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US - Maine - DRA Summer Field School in Prehistoric Archaeology PDF Print E-mail

 

Archaeological Field School

DRA Summer Field School in Prehistoric Archaeology

Application Deadline: July 21, 2006

Field School Dates:

First Session: August 6 - 11
Second Session: August 13- 18

 

University, College, Institution

Damariscotta River Association

Location of Field School

Damariscotta, Maine
USA

Field School Overview

  • Field School Type: Excavation, Survey
  • Time Period(s) Prehistoric Site-- Ceramic Period site, dates to roughly 2000 to 1300 years before present
  • Field School Conditions: Rural, ocean-front site, 5 minutes to town by car
  • Field School Access: Short hike
  • Number of years for field school: 1

     

    Project Directors

    Peter A. Leach
    Affiliation: Graduate Student in Climate Change Institute and Department of Anthropology, University of Maine, Orono, Maine

    Field School Description

    This year's field school will continue our investigation of oyster middens (piles of oyster shell and refuse)on the shores of Great Salt Bay. This location is at the head of the Damariscotta River Estuary, on the coast of Maine. The area is famous archaeologically because of the Glidden and Whaleback oyster middens, two of the largest (20 - 30 feet thick) oyster middens north of Florida. We will be investigating a smaller midden (2 to 4 feet thick) near the Glidden and Whaleback middens to discover:
    1) Diagnostic atifacts for relative dating of the site, including remains of prehistoric ceramic vessels and stone tools;
    2) Hearth features that may contain charcoal for radiocarbon dating, as well as burned food remains;
    3) Season of capture of oysters in the site
    4) Other faunal remains, including various land snails for paleoenvironmental reconstruction.
    Another important research focus will be identifying whether prehistoric builders of the midden lived on, within, or behind the oyster midden itself, or if they used the site solely for food collecton. Through use of careful excavation techniques, artifact analysis, and stratigraphy and soil interpretation we will begin to reconstruct the everyday life of prehistoric Native Americans on one of Maine's beautiful estuaries.
    The field school students will be given a tour of the archaeology of the Damariscotta, and will also have the opportunity to participate in flintknapping (making stone tools). Instruction and all necessary supplies will be provided by the instructor.



    Field school web site: www.draclt.org/
    Field School Size: 1-15
    Minimum age: 13 (exceptions made)
    Is prior experience required?: No

    Specialized skills you will have the opportunity to learn

    Manual Mapping/drawing (plan views, profiles): Yes
    Manual Transit: Yes
    Compass mapping survey: Yes
    Digital Photography: Yes
    Excavation Survey Techniques: Yes
    Interpreting stratigraphy: Yes
    Soils: Yes
    Artifact analysis: Yes
    Evening Lectures: There will be an evening lecture and orientation on August 6 and 13

    Rain days free: Yes

    Is travel during free time restricted?: No

    Academic, Credit Room and Board, & Tuition

    Academic Credit: No
    Room and Board Information: Ocean-side camping near site, free of charge

    Recommended readings

    RECOMMENDED READINGS (NOT REQUIRED!!!)

    Galtsoff, P. S.
    1964 The American Oyster: Crassostrea virginica Gmelin. Fishery Bulletin Volume 64. United
    States Department of the Interior, Washington.

    Sanger, D. and M. J. E. Sanger
    1986 Boom and Bust on the River: The Story of the Damariscotta Shell Heaps. Archaeology of
    Eastern North America 14:65- 78.

    Archaeology field school contact

    Amy Winkle
    Damariscotta River Association
    P.O. Box 333
    109 - 110 Belvedere Road
    Damariscotta, Maine 04543
    USA

    Website: www.draclt.org
    Email: dra@draclt.org
    Phone: 207-563-3494

    Summary

    Our field school is a great opportunity for a number of reasons:
    1) It's inexpensive (250.00 for 1 week, 400.00 for 2 weeks)
    2) Shell midden excavation is a fun and exciting way to discover archaeology and to learn techniques of excavation, or to broaden your knowledge of archaeology if you already have some experience. Shell middens are very different from other sites-- most importantly, the calcim carbonate (chalk) from the shells makes soils less acidic, so bone tools and other bone artifacts preserve. This doesn't usually happen in shell-free sites!
    3) What better place to spend a week or two of your summer than the beautiful coast of Maine?

     

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