Archaeology Symposium
Lecture Schedule and Abstracts
Click on the links below to jump to the lecture abstracts.
- 10:30am–Barry Kass, Professor Emeritus, SUNY Orange:
- "The Dutchess Quarry Caves site near Florida, NY: Key Archaeological Discoveries of the Earliest People to Migrate through the Americas"
- 12:30pm–Eugene J. Boesch, PhD, RPA, Senior Archaeologist, Historic Preservation and Archaeology:
- “From Founders to Farmers: An Archaeologist’s View of 19th Century Homes in the Hudson Valley” Sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities, Speakers in the Humanities
- 2pm–William Sandy, RPA:
- ”Hansen Rockshelter~A Preliminary Look At A Black Dirt Area Time Capsule”
- 3pm–David Johnson:
- “What are We Missing when Investigating Local Archaeological Sites?”
The Dutchess Quarry Caves Site Near Florida, New York: Key Archaeological Discoveries of the Earliest People to Migrate Through the Americas
~ A Lecture by Barry D. Kass, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, SUNY Orange
Beginning in the 1960’s and continuing intermittingly for the next several decades, archeological investigations conducted at the Dutchess Quarry Caves site by members of the Orange County Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association, under the direction of the late Robert Funk, chief archaeologist at the New York State Museum in Albany, revealed a sequence of ancient cultural remains which spanned thousands of years of prehistory in the lower Hudson Valley. This presentation will focus on the discovery of an ancient Paleo-Indian fluted projectile point at Dutchess Quarry, dated through radiocarbon to more than 10,000 years ago, a time when the first migrating hunter-gatherer people were spreading through the Americas and adapting to the harsh glacial conditions of the Pleistocene, the ice-age. The recovery of the fluted point in a datable context makes the Dutchess Quarry Caves site one of the most significant archaeological sites ever to be found and excavated in North America.
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From Founders to Farmers: An Archaeologist's View of 19th Century Homes in the Hudson Valley
~ a lecture by Eugene J. Boesch, PhD
This presentation discusses the archaeology of nineteenth century dwellings using examples from the lower Hudson Valley. The presentation discusses what archaeologists know, do not know, and want to know about such domestic sites and describes how Historic archaeology complements, frequently exceeds, and sometimes contradicts the documentary record for understanding past behavior. Methods employed to investigate dwelling sites, the types of finds and remains that may be encountered, and the kinds of insights that may be gained about past lifestyles also will be discussed. Analyses of cultural patterns revealed by artifact data and other information recovered from site excavations, along with insights gleaned from research using census data, wills, probate inventories, maps, and other historic documents, may provide an understanding of the ethnicity, occupations, status, subsistence practices, and other characteristics of those living in the dwellings.
Such insights may help interpret larger trends occurring within each site’s community such as the rise of a consumer society and the transition from a rural life style to a suburban, middle class existence connected to a wider trade or distribution network. The nineteenth century was a time of rapid change that set the stage for twentieth century culture and our contemporary experiences. The archaeology of domestic sites can help place those experiences in a historic context. The presentation also will discuss the process by which the National Register of Historic Places eligibility of historic house sites may be evaluated.
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Hansen Rockshelter~A Preliminary Look At A Black Dirt Area Time Capsule
~ a lecture by William Sandy, RPA
On the west side of the huge "Black Dirt" wetlands in the Town of Minisink, Orange County, New York lays Hansen Rockshelter. In 1982, the Incorporated Orange County Chapter of the New York State Archeological Society excavated the small cave. The talus slope in front of the cave was also excavated and proved to be particularly rich in artifacts and faunal remains. The IOCC unearthed a variety of stone tools, a great deal of Native American ceramics, and bones of 28 different animals. This preliminary report, which depended on two often overlooked sources of archaeological data– the holdings of the Town museum and long-time members of the New York State Archaeological Association– documents an important archaeological time capsule of 5,000 years of life on the Black Dirt.
The Hansen Rockshelter is located within an approved housing development. A Cultural Resource Management Plan, adopted by the Town and administered through the Town of Minisink Museum, will both protect the site and allow for controlled access by researchers and the community.
A report on the Hansen Rockshelter Site is planned for the Chapter's Occasional Papers series.
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What are We Missing when Investigating Local Archaeological Sites?
~ a lecture by David Johnson
This presentation will discuss the construction and use of a variety of artifacts from the cultures David Johnson has visited as well as how they can be related to local Pre-Columbian archaeological sites.
During the last 35 years, David has lived with remote cultures throughout the world and collected artifacts from them that resemble the life-style of Northeastern Pre-Columbian Native Americans. These artifacts provide the opportunity to examine the artifacts that were lost to decay in local archaeological sites and contemplate what is being missing during the investigation of these sites.
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Contact Us:
Dorothy Szefc
Coordinator of Cultural Affairs (Middletown)
(845) 341-4891
cultural@sunyorange.edu
Nicole Shea
Coordinator of Cultural Affairs (Newburgh)
(845) 341-9386
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