chronicle 48 web

NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA MUSEUMS • FALL 2014 • NO. 48

UA Museums’ New Executive Director • Summer Paleontology Finds W.C. Gorgas in Panama • Discovering Alabama 30 Years Moundville Speaker Series • A Civil War Prison in Tuscaloosa Cannon Worm • Donation Aids Preservation of Gorgas House

Mu s e u mCHRONICLE

Alabama Museum of Natural History • Discovering Alabama • Moundville Archaeological Park • Office of Archaeological Research • Gorgas House • UA Museum Collections

MOUNDVILLE NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY pg. 4

Mu s e u mCHRONICLE

Prescott Atkinson, Ph.D., M.D.Birmingham, AL

Ed Bridges, Ph.D.Montgomery, AL

Darla GravesBirmingham, AL

Mike JenkinsMontgomery, AL

Steve JohnsonTuscaloosa, AL

Thomas JoinerTuscaloosa, AL

Charles Lowery, Ph.D.Starkville, MS

Published periodically during the year by The University of Alabama Museums

William Bomar, Ph.D.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The University of Alabama Museums

The UA Museums family consists of the following:

BOARD OF REGENTS

Eleanor MayTuscaloosa, AL Douglas McCrawFt. Lauderdale, FL

Tom McMillanBrewton, AL

Howell PooleMoundville, AL

Beverly PhiferTuscaloosa, AL

Kent Reilly, Ph.D.Austin, TX

Tom SemmesSan Antonio, TX

Leah Ann SextonTuscaloosa, AL Craig Sheldon, Ph.D.Wetumpka, AL

Kristie TaylorTuscaloosa, AL

Nick Tew, Ph.D.Tuscaloosa, AL

Terry WatersTuscaloosa, AL

Tom WatsonTuscaloosa, AL

Charles WeissingerAuburn, AL

Ben Barnett, BOARD PRESIDENTTuscaloosa, AL

Larry Taylor, BOARD VICE PRESIDENTMoundville, AL

Research and Collections

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Moundville Archaeological Park Alabama Museum of Natural History

fall 2014 EVENTS CALENDAR

Location Key:

september

october

november(OCTOBER CONTINUED)

27 Saturday

SATURDAY IN THE PARK - ANCIENT HUNTING AND FISHING10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Free with paid Admission

75th ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM - ANCIENT PERSPECTIVES AND MODERN PEOPLE5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.Free

28 Sunday

SCIENCE SUNDAY: ORIGINS OF OUR UNIVERSE1:30 p.m. -4:30 p.m.Free

1 Wednesday

EXPLORER WEDNESDAY 3rd-5th Gr.3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.$8 per participant

3 Friday

GROWING UP WILD PRESCHOOL FRIDAY10 a.m. - 12 p.m.$2 per child and caregiver

1 Saturday

SATURDAY IN THE PARK - TBA10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Free with paid Admission

3 Monday

MUSEUM MONDAY K-2nd Gr. 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.$8 per participant

7 Friday

GROWING UP WILD PRESCHOOL FRIDAY10 a.m. - 12 p.m.$2 per child and caregiver

4 Saturday

SATURDAY IN THE PARK - TBA10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Free with paid Admission

5 Wednesday

EXPLORER WEDNESDAY 3rd-5th Gr.3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.$8 per participant

23 Sunday

SCIENCE SUNDAY: A DIVERSE EARTH1:30 p.m. -4:30 p.m.Free

4 Saturday

SATURDAY IN THE PARK - SHELL CARVING10 a.m. - 2 p.m.Free with paid Admission

6 Monday

MUSEUM MONDAY K-2nd Gr. 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.$8 per participant

8-11 Wednesday - Saturday

MOUNDVILLE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL 25th ANNIVERSARY$8 students; $10 adults

15 Wednesday

NATIONAL FOSSIL DAY4 p.m. - 6 p.m.Free

25 Saturday

75th ANNIVERSARY SYMPOSIUM- SAVING THE SITE: MOUNDVILLE AND THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Free

28 Tuesday

A HAUNTING AT THE MUSEUM6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Free

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TOCTOBER 8TH THROUGH 11TH MARKS A MILESTONE FOR THE MOUNDVILLE NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL BY BETSY IRWIN

The year 2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Jones Archaeological Museum and the 25th anniversary of the Moundville Native American Festival. In 1989, a small circle of Native American demonstrators hosted around 500 schoolchildren and a handful of the general public at Moundville as part of the Jones Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration. Little did organizers know that this simple beginning would lead to the Moundville Native American Festival as it exists today – one of the largest and

most respected festivals of its kind. The festival runs from October 8th through 11th this year.Grammy nominated musician GrayHawk Perkins returns to the festival’s Native American Stage, helping us celebrate our 25th anniversary. In addition to being our master of ceremonies, GrayHawk enthralls audiences with his storytelling, connecting with visitors young and old. His band from New Orleans performs on Friday and Saturday of the festival. The GrayHawk Band’s original music

is a unique blend of blues, funk, jazz & rock intertwined with tribal rhythms and themes. With their Native American roots planted firmly in the diverse musical landscape of New Orleans, the band represents a new cross-cultural sub genre of music which has been referred to as ‘tribal funk’. And if you listen closely, you will detect the influence of musical icons ranging from James Brown to the Rolling Stones. It’s an earthy, upbeat sound that appeals to a wide range of audiences.

Lyndon Alec, a member of the Coushatta Tribe (Livingston, Texas) is a hoop dancer featured on the 2014 festival poster and one of our favorite performers. The Chickasha Hithla dance troupe (Oklahoma and Texas) perform stomp dancing, one of the oldest and most traditional types of dances for many Southeastern Native American tribes. Chikasha Hithla literally translates to “Chickasaw dancers.” The group formed in 2013 to educate, preserve and restore Chickasaw traditions. Joining them are the Mystic Wind Choctaw Dancers. Led by Daniel Issac of Choctaw, Mississippi, the group performs Choctaw social dances, many of which imitate animals. Issac’s group also demonstrate a kind of drumming frequently found at powwows, a popular Native American event that focuses on Indian culture in general.

Living Historian Diamond Brown (Eastern Band of Cherokee) poses with his bark shelter display.

Paula Nelson performing at the festival in 2013.


PBS as a cultural educator through musical media and teachers all over the nation have access to her music and performances to utilize as a teaching tool for children and adults.

Representing a noble warrior from Moundville, Eastern Cherokee John “Bullet” Standingdeer meets and greets festival visitors this year. Dressed and ornamented like the prehistoric people that once lived at the mounds, Bullet serves as the festival’s ambassador. He has previously performed here with the Warriors of AniKituwah, a traditional Cherokee men’s dance troupe organized by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Bullet was also a model whose face was cast for one of the lifelike figures featured in the recently renovated exhibits within the Jones Archaeological Museum at Moundville Archaeological Park. Living Historian Diamond Brown and his wife Sandy (Eastern Band of Cherokees) will set up a display which includes a traditional bark shelter, a type of structure that could well have been used during prehistoric times. Immensely talented, Brown teaches visitors about historic and precontact Cherokee culture, using a multitude of artifacts he’s fashioned. Sandy Brown is an accomplished fingerweaver. Without a loom, she painstakingly fashions sashes typical of the 18th and

Amy Bluemel will spin stories for visitors, both on stage and at the storytelling arbor nestled away by the park’s recreated Indian Village. Amy is a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and lives in Joshua, Texas. She was the featured storyteller at a spring celebration for the museum’s 75th anniversary. Other performers include flutist/storytellers Billy Whitefox, Charlie MatoToyela, Jimmy Yellowhorse and Sydney Mitchell.

Multi-talented Paula Nelson also shares Cherokee stories on stage, intermingling them with her original songs. When Nelson isn’t on stage, visitors can see her living history display where she recreates herself as a noblewoman from around the 1300s – the time when Moundville was at its peak. Raised in the Kolanvyi Community, Paula is a multimedia visual/textile artist, performance artist, singer/songwriter and published poet. Her creativity lends itself well to her 13-year career as a living history educator as is evident through the quality of her displays and historical clothing. Well-known in the Southeastern Indian communities as a performer and songwriter specializing in composing songs and lyrics in the Cherokee language, Nelson has a discography of four CDs to her credit and she has won numerous awards for her art and publications. Most recently, she has received certification through

19th centuries in a manner similar to, but much more complex than, braiding. In addition to sharing about their culture, the Browns also discuss various Cherokee lifeways including basketry, pottery making, fire making and hide tanning. Diamond is a strong advocate for the environment, many of his demonstrations illustrating “green” technologies used by Native Americans for thousands of years.

Another new addition to the festival’s living history ensemble is Pedro Zepeda, an educator with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Pedro Zepeda demonstrates Southeastern-style woodcarving from the 19th Century and earlier. Clubs, bows, stickball rackets, sofkee spoons and children’s toys are a few things he carves. While working, he talks about the historic tools he uses as well as life in Florida during the 1800s – a time of great turmoil and change for the Southeastern Indian people.The festival will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission to the festival is $10 for adults; $8 students; and free for children ages 5 and younger. Group discounts with reservations are available. For more information, or to make group reservations, phone 205/371-2234.

The GreyHawk Band


club mosses, called Lepidodendron, was discovered earlier this year. As a result, Prescott Atkinson and members of the APS invited Dr. Michael Rischbieter, a Paleozoic coal swamp expert from Presbyterian College, South Carolina, and Dr. Jim Lacefield, author of Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks and formerly of the University of North Alabama, to attend the track meet and evaluate specimens brought in by APS members. The event was attended by a dozen or so members and guests of the APS, and at the end of the day the Paleontology collections at the Alabama Museum of Natural History had roughly 400 plant fossils donated to its permanent collections! Specimens included fossil ferns, club mosses, scale trees, seeds, and willow leaves just to name a few. I would like to extend a thank you to all those that participated including: Prescott Atkinson, Michael Rischbieter, Jim Lacefield, Jun and Sandy Ebersole, Ron Buta, Bruce Relihan, Carl Sloan, and Milo Washington.

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FOSSIL PLANT TRACK MEET HOSTED AT THE ALABAMA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BY DANA EHRET

NEW FINDS IN PALEONTOLOGY

On Sunday June 22, the Alabama Museum of Natural History hosted a fossil plant ‘Track Meet” in conjunction with the Alabama Paleontological Society (APS). The event is the latest in a series of meets that focus on Pennsylvanian (~320 million year old) trackway and plant fossils found at the Union Chapel Mine near Jasper in Walker County. The Union Chapel Mine, now formally called the Steven C. Minkin Paleozoic Footprint Site, is a former coal mine that was taken over by the state lands division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as a result of the efforts of the Alabama Paleontological Society. The purpose of these track meets is to showcase and photograph the recent finds of visitors to the Union Chapel Mine for documentation, and contribute specimens to museum collection. The first ever track meet was held back on August 19, 2000 at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. This most recent track meet focused particularly on fossil plants after an interesting specimen related to

This spring and summer has been a busy and exciting field season in the paleontology collections at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. The warmer weather and longer days lend themselves to outdoor fieldwork, and I have taken full advantage of that. The most well known field-collecting site for the museum is Harrell Station in Dallas County. The 140-acre site, owned by the museum, is covered with late Cretaceous (~75 million year old) chalk gullies that produce mainly marine fossils from the Age of the Dinosaurs. Early this spring, Prescott Atkinson and his boyhood friend Marc Maurer spent

BY DANA EHRET

on by a bony fish called Saurodon after it hit the water. Evidence of predation and/or scavenging are not that common in the fossil record, and I expect Lynn to present the find at the upcoming Southeastern Association of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Jackson, MS.

I spent a better part of this spring venturing out to the far corners of Harrell Station, to areas that are not too accessible by foot, and I had great success. We recovered a skull of a fossil sea turtle known as Toxochelys, a nearly complete fossil clam called a rudist, and the tail of a large bony fish called

Fossil plant track meet overview from the third floor of Smith Hall. Photography by Sandy Ebersole.

a couple days prospecting at Harrell and turned up a magnificent pterosaur, Pteranodon longiceps, wing bone. Pterosaurs were large, flying reptiles that had an elongated pinky finger that the wing membrane attached onto. These bones rarely preserve because they are fragile and hollow much like that of a modern bird. Back in the lab, our summer collections technician, Mr. Lynn Harrell, prepared the specimen and revealed a series of tooth scrapes on the underside of the bone! Matching the tooth scrapes with known fossils from Harrell Station, it appears that this unfortunate pterosaur was gnawed


Above: Neural and Costal bones of the giant sea turtle, Protostega, donated by Mr. George Martin.

Below: Wing bone of Pteranodon longiceps from Harrell Station collected this summer. Circle indicates Saurodon bite marks.

The skull of a late Cretaceous sea turtle (Toxochelys) from Harrell Station collected this summer.

Above: Partial American Mastodon tooth collected by Jamey Grimes on a museum collecting trip this summer.

Xiphactinus. The fish tail posed some difficulties, seeing as the plaster jacket we made to haul the specimen out weighed over 125 pounds and the site was a good quarter mile across the chalk gullies to the nearest vehicle! Lynn and I dragged the specimen most of the

way, and enlisted some visiting campers from this year’s Expedition to lift the specimen into my car.

Another site we visited in Dallas County was a creek known for its mixture of late Cretaceous sharks and mosasaurs along with late Pleistocene (~100,000 – 10,000 years ago) mammals. This site produced many tooth and tusk fragments of mastodons, molars from tapirs, deer and elk antlers, giant armadillo scutes as well as teeth from the shell-crushing mosasaur, Globidens. My field assistants, Lynn Harrell and Jamey Grimes (an adjunct instructor in the Art Department), and I also recorded some new state records for both fossil mammals and sharks in Alabama. Jamey Grimes was fortunate to find the first tooth of a capybara (a large, aquatic rodent still found today in South America) from Alabama, as

well as the first record of the Cretaceous sixgill shark, Hexanchus microdon, from the site.

Finally, trips run through the Museum’s summer programs to fossil localities in Hale and Greene counties also yielded important additions to our collections. The most distinctive part about these specimens is that amateur paleontologists found the fossils and donated them to the museum. Teeth of the late Cretaceous shark, Cretoxyrhina mantelli, seemed to be much more common than they have been in the past, with multiple young volunteers donating specimens. This was a large, fish-eating shark that probably grew to lengths of 20-25 feet. Another rare find was portions of a tooth from a Columbian mammoth, the larger cousin to the woolly mammoth, which was recovered in Greene County by museum naturalist Todd Hester. Overall, the 2014 field season was quite an exciting one for the paleontology collections at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. Next, volunteer Dr. Bing Blewitt and I will turn our focus on preparing and cataloguing all of these wonderful finds before gearing up for the 2015 field season!


Discovering Alabama tools into classroom instruction. Observing the Discovering Alabama Model School program, they began developing lessons that can be shared with colleagues in their own districts as well as others throughout the state. Discovering Alabama will continue to provide support to schools showing how the “hands-on, minds-on, HEARTS-IN” instruction works well with students of all ages.

Discovering Alabama continues to grow with five more shows completed for 2014.

zState Parks, Alabama’s State Parks turn 75 this year offering recreation, education and inspiration for everyone who visits.

zThe Marble City, explores Sylacauga marble’s historical and artistic significance as well as how it shaped the character of residents in that town.

zAlabama’s Coastal Paradise, A three-part series explores the ecology, historical heritage, and educational assets of the coastal region.

Discovering Alabama: Alabama’s Coastal Paradise premieres Tuesday, November 25 at 8:00 p.m. on Alabama Public Television.

Discovering Alabama’s impact will be felt in the hearts of Alabamians for years to come. A University campus event will be planned for sometime in the spring of 2015 to celebrate Discovering Alabama’s 30th year and give thanks to Discovering Alabama friends and contributors.

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DISCOVERING ALABAMA CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

“This program is about a land unknown to many people. A land that, in many ways, has maintained its native natural wonders; A place of bountiful backcountry, forests, streams & wildlife more diverse than can be found in most of the inhabited world. Come along with me as we explore the wild wonders of this land. Come along as we discover Alabama.”

Since 1985, host and executive producer Dr. Doug Phillips has shared this invitation to viewers to discover Alabama. As this Emmy®Award-winning show celebrates 30 years there are more elements of Discovering Alabama to explore. Viewers now have tools to help them learn more about the rich natural history of this wondrous state. In addition to the shows there are books, teacher guides, field trips, and more available through the website, discoveringalabama.org. With almost 100 programs completed to date, the series is now expanding to offer eBooks, virtual field trips, and other opportunities for curriculum enrichment.

Some things you may not know about Discovering Alabama:

Providing support and service has always been a mission of Discovering Alabama. Through civic presentations, special outings and collaborative projects, Discovering Alabama continues to promote stewardship while helping communities plan for the future. Dr. Doug has donated sets of DVDs to scout groups, children’s hospitals and churches as part of this community outreach to encourage stewardship in

BY PAM SLOAN

generations to come. Thanks to his leadership efforts, programs such as Forever Wild are in place to insure respectful and responsible care for lands in Alabama. During collaborations to plan for economic development and tourism, he works with community and city planners to consider decisions that may impact both the economy and the environment. Whether working with school and community projects, environmental groups, foresters or legislators, Dr. Doug facilitates ways for groups to work together to protect our valuable resources.

Discovering Alabama provides support to education through direct school assistance. Even before the Discovering Alabama television series, educators were attending Doug’s workshops to learn how to use nature to make classes more motivating and exciting for students. Teachers, on one outing, approached Dr. Doug with the idea that he could reach a larger audience through a television show. And so it began. As part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration this year, Discovering Alabama staff members traveled throughout the state, listening to educators and demonstrating solutions to problems that educators face by making course content more locally relevant and personally meaningful. Exploring the dynamics of student growth through discovering, learning and contributing, teachers learned that Discovering Alabama provides tools to motivate their students to achieve at higher levels. Investigating the interdisciplinary learning scope through teacher guides, teachers began to brainstorm ways to incorporate


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75TH ANNIVERSARY LECTURE SERIES AT MOUNDVILLEBY AMANDA MORROW

strives to preserve and revive much of the old Choctaw culture and traditions. Each of these panelists will present their tribe’s origin stories and briefly discuss how Moundville fits in those viewpoints. Afterwards, a moderator-led discussion examines the position tribal entities take regarding research about the site, the resulting interpretations and how they are presented to park visitors.

The final part of the lecture series, “Saving the Site: Moundville and the Civilian Conservation Corps” will be held Saturday, October 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Moundville’s Nelson B. Jones Conference Center. Robert Pasquill, Jr., an archaeologist with the U.S. Forest Service and author of the book, The Civilian Conservation Corps in Alabama, 1933 – 1942, is an expert on the CCC and will discuss their instrumental role in preserving and developing the Moundville site as a public park and museum. During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the Works Progress Administration to alleviate some of the widespread unemployment facing our country’s citizens. The CCC was born out of this movement and without their preservation efforts, invaluable information about Moundville, and possibly the site itself, could have been destroyed. As part of his presentation, Pasquill will set up a display featuring CCC memorabilia including buttons, banners and other historic items. Before and after his lecture, audience members can speak personally with Mr. Pasquill and examine his artifacts.

As a part of the year-long 75th anniversary celebration of the opening of the Jones Museum in 1939, Moundville Archaeological Park in conjunction with a grant funded by the Alabama Humanities Foundation will host a series of scholarly lectures this fall. The lectures will present the Moundville site from several different scholarly viewpoints and will allow visitors to come away with a deeper understanding of Moundville culture and its significance to people today.

Drs. Vincas Steponaitis (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) and Kent Reilly (Texas State University, San Marcos) are nationally recognized as Moundville experts. They are the featured presenters for the first speaking engagement, “Archaeology and Art: Understanding Moundville through Different Disciplines” slated for 11 a.m. on September 20 at the park’s riverside conference center. Steponaitis will deliver the first 45 minute lecture, a discussion of the history of archaeological investigations at Moundville and an examination of how scientific techniques have changed over time to refine and increase our knowledge of the Moundville people. Afterwards, Reilly will present recent findings in the iconography of Moundville art. By combining perspectives and methodologies from disciplines such as archaeology, folklore, ethnology and art history to study symbols found on objects,

scholars have learned much about the cosmology of the Moundville people. One object to be discussed will be the Willoughby Disk, a stone palette from Moundville currently on display in the recently renovated museum. Dr. Reilly served as the curator for the new exhibit, and so will also relate how the study of iconography affected the new interpretations of Moundville’s art and ideologies.

The second lecture in the series, “Ancient Perspectives and Modern People: Moundville and Southeastern Indian Tribes,” is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on September 27, 2014, at the Jones Archaeological Museum. This program consists of short presentations by Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs) from three tribes followed by a moderated panel discussion with these representatives. These THPOs, Robert Thrower, LaDonna Brown and Dr. Ian Thompson, will discuss how Moundville is an integral part of their individual tribal stories. Robert Thrower, a traditional practitioner and THPO for the Poarch Band of Creek Indians was instrumental in creating the Poarch Creek Cultural Museum located on reservation lands near Atmore, Alabama. LaDonna Brown, THPO for the Chickasaw Nation, and member of the Raccoon Clan, brings great knowledge and insight about her tribal history. Dr. Ian Thompson serves as the Choctaw Nation’s THPO and Tribal Archaeologist. In that capacity, he

Moundville Archaeological Park received a grant from the Alabama

Humanites Foundation to fund this lecture series in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Jones Archaeological Museum, which

opened in 1939. Events are scheduled throughout the fall and are free of

charge!

1 0 • Mu s e u m C H RO N I C LE

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

Above Left: Young scientists learn about ancient creatures with Dr. Dana Ehret.

Right: A crowd gathers to learn about how 3-D printing is being used in science and museums.

Below: Science Day Camp campers learn about geologic formations near Hurricane Creek with Todd Hester.

Above Right: Amanda Espy-Brown teaches about water pollution with an enviroscape before a home game in front of Smith Hall.

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A. Brooke Persons recently joined the staff of UA’s Office of Archaeological Research as a Cultural Resources Investigator. Brooke received her Ph.D. (2013) and M.A. (2006) from the University of Alabama’s Department of Anthropology. She received a B.A. (2004) from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For the past decade, Brooke’s research has focused on settlement patterns, ceramic studies, and the development of chiefdoms in the prehistoric Caribbean. Her experience lies primarily in Cuba and in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she has directed projects focusing on household archaeology, political complexity, post-disaster mitigation, and human-environment interaction. Brooke previously served as the Senior Territorial Archaeologist for the US Virgin Islands and has directed both academic field investigations and cultural resources management projects throughout the Southeast and Caribbean.

Angi Jones became the UA Museums Executive Director’s secretary in August 2014. She is a lifelong resident of Tuscaloosa and was previously on staff at Moundville Archaeological Park for many years. She is thrilled with her new position and the opportunity to work with all divisions of UA museums. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband Roddy, and her children Ariel and Seth.

Kenric Minges is the Americorps VISTA member at Moundville Archeological Park. Kenric was trained as museum docent and has volunteered for the past four years at Moundville’s Native American Festival, assisted with educational outreach programs in the park and in area schools, and driven a tractor and other lawn mowing equipment for the park. Kenric is currently maintaining the Three Sisters Native American garden and the indigenous plant seed bank. His duties will include the oversight of the two hundred volunteers that the park requires to administer the Native American Festival.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama (1972), a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of West Florida (1982), and a Master of Education degree from the University of West Alabama (2010).

NEW STAFF AT UA MUSEUMS

INDIAN SUMMER DAY CAMP 2014We had 13 campers for each week of Indian Summer Day Camp at Moundville Archaeological Park.

Special Thanks to our student counselors, Hunter Harris and Ariel

Jones!


UA MUSEUMS EXPEDITION ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER PIECE OF PLANTATION LIFE

It started with a tombstone, but that one simple grave marker was the stepping stone for a group of University of Alabama archaeologists and their eager workers, teams of middle- and high-school students, who discovered a small piece of early plantation life in Alabama. For the past four years, UA’s Office of Archaeological Research has worked with Auburn resident Charles Weissinger to investigate his ancestral home site and cemetery. Weissinger is the descendant of Johann Georg Weissinger (who later “Americanized” his name to George) who migrated to the United States from Germany between 1782 and 1784.

In January 1820, about a month after Alabama was admitted to the Union, George purchased roughly 1,700 acres of land in Perry County to establish a plantation. Between then and the early 20th century, when the home was destroyed by fire, three families occupied the site — the Weissinger, Davis and Fuller families.

About 50 years ago, Weissinger was given the tombstone of his great-great-grandfather, who had died in 1837. The tombstone had come from the ancestral property; George and several family members and possibly one member of the Davis family are interred somewhere on the land. For years, the self-described historian had been carrying the tombstone with him whenever he

moved to a new place. “I wanted to put it back in the ground, in its original location,” Weissinger said. “I wanted to find the cemetery. But to do that, I needed to find the house.”

Organizers decided the project would be a great fit for the 36th Expedition of UA’s Alabama Museum of Natural History. The annual museum expedition involved 36 participants (13 during middle-school week, 14 during high-school week and nine during public

camp) over the course of three June weeks.While the mornings were dedicated to working with researchers in the field and then helping analyze what was discovered, the afternoons were reserved for fun, including activities like swimming, canoeing or taking nature walks. “We know that teachers do a great job of preparing students in the classroom, but often times what is overlooked is the hands-on experience,” said Randy Mecredy, Director of UA’s Alabama Museum of Natural History.

BY KIM EATON

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Justin Toller, a freshman at Kennesaw State University, excavates the chimney foundation during the Alabama Museum of Natural History’s 36th Expedition.

Middle school students excavate an early 19th century home site during the Alabama Museum of Natural History’s Expedition 36.


“The Expedition is an important opportunity, especially for high-school and middle-school students, to take part in a real hands-on field science project and work side-by-side with scientists.

The research goals for this year’s expedition were to confirm the location and investigate the house site; determine its size and layout; analyze the artifacts recovered during the excavations; and attempt to locate the cemetery using ground-penetrating radar and hand-excavation methods. “So, we have rural plantation archaeology, attempting to discover an early 19th Century home and cemetery, that has a Civil War veteran connection, using technology such as ground-penetrating radar and three-dimensional computer models,” said Brandon Thompson, Cultural Resources Investigator with UA’s Office of Archaeological Research.

In addition to finding the exact house location, its approximate orientation and evidence that it was burned and demolished, Thompson said they also recovered artifacts that date from the early 19th to early 20th century, including spirit and pharmaceutical bottle glass, nails used in the house’s construction, charred timbers, fragments of dishes and plates, children’s marbles, doll fragments and cutlery. “These artifacts provide insight into the activities that were taking place, including many activities that we still

do today, such as cooking and playing games,” he said. “The preservation was better than what I had expected.”

After the home was destroyed in the early 20th century, the area had been used for pasture and agriculture, but a chimney foundation and other architectural features were in remarkable shape, Thompson said. In terms of artifacts, one of the high-school Expedition campers, Aislinn Hardin, recovered a Confederate Infantryman’s uniform button during the excavations,

which Thompson said can be associated with a member of the Davis family, who had purchased the property in the mid-19th century from the Weissingers and occupied it until the early 20th century.

“Hugh Davis Jr. fought for the Confederacy at the Battle of the Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1863,” Thompson said. “After being wounded in the battle, Hugh Davis Jr. returned to the home to recover and manage the estate. So, being able to find an artifact and associate it with a specific person and event is remarkable.” Davis Jr. had a younger brother, Albert, who also fought for the Confederacy as an enlisted man, Weissinger said.

The recovered artifacts are now being analyzed at the Office of Archaeological Research laboratory at UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park. They will be stored for future study and possible display. The cemetery, however, has not been found, but Weissinger has not given up hope. Office of Archaeological Research staff will continue the investigation and excavation of the site in an effort to unearth the wealth of information that is still left to gain. “This is a puzzle that must be solved,” Weissinger said. “It’s a piece of history, and history is important for all of us to know. It’s a perfect guide for our future.”

Excavation locations show the remnants of an early 19th century chimney.

Public week participant Perry Daley (left) shows Adam Strickland (right) a recently excavated artifact.

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A little over 150 years ago, on August 5, 1864, the Union Navy, under the command of Admiral David Farragut, steamed into Mobile Bay to attempt to capture the last of the Confederacy’s major ports. The initial battle was a successful one for Farragut and the Union, boosting morale in the northern states after a series of inconclusive and costly battles and bequeathing to posterity the apocryphal phrase “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!” A battle won is not the war, however, and the Mobile Campaign would continue until April of the next year.

It is more than likely that the object shown here played a role in those events. Found in Spanish Fort,

Alabama, where Confederate forces under Brigadier General Randall L. Gibson held off the Union forces of Union Major General E. R. S. Canby from March 27th to April 8th, 1965, the corkscrew-shaped iron tool is a search or worm used by artillerymen of the period during the reloading of cannon.

The powder charge for cannon during the Civil War was contained in a cloth bag. The worm, which would have been attached to a long wooden pole, was used after firing to scrape out any leftover smoldering cloth from the cannon’s bore after firing. Next, the sponge, a lambskin-covered cylinder attached to a pole and soaked in water, was used to extinguish any remaining

FROM THE COLLECTIONembers and clean the barrel before the next charge of gunpowder and ball was inserted and rammed into place. The cannon would then be primed, fired, and the entire process would be repeated.

The worm came to the University of Alabama Museums as part of the Mike Blake Collection in 1986. Mr. Blake’s interests as a collector and amateur archaeologist were extensive and ecumenical: the greater Blake Collection contained artifacts and specimens that covered the range of subjects from prehistoric and historic archaeology, to paleontology, mineralogy, and history. The archaeological portion of the collection is currently undergoing curatorial rehabilitation at the Office of Archaeological Research to bring the inventory information and artifact storage procedures up to modern standards.

BY BILL ALLEN

TThrough the generosity of Dr. Edward Uehling, the Gorgas House now has several important new additions. In 2013, the Gorgas House participated in the Institute of Museum and Library Services Conservarion Assesment Program. One of the top recommendations from the assessors was the purchase of a new hygrometer/datalogger system that would simultaneously record temperature and humidity throughout the house. Dr. Uehling’s donation made the purchase of a high-tech monitoring system possible. The new datalogging system will not only monitor and record conditions inside each room in

the house, but it will send updates to a computer used by the Gorgas House Director. If there is a problem with the HVAC unit, staff will now be alerted immediately, deterring any future problems with moisture and leaks.

Dr. Uehling’s donation also allowed us to replace the rug in the front entrance hall. The original rug was not original to the house and over many years usage began to show signs of wear and tear. David Smith of Clarendon Rugs located an antique Bidjar Persian Rug from the 1890s. Because of its extremely large size, the rug is thought to have been made for a grand home with large rooms. Clarendon also included, as

a donation, a smaller rug to replace a worn out rug in the Post Office room of the House.

We are extremely grateful to the thoughtful and generous Dr. Uehling for making possible these important purchases for the Gorgas House!

GORGAS HOUSE RECEIVES DONATIONBY LYDIA ELLINGTON

The Mike Blake Collection was developed over a period of years prior to the passing of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. Today, state and federal lands are protected by law from artifact collectors to preserve history for everyone.

This data node monitors the temperature and humidity in the Gorgas House and alerts staff when there is a problem.


Figure 2.

AAfter more than 26 years in the museum profession, Dr. William Bomar was ready for a new challenge — and he found it as the Executive Director of The University of Alabama Museums.Bomar, director of UA’s Moundville Archaeological Park since 1998, was selected for the position after serving as the interim director since May 2013. As executive director, he is responsible for overseeing the activities of UA’s museum system, which includes the Alabama Museum of Natural History, Moundville Archaeological Park, Gorgas House, Museum Research and Collections, Office of Archaeological Research and the Emmy award-winning television program “Discovering Alabama.”

“Dr. Bomar has experience with many

types of museums, both at UA and in his previous positions, and is well qualified to lead the UA Museums,” said Dr. Joe Benson, UA interim provost, who named Bomar to the position following a national search.Bomar already has big plans for the future of UA’s Museums.

“The Association of College and University Museums and Galleries often says ‘great universities have great museums,’” he said. “As the institution with arguably the oldest university museum in the U.S., dating to its founding in 1831 when a curator was employed to collect specimens and produce exhibits in the Rotunda building, The University of Alabama should be a national leader in teaching, research and public service through its museum system.

“Broadly speaking, I want UA Museums to gain national notoriety among university museums and triple our educational impact in 10 years.”Citing the museums’ diverse collections that are commonly used for research by faculty, students and scholars from both UA and other institutions, Bomar said he wants the museums to expand that role as facilitators of research and also play a stronger role in the dissemination of knowledge to the community through state-of-the-art exhibits and a vast array of educational programs.“That’s what museums do best,” he said. “We take complex information and present it to the public in fun and engaging ways. We are community centers for lifelong learning and critical thinking.”

Prior to coming to Moundville in 1998, Bomar worked at the Atlanta History Center, Nebraska State Historical Society, Coastal Heritage Society in Savannah, Georgia, and the Georgia Southern University Museum. Because of his experience in each type of museum represented by UA Museums, Bomar said he understands the unique challenges associated with historic houses, natural history museums and outdoor heritage sites.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity,” he said. “Yes, I will miss working every day at such a beautiful and special place, but I have been at Moundville for a long time and accomplished a lot. I am ready for new and exciting challenges. Moundville is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the U.S., and the site has an incredible story.

“But the other UA Museums also have incredible stories to tell. Alabama is one of the most environmentally diverse states in the U.S., and its incredible fossil record illustrates this story over vast periods of time. I believe that the museum setting is truly the best medium for telling such a story, and, through our collections, curators and staff, we are best equipped to tell it.”

UA MUSEUMS NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTORBY KIM EATON


DDr. John Drish, one of Tuscaloosa’s earliest settlers, was a prominent physician and contractor beginning in the 1820s until his death in the 1860s. His skilled force of slave craftsmen was responsible for building many of the City’s and The University of Alabama’s structures. One such construction included the aptly named Drish Building, a two story brick building that stood on Block 15 in the northwest corner of Broad (University Avenue) and Market (Greensboro Avenue) Streets. In 1861, the Drish Building, along with Washington Hall, a hotel that stood across Market Street, and an abandoned paper mill located at the base of the hill below Block 15 were requisitioned by the Confederate War Department as possible locations to house Union prisoners of war.

In 1862, Union soldiers captured at Bull Run and Shiloh were brought to the Drish Building along with political prisoners from east Tennessee. These included a judge and former senator opposed to the rebellion who declined to pledge allegiance to the Confederacy.

Thousands of prisoners of war awaited exchange or parole in Tuscaloosa in prison conditions that lacked much in the way of comfort or hygiene. Conditions were described in diaries

THE DRISH BUILDING IN THE CIVIL WAR

and letters to the United States War Department by escaped and paroled prisoners who complained of cramped, filthy conditions. One escapee from the Drish Building recalled with disgust that over 300 prisoners were forced to use a “sink” or privy located only 30 feet from a well—their only source of drinking water. To make matters worse, many of the prisoners suffered from chronic diarrhea exacerbated by meager rations consisting of often spoiled meat and cornbread made from coarse meal that included ground cobs. During the archaeological investigations of the Bank of the State site, the remains of the privy were found in the exact location described by the prisoner.

Although escapes did happen, they were likely few and far between and prisoners were forced to deal with the deprivations of a war torn South. To augment their meager rations, prisoners sought any means to obtain more food. One newspaper article from June 15, 1862 and printed in the New York Times points to an incident that likely arose from the prisoners’ ingenuity at finding resources to aid in sustaining themselves. On the first floor of the Drish Building was an old printing press. Somehow the prisoners managed to gain access to the press and trays of type and began counterfeiting

Confederate currency. Since currency was hard to come by, numerous regional mints maintained their own presses and telling real Confederate dollars from fake was often difficult. The prisoners took advantage of this dilemma and printed “shinplasters”, as the currency of the day was known, in a sum totaling about $300. Some of the lead type was found while excavating the features behind the building.

The most notorious person associated with Tuscaloosa’s prisons was Captain Henry Wirz. Born Heinrich Hartmann Wirz in Zurich Switzerland in 1823, he immigrated to the United States in 1849 and practiced as a weaver in Massachusetts before moving to Kentucky to become a doctor’s assistant, and then onto Louisiana. In 1861, he enlisted in the Fourth Louisiana Infantry rising swiftly through the ranks and was promoted to captain after the Battle of Seven Pines in 1862. He lost the use of his right arm in the battle and was sent to work on the staff of General John H. Winder who was in charge of the prisoner of war camps. Wirz was sent to the Tuscaloosa prisons where the prisoners’ accounts indicate that he was a harsh disciplinarian with eccentric personality traits. Sergeant Douglas W. Marsh of Company D of the 8th Iowa Volunteers recalled that in Tuscaloosa, “The first command I ever heard [Wirz] give was to the guard: ‘Bayonet the first G—d d—d Yankee that

BY MATTHEW GAGE


speaks a word’”. Following Tuscaloosa, Wirz took charge of Camp Sumter in Georgia. Sumter, more commonly known as Andersonville, became the most notorious POW camp of the Confederacy. At the end of the war, Wirz was put on trial for conspiracy and cruelty for his treatment of prisoners under his care. He was found guilty and hanged on November 10, 1865.

The use of the Drish Building did not last through the duration of the War. Before Croxton’s Raiders hit Tuscaloosa, the prisoners had been moved to Chattanooga, some reportedly taking examples of their counterfeit Confederate currency with them and introducing it into the economy of southeast Tennessee, much to the

dismay of townspeople.

Although its part in the War was relatively short lived, the Drish Building and the Bank of the State site served as a reminder of the Civil War well into the later part of the twentieth century. The building was finally torn down in 1987 to make way for the first planned hotel project. Now, the property will be home to the new Embassy Suites under construction with an intended completion date of December 2014. Once utilized as a facility to house Union prisoners, it is more than slightly ironic to think that one hundred and fifty odd years later, the site will become home to a luxury hotel where people will come from far and wide to stay and experience the hospitality of Tuscaloosa.

PALEOCLIMATOLOGY AT THE BRUSH POND SITEBY MATTHEW GAGE

Our understanding of Alabama’s environment at the end of the Pleistocene comes from some interesting places. Unlike frozen parts of the world where ice cores can recount climatic conditions for the past hundred millennia, the temperate environment of our state requires other sources of data that point to climate, vegetation, and conditions at the end of the last ice age.

The University of Alabama, Office of Archaeological Research (OAR) has teamed with researchers from the University of Tennessee to gain a better understanding of the changes in plant and animal life in the region. Under a National Science Foundation grant, Dr. Sally Horn of the UT, Department of Geography and her graduate student Matthew Boehm have been working to recover pollen samples from sediments in ponds, swamps, and lakes in the region. One of the main problems with these types of studies is determining whether these fresh water catchments represent old water features or recent developments. That is where OAR comes in. By looking at the

archaeological sites known in the area, it became apparent that Brush Pond, a large natural sinkhole in Colbert County, must have been around at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, roughly 11,700 years ago. Paleoindian sites are known for the area with several artifact scatters bordering the edge of the pond. These sites, likely hunting camps, blinds, and butchering stations, were located by prehistoric inhabitants of the region to take full advantage of the access to water and the wildlife it would have attracted. More importantly for this project, it indicates the antiquity

of the ponds that would have served as collection points for locally produced pollen grains. The pollen settled on the surface of the pond and sank to the bottom, gradually being silted over by sediments and creating a sequence or column that can subsequently be sampled for analysis.

The sediment samples recovered by the team of researchers will be used to show what types of vegetation were present around the pond and will help to indicate what the paleoenvironment of Brush Pond was like through time. Unfortunately for Horn and Boehm, few such samples exist for our region. One of the main problems of the research is finding the types of features that preserve pollen, namely continuously inundated ponds that haven’t been altered by dredging or other activities. Brush Pond is one of those rare pollen collection points. Through their study of the core samples recovered from the mucky bottom of the pond, Horn and her team hope to better understand the changing nature of Alabama’s environment and to help shed new light on questions of climate change in the Southeast.

Opposite page upper left: The Drish Building circa 1870 (image courtesy of the Tuscaloosa County Preservation Society).Opposite page lower right: The “sink” was located only 30 ft from the prisoner’s only source of drinking water.Right: Lead type letter “s” found in the privy behind the Drish Building.

OArchaeologists extracting sediment cores from Brush Pond.


OOn August 15th 2014, the Panama Canal celebrated the centennial anniversary of its opening and the first passage of ships through the canal. The Gorgas House Museum is currently celebrating the work of Dr. William Crawford Gorgas as the United States Military’s Chief Sanitation Officer in the Canal Zone with an exhibit on display through November 14th. The exhibit features artifacts from the UA Museum Collections as well as items donated by Dr. Stephen Gross, and Ron and Elizabeth Howard. William Gorgas, son of Josiah and Amelia Gorgas, first developed an interest in yellow fever after contracting the disease as a young army doctor in Brownsville, Texas. During the Spanish-American War, he was stationed in Havana where he worked with the famed physician Walter Reed and Cuban physician Carlos Finlay.

Gorgas’ successes in Cuba led to his appointment as Chief Sanitation Officer for the Panama Canal Zone. At the time of the Canal’s construction, the idea of the mosquito as a carrier for infectious disease was not accepted as popular belief. Instead, many believed that yellow fever and malaria were caused by bad air or soil, the “miasma theory” of disease that the hot, humid conditions of Panama (so perfect for mosquitoes) seemed to support. Given this popular misconception, Gorgas had difficulty promoting the mosquito eradication methods that had worked for him in Cuba.

The American Medical Association sent a surgeon to investigate conditions in Panama in 1905, the year after Gorgas arrived in Panama. The report condemned the commission, while praising Gorgas’ efforts. On receiving the report, President Theodore Roosevelt decided to replace all members of the committee, including Gorgas, but Alexander Lambert,

DR. WILLIAM CRAWFORD GORGAS AT THE PANAMA CANAL

Roosevelt’s personal physician, counseled otherwise: “You are facing one of the greatest decisions of your career,” he said. “If you fall back on the old methods you will fail, just as the French failed. If you back Gorgas you will get your canal.”

Roosevelt took that advice, granting Gorgas autonomy from the commission and funding. Gorgas then unleashed one of the most extensive sanitary campaigns in history: in 1905, more than 4,000 people worked for Gorgas on his “mosquito brigades” in what would become a yearlong effort to prevent the insects from reproducing. A legion of fumigators armed with cleaning agents, insecticide powder, and wire mesh for screening windows and doors, visited every house in Panama repeatedly; drains and cesspools were prayed with kerosene; pools of standing water were drained or filled in. Gorgas’ army of sanitation workers used 120 tons of pyrethrum powder, 300 tons of sulfur, 600,000 gallons of oil, 3,000 garbage cans, 4000 buckets, 1,000 brooms and

1,200 fumigation pots… and by August of 1906, the number of yellow fever cases had fallen by half. In September, 1906, only seven new cases appeared… and on November 11, 1906, the last death from yellow fever in the Canal Zone was recorded.

Malaria would take longer to control, but death rates from that disease would drop to less than one percent by January of 1910.

The eradication of yellow fever and malaria by controlling the mosquito population in the Canal Zone changed medicine dramatically: the promotion of the germ theory of disease over the miasma theory is perhaps the most important outcome of Gorgas’ work there.

BY LYDIA ELLINGTON

Above: Chief Sanitation Officer of the Canal Zone, William C. Gorgas, surveys the construction of the Panama Canal.

“William C. Gorgas and the Panama Canal” ExhibitOn Display at the Gorgas House

Museum Through November 14, 2014

Museum Hours Monday - Friday 9:00 am -12:00 pm

and 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Yes, I/we want to support The University of Alabama Museums.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA MUSEUMS MEMBERSHIPGIVING LEVELS & BENEFITS

Box 870340, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487205-348-9826 • giving.ua.edu

Amount of Gift ______________

❑ Alabama River ($40 –$99)

❑ Black Warrior River ($100 –$249)

❑ Cahaba River ($250 –$499)

❑ Coosa River ($500 –$999)

❑ Sipsey River ($1,000 –$2,499)

❑ Douglas Epps Jones Society ($2,500 –$4,999)

❑ Eugene Allen Smith Society ($5,000+)

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Much of the natural beauty of Alabama is found among its many rivers. To recognize the vital role these rivers play in making our state unique, The University of Alabama Museums has designated gift membership levels with the names of some of Alabama’s best-known and beloved rivers. All membership levels are important to the Museum. We hope you will be as generous as your circumstances allow. Note: Each membership level receives the benefits listed plus all benefits of levels that precede it.

Alabama River ($40–$99)• Unlimited admission (except for special

events) to Moundville Archaeological Park, Alabama Museum of Natural History, Gorgas House and Paul W. Bryant Museum

• Membership newsletter• Discounts on Museum programs and

Summer Expedition• Membership card and decal• Recognition in newsletter• Invitations to special member events

Black Warrior River ($100–$249)• Discovering Alabama DVDs• 10% discount at University of Alabama

Museum Shops

Cahaba River ($250–$499)• Free admission to Moundville Native

American Festival• Unlimited admission to Museums for five

guests• A one-year gift membership at Alabama

River level• Additional 10% (20% total) discount at

University of Alabama Museum Shops

Coosa River ($500–$999)• Unlimited admission to Museums for two

additional guests (seven total)• Reduced rental rates for Museum facilities

Sipsey River ($1,000–$2,499)• Unlimited admission to Museums for

three additional guests (10 total)• Two additional one-year gift memberships

(three total), all at Black Warrior level

Douglas E. Jones Society ($2,500–$4,999)• Unlimited admission to Museums for two

additional guests (12 total)• Special recognition in Smith Hall Foyer• Three one-year gift memberships

upgraded to Cahaba River level

Eugene Allen Smith Society ($5,000+)• Book on natural history from The

University of Alabama Press• Unlimited admission to Museums for

three additional guests (15 total)

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTUSCALOOSA, AL

PERMIT #16

Box 870340 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0340205-348-7550

[email protected]

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