Pennsylvania Historic Preservation has a list of upcoming activities, including an experimental archaeology workshop at Meadowcroft rockshelter, for the state’s upcoming Archaeology Month.
Everyday Carry, Anthropology Edition
Multiple cameras, two pairs of reading glasses, one Munsell soil color book, and a plastic trombone: six anthropologists on the things they carry, in “What’s in Your Bag?” at Anthropology News.
Archaeological Sites Along the Assunpink
Dam archaeology in New Jersey: 1970s archaeology along Assunpink Creek, and modern creek daylighting efforts in Trenton: Assunpink Creek Dam Site 20
The Late Archaic Site by the Parking Garage: More on Coralville, Iowa
The redevelopment of that Coralville, Iowa wetland park/restaurant/hotel complex uncovered a prehistoric archaeological site officially known as the Edgewater Park Site (13JH1132). The initial survey by archaeologists prior to construction discovered that artifacts were present about one meter below the ground surface. Therefore, the upper meter of soil was removed over a 10 x 10 meter area (near the current parking garage) to expose the artifact-bearing layers.
The dig recovered about 15,000 artifacts. Most of these are stone flakes, but there are also 17 projectile points. Ten of these are Table Rock points, a side-notched biface similar to the widespread Late Archaic Durst, Dustin, and Lamoka points found elsewhere. The only other diagnostic point is a Stone Square Stemmed point that also dates to the Late Archaic.
Concentrations of fire-cracked rock likely are the remains of several hearths, and the distribution of the stone debitage (primarily Maynes Creek chert, which is found naturally about 100km away from the site) may reveal areas where individuals were creating stone tools between 3,500 and 3,900 years ago. Three types of plants found at the site, barnyard grass, little barley, and knotweed, could possibly have been cultivated there. Archaeologists think that the Edgewater Park site was a warm-weather camp temporarily used by hunter-gatherers who may have also been beginning to use domesticated plants.
The Office of the State Archaeologist of Iowa has more information on the Edgewater Park Site, and photos of the excavation can be seen on Flickr.
Reference:
William E. Whittaker, Michael T. Dunne, Joe Alan Artz, Sarah E. Horgen and Mark L. Anderson
2007 Edgewater Park: A Late Archaic Campsite along the Iowa River. Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology 32 (1):5-45.
Zooarchaeology in Pennsylvania
This 2015 post on This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology is about zooarchaeology and includes new photos of animal bones and cut marks from the famous Eschelman Site in Lancaster County, which was the subject of one of the earliest systematic analyses of bone modification marks on an American faunal assemblage.
Reference:
Guilday, John E., Paul W. Parmalee and Donald P. Tanner
1962 Aboriginal Butchering Techniques at the Eschelman Site (36LA12), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Archaeologist 32(2):59-83.
Worked Bone Archaeology Book Published
The Worked Bone Research Group, part of the International Council for Archaeozoology (ICAZ) has just published the proceedings from the 10th Meeting of the WBRG, held in Belgrade in 2014. The book contains over 40 articles on worked bone from both prehistoric and historical archaeological sites.
The book, Close to the Bone, is edited by Selena Vitezovic and can be downloaded for free at the WBRG site.
South Riverwalk Park in Trenton, New Jersey
The South Riverwalk Park, or Deck Park, was built on top of the Route 29 Tunnel along the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey. The design of the park was informed by the archaeological and historical research conducted prior to construction of the tunnel. A series of arches made of different materials (Steel, iron, brick, wood) represent each century of historic occupation of Trenton. The first arch evokes the construction techniques used by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Plaques inset into the ground record the many milestones of local history. The south end borders Riverview Cemetery; at the North end, steps lead down to Waterfront Park, the home of the Trenton Thunder, the AA affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Utah Has Finished Scanning its Archaeological Site Forms
A three-year project at the Utah Division of State History has been completed, according to The Spectrum. Almost 120,000 site records have been digitized.
Work as an Archaeologist (Part-Time) for New York City
The Landmarks Preservation Commission of New York City is looking to hire a part-time archaeologist to assist with the review of cultural resource surveys, maintain a website, and assist in other duties.
Standard archaeology job qualifications apply, and New York City residency is required within 90 days. For more details, including pay rate, see the NYC Careers site.
Trowelblazer: Patty Jo Watson
Proud to have my post on a truly legendary archaeologist, Patty Jo Watson, up on Trowelblazers.