23th Annual Highlands Conference - Saturday, October 24, 2009

at Lautenburg Visitor Center, Sterling Forest State Park

115 Old Forge Road, Tuxedo, NY

Hosted by the Archaeological Society of New Jersey, North Jersey Highlands Historical Society and our Chapter

Included in the “Prehistoric Pottery from the Region” exhibit were items for both Fred Assmus and Ray Decker’s collections.

For the morning session, Thomas Fitzpatrick lead a hike to the Augusta Mine site and miners' cabin ruins which ended just as the heavy rains started to fall.

Chapter members, Gary and Glen Keeton, kicked off the afternoon program with “The Discovery and Excavation of a Mastodon from the Bank of the Wallkill River, Orange County, NY.”

A half dozen speakers followed:

• “Understanding Rockshelters.” by R. Michael Stewart;
• “Cultural Ecology on a Need to Know Basis.” by Roger Moeller;
• “Pompotowwut-Muhheakanneau. Part 1: the Pomptons (Pumptons)” by IOCCNYSAA member, Kate S. Ahmadi;
• “James Alexander's Journey to the Upper Delaware, 1718.” by Rich Walling;
• “Forging Ahead in the Somerset Hills; Archaeological Documentation of an 18th Century Bloomery Forge in Bernardsville, NJ.” by Richard Veit;
• And closing with “Views from High Point” by Myra Snook.

Today’s conference was expertly organized by Edward J. Lenik, IOCCNYSAA, ASNJ and NJHHS.

Carol Johnson, Ph.D., NJHHS, mc’d the affair with flair.

Thanks to Ray Decker, with assistance from Kevin Storms & the Johnsons for manning the Chapter's table. And to Fred & Sharon Assmus as well as Ray Decker (again) for bringing pottery items for the exhibit.

And special thanks to Doc Bayne, Sterlng Forest State Park Education Ranger for his hospitally and for making this wonderful facility available!