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 hikeNumber 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 chargeRecommended 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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