50th Anniversary Archaeological Symposium

The Chapter's 50th Anniversary Archaeological Symposium opened to a large and enthusiastic crowd Saturday at 10 am in Orange Hall at the  SUNY/Orange Middletown Campus

Here, members Ray and June, at the entrance table, examine Jean's artifacts collected by her mother decades ago in the New Jersey interior and the along the Atlantic shore in Cape May.

Prof. Barry Kass led off the lecture series before a nearly full house with his review of Dutchess Quarry Caves, which is among the earliest known inhabited sites in the northeast and one of extraordinarily few North American sites that contain evidence of human presence from the glacial period through the colonial times.

Ginny completes a certificate commemorating the shell and bead necklace assembled by Hailey from objects she uncovered from the mock dig table.

  

Dave examines South American pottery brought in by attendee.

 

Kevin, Jon and Joe discussing a topic.

Ray and Gary making their points about this reproduction lithic knife.

Flintnappers, Are Tsirk (a fracture analysis specialist in addition to a master napper), Brian, Gary and Joe held center stage demonstrating various techniques and awed the audience with their mastery in crafting points, flakes, scrapers and all manner of objects.

Brian discusses fire starting techniques.

Dave closed the lecture session with a dynamic talk about the types of organic materials that where probably used, but rarely survive the ages in our Northeast environments. He has noted that most hunter-gatherer cultures around the world have developed similar technologies for survival, such as this bow and two piece arrow - long shaft with detachable foreshaft/projectile point.

He theorizes that it is likely that people in this area used similar technologies.  Here he demonstrates how people use a head-basket to collect food, tossing in the basket as they pick it.

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The hall was transformed and the 2009 edition of our Annual Dinner followed.

Following dessert,  Ray Decker presented retiring President, Kevin Storms, with this specially commissioned "Bi-stemmed Point" to commemorate his dedicated service to the Chapter and for all the untyped fragments that Kevin has identified over the years!  Thanks to Gary Sipila for crafting this extraordinary piece!

Annual Dinner Chairman, Chuck, closed the dinner with a rousing expression of thanks to all who made this day such a memorable success!