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Workshop in Archeology
  Have you ever wanted to try your hand at making stone tools, or adzing ship timbers the way they did in the 18th century? Well, every year the Office of Archeology and the Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc. (ASM) give you a chance to participate in demonstrations of ancient skills and learn about the techniques archeologists use to discover the past. The Workshop in Archeology is held in the late winter/early spring in Crownsville, Maryland. There is a small registration fee (ASM members receive a discount). For more information on the workshop, or for details on how to join the Archeological Society of Maryland, contact the Office of Archeology at 410-514-7661.
The 17th Annual
Workshop in Archeology
was held on March 8, 2008
Here's what you missed...
Digging Up the Dirt on Jamestown: The Jamestown Rediscovery Archaeological Project — Bly Straube (APVA Preservation Virginia)
Initiated by APVA Preservation Virginia in 1994, the Jamestown Rediscovery Archaeological Project has sucessfully unearthed the remains of James Fort, the fortified settlement established by the English in 1607. Features of the fort are remarkably well preserved and—along with nearly one million artifacts from the excavations—have yielded new information about architecture, burial practices, and daily life in the birthplace of America.
CAT SESSION — Historic Overview — Silas Hurry (Historic St. Mary's City) & Kate Dinnel (Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum)
This program is designed to introduce the participants to the basics of historical archeology with a focus on Maryland. We will review a brief timeline of Maryland’s history from 17th century colonization up through the extensive development of the 20th century, with an emphasis on economic adaptation and population expansion. The history of historical archeology in Maryland will be explored to provide the participants with grounding in the development of the discipline. Modern practitioners in historical archeology, their contributions, and the various programs in Maryland will be discussed. Finally, a range of site types and research foci will be described with an emphasis on where historical archeology is headed as a field of study. [This workshop comprises two distinct sessions. Certified Archeological Technician (CAT) candidates seeking credit for their certification program must attend both sessions.]
 Examining Copper Caches: Case Studies from the Early and Middle Woodland — Matt McKnight (Maryland Historical Trust)
Matt McKnight presents the results of his recent dissertation research (Penn State) focusing on models used to explain the acquisition and consumption of native copper at Adena and Hopewellian sites. These models are tested using Laser Ablation ICP-MS, a fairly new and less destructive method of analyzing trace element constituents in solid geologic samples.
Mapping a Colonial Town Site — James G. Gibb (Gibb Archaeological Consulting)
Port Tobacco was founded in the 1720s, possibly much earlier, and was abandoned very early in the 20th century. Only three of the scores of buildings that once existed survive. The Port Tobacco Archaeological Project has developed a systematic approach to town site exploration. Using standard archeological survey techniques and digital technologies, the team is mapping the extent and internal structure of the town in preparation for more intensive study of the various dwellings, stores, shops, and offices that comprised Port Tobacco.
Mending Broken Ceramics — Lisa Young (Alexandria Conservation Services, Ltd.)
Conservator Lisa Young will review various adhesives used in conservation of archeological materials—describing how they function, discerning good ones from bad ones, and explaining why. This discussion will be followed by a hands-on pot-mending workshop.
Potomac Gorge Fish Weirs and Navigation Structures — Greg Beaudoin
During the summer of 2007, low water levels in the Potomac River presented a unique opportunity to search for evidence of historic and possibly prehistoric structures within the waters of the Potomac Gorge. Using satellite imagery, aerial reconnaissance and old fashioned surveying by foot, a number of undocumented structures were discovered that may shed additional light on the early history of the Washington, DC area. Several “low-water navigation structures,” possibly constructed by the Potowmack Company during their efforts to open the Potomac Gorge to navigation between 1784-1824, were documented, as were several stone fish weirs. Fish weirs, although not uncommon in the tidal Potomac or the Potomac River above Great Falls, are rare within the Potomac Gorge itself.
Power Runs in Many Channels: Subfloor Pits and the Archeology of Slavery in Colonial Virginia — Patricia Samford (Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory)
A common characteristic of Virginia slave quarters is the presence of subfloor pits beneath the houses. The most common explanations of the functions of these pits are as storage places for personal belongings or root vegetables, and some contextual and ethnohistoric data suggest they may have served as West African-style shrines. Through the analysis of over 100 subfloor pits dating from the 17th through mid-19th centuries, this talk reveals how data on shape, location, surface area and depth, as well as contextual analysis of artifact assemblages, can show how subfloor pits functioned for the enslaved.
Prehistoric Bone Technology — Dan Coates & Jack Davis (Northern Chesapeake Archeological Society, Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc.)
Focusing on the use of deer bones (but also including turtle, dog, and large bird bone), this demonstration will show how prehistoric people worked bone into tools, including fishhooks, projectile points, awls, scrapers and knives, and knife handles. Many replicated bone tools, along with posters of animal osteology, will also be displayed.
What Can Glass Tell Us? 18th and 19th Century Glass — Robert Sonderman (National Park Service)
Participants will be introduced to the basic knowledge and skills necessary for classifying and identifying late 18th through early 20th century glass artifacts. Special emphasis will be placed on bottle glass and other utilitarian wares.
Scenes from the 2008 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2007 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2006 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2005 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2004 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2003 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2002 Workshop in Archeology
Scenes from the 2001 Workshop in Archeology
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Send me more information on Maryland Archeology Programs and Volunteer Opportunities! |
If you would like us to send you materials about the various archeology programs and opportunities available for volunteers, please click on one of the documents below, complete the form, and email it as an attachment to the email address provided in the document.
For information on Terrestrial Projects for Volunteers, Laboratory Projects for Volunteers, the 2009 Workshop in Archeology, the 2008 Maryland Archeology Month, or Internship Opportunities, open this document.
For information on Underwater Projects for Volunteers, the U-1105 Shipwreck Preserve, Laboratory Projects for Volunteers, the 2009 Workshop in Archeology, the 2008 Maryland Archeology Month, or Internship Opportunities, open this document.
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For information on membership in the Archeological Society of Maryland, click here.
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Thank you for your interest in Maryland archeology!
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Last updated: March 11, 2008
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