbered, and collected so as not tobe left to the elements any longer.All flag locations were recorded by

surveyors that same day. Itappeared that much of the materialremains recovered had eroded out ofthe western portion of the site, andbeen re-deposited toward the centerof the site through an erosionchannel. Some material wasrecovered immediately on or buriedslightly within the topsoil along thewestern part of the site, which waspreviously paved, where a barnstood in the early 20th century and abatting cage had been established inthe mid-20th century

Documentary research andinformant interviews confirmed thatin addition to the previouslyapproved site work completed inapproximately 2005/2006, the sitehad experienced extensive post-depositional disturbance. In the 19th

century, a farmer that owned the sitereportedly leveled all visible burialmounds on the terrace in an effort tohinder looting (another source ofdisturbance), and subsequentlyplanted a grove of trees. The farmermaintained a house on the projectsite that was eventually converted toa VFW hall, complete with pavedparking areas. Associated with thehouse were a garage, well, and alarge tobacco barn. After thetobacco barn was razed, theproperty was leveled again, drainagepipes were installed, and a battingcage was opened. Michael-JohnCavallero a local historian andmember of the New MilfordConservation Commission, was veryhelpful in providing site data. Inaddition, multiple local residentshave confirmed that the site wasalso the location of extensive 20th

century dumping along the edge ofthe terrace and in depressed portionsof the site, confirmed by thepresence of extensive modern trashdeposits along the easternmostembankment, piles of demolitionmaterial on the southern end of thesite, and deeply buried levels ofmodern fill.

Because of the extremely sensitivenature of potential remains at thesite, consultation has been ongoing

with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nationof Kent and the Native AmericanHeritage Advisory Council,including two site visits and tobaccoceremonies. The SchaghticokeTribal Nation has requested that allhuman remains be presented to themfor re-burial on their reservationland.

Archaeological testing at the siteincluded the completion of shoveltest pits, to confirm the location ofdisturbed/undisturbed soil strata,and a systematic pedestrian survey.Both verified multiple extensivedisturbance episodes (withca.1940s-era nylon carpeting beingrecovered at approximately 11 feetbelow grade, and below a level ofdisarticulated human remains), aswell as small areas of potentiallyundisturbed stratigraphy.Previously piled back-dirt wassampled, and testing confirmed thepresence of fragmented faunal andosteological material. Theosteological material is currentlybeing analyzed by physicalanthropologist Dr. ValerieAndrushko of Southern ConnecticutState University and has, to date,confirmed the presence of adisarticulated and incomplete adultmale, adult female, and onesubadult.

In addition to systematic testing,monitoring of soil pile movementand project-related excavations onthe site has been on-going. Theinstallation of a new sewer line onthe abutting Fort Hill Road wasrecently monitored to ensure that noburials were disturbed. Longmonitoring hours were graciouslyprovided by a group of valiantvolunteers who were constantlybuffeted by sharp winds and stungby the icy cold. Many thanks areextended to:

Nick Bellantoni, CT StateArchaeologistDawn Brown, Yale UniversitySusan DeLeonardo, QuinnipiacUniversity

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Christine Flaherty, HistoricalPerspectives (HP)Jane Garnier, Litchfield HillsArchaeology Club (LHAC)Liz Jones, LHACEric Jones, LHACCece Saunders, HPFaline Schneiderman-Fox, HPCosimo Sgarlata, Western CT StateU. (WCSU)Laurie Weinstein, WCSU

Although hardly distinguishablewhile swaddled in their winter attire,each volunteer brought to the sitetheir dedication to archaeology andcommitment to ensuring that anyhuman remains encountered arehandled appropriately and with theutmost respect.

Laurie Weinstein

Liz and Eric Jones

Jane Garnier

Suffolk CountyArchaeological Association

Prehistoric and post-contact LongIsland has always been closely tiedto the history of Connecticut andNew England due to the relativeease of communication acrossnarrow Long Island Sound.Therefore, the activities of theSuffolk County ArchaeologicalAssociation (SCAA) should be ofconsiderable interest to theConnecticut Archaeologicalcommunity.

In addition, the SCAA Newsletteroften contains news of Connecticutarchaeologists working on bothsides of the sound. Here is anexample from the Fall 2010 Issue:

“Dr. Kevin McBride, ResearchDirector of the Pequot-Mashantucket Museum – whoseresearch on a Block Island fort is inSCAA volume VIII, Native Forts ofthe Long Island Sound Area, has a$340,000. grant from the AmericanBattlefield Protection Program toresearch early NativeAmerican/European battle groundsin this area. Last summer he locatedand excavated a Pequot fort. Thissummer he will be locating andtesting for Fort Saybrook, the fortbuilt by Lion Gardiner for Englishdevelopers Lords Seele and Say, forwhom Fort Saybrook was named.

The oldest European fort in theNortheast is Jamestown; there was afort at Boston, which has not been

located. Kevin knows he can findFort Saybrook because documentssay it burned, which leaves asignature in the soil. It will be thesecond oldest European fort in theregion, and is a majoraccomplishment of Lion Gardiner.His Chronicles of the Pequot Warsis the only original manuscript ofthat war surviving. The writings ofthe only other trained military menin New England, Capt. JohnUnderhill and Capt. James Mason,do not exist in the original form.The excavation of the fort will befilmed for the Gardiner Manorportion of the Manors of LongIsland documentary. The FortSaybrook excavation will be a majornew addition to New England andNortheast history and archaeology.”

For more information and a listingof publications and films, visit theSCAA website at: www.scaa-ny.org

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

BarkhamstedLighthouse

To coincide with the recentestablishment of a StateArchaeological Preserve at theBarkhamsted Lighthouse site, theConnecticut Commission on Cultureand Tourism has published a newbooklet on the history, documentaryresearch and archaeology of this18th and 19th century marginalizedcommunity. The booklet waswritten by Ken Feder who led thearchaeological research and wrote abook on the Lighthouse, and is

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dedicated to the late Walt Landgraf,who contributed key research andwas the motivating force behindestablishing the preserve. The 25-page well-illustrated booklet isavailable from the BarkhamstedHistorical Society for $15 includingshipping at: www.barkhamstedhistory.org.

A History ofConnecticut’s GoldenHill Paugussett Tribe

Like all of New England’sindigenous people, westernConnecticut's Paugussett tribe hassuffered injustice and foughtdeterminedly to preserve theircultural identity. In A History ofConnecticut's Golden HillPaugussett Tribe, author CharlesBrilvitch passionately chronicles thetribe’s struggles and fascinatinghistory through the Victorian era tothe present, and traces theirtraditions and ongoingdetermination to preserve anirreplaceable and vanishing culture.

Paperback, 128 pages, The HistoryPress, available from Amazon.com

Scientific Methods andCultural Heritage:

An Introduction to theApplication of Materials

Science to Archaeometry andConservation Science

The scientific analysis of culturalheritage materials poses specific andoften difficult analytical challenges.This book attempts to rationalize thelinks between the most commonlyasked questions in archaeology, arthistory, and conservation with thepotential answers resulting from thevast array of scientific techniquespresently available. This is an entrylevel introduction that provides acomprehensive approach to themethods and rationales of scientificinvestigation of cultural heritagematerials, with emphasis on theanalytical strategies, modes ofoperation, and resulting informationrather than on technicalities. Richlyillustrated with an extensive and up-to-date reference list, it will be anessential tool for students,researchers and scientists.

Oxford University Press 978-0-19-954826-2 / 368 pages / $117.00Please visit www.oup.com/us tolearn more.

CALENDAR

To help members plan theircalendars, we post the dates ofmeetings of interest in Connecticutand neighboring states. Pleasecontact the editor with any meetingsyou are aware of which you feelwould be of interest to themembership.

January 29, 2011, FOSA AnnualMeeting, Glastonbury, CT

March 17-20, 2011, MiddleAtlantic Archaeological Conference(MAAC), Ocean City, MD

April 17-17, 2011, New YorkArchaeological Association 95th

Annual Meeting, Johnstown, NY

May 21, 2011, ASC andMassachusetts ArchaeologicalSociety (MAS) Joint Meeting,Sturbridge, MA

ASC OFFICERSDan Cruson – President174 Hanover RoadNewtown, CT 06470Home Phone 203-426-6021E-Mail: dcruson@charter.net

Robyn Swan Filippone – Secretary985 Bronson Rd.Fairfield, CT 06824Work Phone 203-259-0346Cell 203-566-7740E-Mail: rlsf99@optonline.net

Cosimo Sgarlata - Treasurer &Membership1 Roscoe St.Norwalk, CT 06851Home Phone 203-847-5882Cell Phone 203-515-1567E-Mail: csgarlata@gmail.com

Lucianne Lavin - Bulletin Editor108 New StreetSeymour, CT 06483Home Phone 860-626-8210E-Mail: llavin.iais@charter.net

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Ernie Wiegand II - E.S.A.F. Rep.152 Silver Spring RoadWilton, CT 06897Home Phone 203-762-1972Work Phone 203-857-7377E-Mail:EWiegand@ncc.commnet.edu

Nick Bellantoni - StateArchaeologistOffice of State Archaeology2019 Hillside Ave, U-1023University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT 06269-1023Work Phone 860-486-5248E-Mail: nicholas.bellantoni@uconn.edu

Dawn Brown – Director at Large1714 Capitol Ave.Bridgeport, CT 06604Home Phone 203-335-8745E-Mail: dawn.brown@yale.edu

Rob Wallace - Director at Large33 Frank St.Trumbull, CT 06611Home Phone 203-452-1948E-Mail: trowel4fun@aol.com

Cynthia Redman – FOSA ex officio26 Devin WayWindsor, CT860-285-8157E-Mail: c.redman26@comcast.net

Andrea Rand - Litchfield HillsArchaeology Club Representative221 Bahre Corner RoadCanton, CT 06019E-Mail: andrearand@sbcglobal.net

Diana Messer – Director at Large376 Newtown TpkeRedding, CT 06896E-Mail: dianamesser@gmail.comCell Phone 203-470-9395

Lee West - Newsletter Editor366 Main StreetWethersfield, CT 06109Home Phone 860-721-1185E-Mail: lfwest@sbcglobal.net

2011 DUES NOW PAYABLE

It’s time to renew your membershipfor 2011. Check your mailing labelif you are unsure if you are current.(The label may not reflect paymentsreceived in the last month) If itreads 09 or earlier, please fill outthe form and mail it back with yourcheck. Thanks!

I want to apply/renew membershipin the Archaeological Society ofConnecticut, Inc. (ASC) to promotearchaeological research, conser-vation and service. Enclosed are mydues for the membership category:(circle one)

Individual $25.00 Institutional $40.00 Life $300.00

Name: ______________________Address: ________________________________________________Phone: (___) _________________E-Mail: _____________________

Beginning in March 2011 thenewsletter will be sent to youelectronically unless you indicateotherwise below: I wish to receive ASC News bymail instead of electronic delivery

Send payment to Cosimo Sgarlata,ASC Treasurer, 1 Roscoe St.,Norwalk, CT 06851

Editor’s Note: ASC News ispublished three times a year, inSeptember, January and March.Please address inquiries andcontributions to future issues to ASCNews, Lee West - Editor, 366 MainSt., Wethersfield, CT 06109E-Mail: lfwest@sbcglobal.net

Visit us on the web atwww.connarchaeology.org

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