Hike Iona Island December 11th!

Ruins of early Dutch settlement from 2009 tour.

Doc Bayne, renowned local historian, photographer and educator, will again lead a hike around Iona Island in the Hudson River below Bear Mountain.

From evidence of native Americans on the island through the colonial farms and settlements, when it was known as Salisbury Island, and later as Weygant's Island. In the late 1800s it attracted tourists with an amusement park, hotel, and picnic grounds. Iona Island served as a major Northeast United States Naval arsenal from 1900 to 1965, complete with explosions, saboteurs and of course, the famous mothball fleet following WWII. Since 1965, when the Palisades Interstate Park Commission took possession, much of the island and surrounding marshes have become a wildlife preserve, providing valuable habitat for many species, including winter nesting for Bald Eagles, during which the Island is off limits to human visitors.

To reserve your spot on the tour, call the number below.

	Subject:		Hike on Iona Island
	Start Date:		Sunday, December 11 2011 10:00AM
	End Date:		Sunday, December 11 2011 1:00PM
	Summary:		THE FRIENDS OF STERLING FOREST (F.S.F.) a newly formed FRIENDS GROUP, organized to help preserve Sterling Forest State Park. The F.S.F. will continue to educate and share the beauty of this region with our friends who love the out-of-doors. There will not be any fee for our events, Donations are accepted to assist F.S.F. preserve the history of your park. Hike on Iona Island Sunday December 11 10 AM Come and explore the, closed to the public island of Iona. Iona has had a vast history in the formation of our country. You will be surprised at what happened on this Island. We will meet at the kiosk by the RR tracks on Iona Island at 10 AM The trails can be steep and rocky, so please wear sturdy hiking shoes. Our hikes will include stops along the way to interpret natural and historic features.  Registration is required. For more information or to register, call 845-351-5907.

Florist Site 2011-11-20

Another chilly and raw day digging in cold moist and sticky soils!

Gary & Steph

A few flakes came out of today's test pits.

Clif

 Clif and Steph shown double checking a few measurements to the property's boundaries.

Steph

After freezing her fingers off today, Steph declared the 2011 field season officially finished and 2011/12 lab season open.

Tour Northern Italy: People, Culture, History with Barry Kass! July 12-22, 2012

Northern Italy: People, Culture, History

SUNY Orange Travel-Learn Program

July 12-22, 2012

Sponsored by C.A.P.E. (Office of Continuing and Professional Education)

Highlights include: 

• Visits to beautiful Lakes Maggiore and Como in the Italian Alps
• An Excursion by boat to visit the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, with their beautiful palaces and ornamental gardens
• Visits to Milan,  Verona (the city of Romeo and Juliet), and Padua
• An excursion to Bolzano to visit the new museum devoted to the famous “Iceman” discovery in the Italian Alps
• An excursion to the ancient town of Modena, including a wine tasting and ‘rustic’ lunch on a balsamic wine estate
• Three nights in Venice
• Expert English-speaking guides will accompany the tour group throughout our visit
• Three-Four star hotels
• Continental buffet breakfasts daily, welcome dinner, farewell dinner and one lunch included
• Informational seminars prior to departure held at the Middletown campus

Cost of program: $3298per person double occupancy: $548 single supplement.

(cost includes round-trip airfare, nine-nights accommodations, meals as above, museum entrance fees, guide services; cost does not include CAPE registration fee, tips, airline fuel surcharge )

Reserve your space now:  Deposit due December 10, 2011

FOR FULL INFORMATION, PROGRAM ITINERARY, REGISTRATION FORMS CONTACT TOUR ESCORT:

Barry D. Kass

Professor Emeritus of Anthropology

845 341-4364 office/845 733-1830 home

barry.kass@sunyorange.edu

C.A.P.E. office: 845 341-4125

Download flyer here.

Florist Site 2011-11-13

Following last night's annual meeting and dinner, a few souls, braved the raw weather and moist, cold soil to processed several more test pits. Several flakes and a few cobbles were recorded today.

Gary, Veronica & Steph.

2011 Annual Meeting and Diner

President Dave Johnson convened the 2011 Annual Meeting and Dinner at Catlin Gardens' newly constructed facility in Slate Hill.

Stephanie Tice was very honored to introduce her former professor and mentor, Dr. David Starbuck, who provided fascinating foundation on the French and Indian War in the Lake George region upon which he discussed his archaeological findings over the last twenty some odd years at Fort William Henry, site of the "Last of the Mohican." 

The French and their Indian allies took this English Fort in August 1757. French offered the British very generous surrender terms without the consent of their Indian allies who attacked the disarmed British troops as they marched back to the British lines under the 'protection' of the quickly disappearing French escort. French General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm stopped the attack some time after it was launched, though, by that time, a number of British soldiers and civilian had lost their scalps. Following the battle, the French destroyed the Fort and marched thirty miles north to their base at Fort Carillon, now known as Fort Ticonderoga. The site lay essentially dormant until the 1950s, when a replica was constructed. Since the early 1990s, David Starbuck and his teams have conducted investigations, both within and around the Fort, including the e-coli contaminated 25 foot deep dug well within the Fort. Numerous important finds have both reinforced and contradicted the historical record and lore.

David Starbuck noted the importance of the various interested groups, such as archaeologists, preservationists, historians, period re-enactors, Fort William Henry owners, etc. in working together to promote, improve and conserve this pivotal site in America's early history! 

Dr. David Starbuck & Stephanie Tice

Barry Kass

Gary Keeton

Following Dr. Starbuck's excellent presentation, the evening's meal was served.  Following the scrumptious dessert, President Dave, formally installed the two trustees elected to serve the 2012-2013 term. Incumbent Gary Keeton was reelected and Barry Kass, elected to succeed retiring Richard Havilech.

2011 Awards:

Lifetime Recognition: Harold Ray Decker

In recognition of extraordinary contributions to advancement of Orange County Archaeology through tireless promoting, giving presentations and living the mission of the Orange County Chapter and StateAssociation.

(Unfortunately Ray returned to Florida shortly before the Dinner)

Most Active Member for 2011: Clif Patrick.

Presidential Citation: Richard S. Havlicek. 

Certificate of Merit: Gary Jay Sipila.

 2011 inductees into the "Order of the Trowel" are:

Fred Assmus

Stephanie Tice

Joe Mlcoch (not at Dinner)

- - - 

Barry Kass reminded everyone that the
First Call for Papers

 96^th Annual Meeting

New York State Archaeological Association

April 27-29^th, 2012 


Has been sent out.


Get your copy at
http://tinyurl.com/7n3y5m3 

And he urged any member willing to submit a paper or an exhibit for the Poster Session.

THE ARCHAEOLOGIST - Vol. 11, November 12, 2011

THE ARCHAEOLOGIST

THE INCORPORATED ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER

OF THE NEW YORK STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Vol. 11, November 12, 2011

Chapter Web Site -  http://ioccnysaa.blogspot.com/

 Chapter email - ioccnysaa@gmail.com

 Chapter meetings are held on the third Friday of each month except July, August and November.

**** Please Note – No monthly meeting this month since we are having the annual dinner on November 12^th. The next monthly meeting will be held at the Middletown Senior Center on Friday, December 16^th. Don’t forget the December meeting will feature the grab-bag.

______________________________________________________________________

President’s Message

            I am finally back from Peru and Arizona and look forward to attending the annual dinner on November 12^th. I want to thank Chuck and Jon for conducting the meetings for me while I was away.

            Several members have asked me how my recent trips went so here is a brief summary. Both of the trips to Peru and Arizona were very interesting and successful. In Peru I completed two remote sections of the Rio Grande de Nasca drainage and can finally say the investigation of this region is completed. I was accompanied by three colleagues from Germany who are also studying the Nasca Lines. I was able to locate several geoglyphs that had not been documented since they are not visible in Google Earth. I did this by locating concentrated areas of permeability within the groundwater and followed them to the geoglyphs which mapped them.

            During the last year I have been working on changing my study area from Peru and Chile to the southwestern United States. Preliminary surveys conducted in the southwest during the last few years have indicated I am able to find features at archaeological sites using the same techniques I have been using in Peru and Chile. In June and October I was asked to present the results of my preliminary surveys at two conferences in Arizona and New Mexico. During both visits I conducted blind surveys of archaeological sites with local archaeologists. A blind survey consists of a local archaeologist taking me to a site I could not have read about and don’t know the location of. Then I conduct my survey and compare it with their’s. The results were very interesting. I was able to locate features such as Chaco / Anasazi Roads and structures that they knew about which were no longer visible on the surface. Next year we intend to expand this investigation.

Interestingly, even though I have been associated with the New York State Archaeological Association for the last 50 years I had to remove myself from the forest to see the forest clearly. Now let me explain. As I expanded my research along the coast of Peru and Chile I wondered if other cultures in the Western Hemisphere also mapped areas of high permeability within groundwater with surface features. This led me to the southwest where a similar pattern existed. Now I am re-entering New York’s forest and applying the same techniques I used along the coast of Peru and Chile as well as the southwestern United States to develop a better understanding of the northeastern Native Americans who occupied this region before Columbus. Once again the preliminary results are very similar to the other two regions. The correlation between these regions will be the topic of my presentation at the state meeting in April.

Dave

_____________________________________________________________________

                                                            Florist Site

            Stephanie is working at the Florist Site nearly every Sunday morning starting at 9 AM, weather permitting. If you intend to go please contact Stephanie to make sure they will be working the site that day.

            This site provides all our members a wonderful opportunity to experience archaeology first hand. We hope all of our members can take advantage of this opportunity to develop their skills as archeologists. If you are new to the chapter here is your opportunity to participate in an archaeological investigation and learn the techniques needed to properly document a site.

____________________________________________________________________

Results Of The State Survey Taken In 2010

            A few observations from the NYSAA’s survey’s results which was conducted last year.  If you want to review it, upon request, I will have it available on my computer at the upcoming monthly meetings. Here are some comments regarding the results.

1. Half of the respondents were professional archaeologists.
2. Even though we are one of the largest chapters in New York State only 8 members responded to the survey.

First Call for Papers for 96th Annual Meeting NYSAA April 27-29th, 2012

The Incorporated Orange County Chapter

New York State Archaeological Association

First Call for Papers

96th Annual Meeting New York State Archaeological Association

April 27-29th, 2012

The Incorporated Orange County Chapter, NYSAA, announces the First Call for papers for the 96th  Annual Meeting of the New York State Archaeological Association.  The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2012. 

Keynote Speaker:  David Johnson, President—Orange County Chapter NYSAA

“Analyzing Archaeology in New York State based on Peruvian and Southwestern United States Surveys” 

The meeting will be held in the beautiful lower Hudson Valley, at the The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center in Poughkeepsie, NY

For further information about the conference location click:

 http://www.clarionhotel.com/hotel-poughkeepsie-new_york-NY533

The program will be co-chaired by Barry D. Kass, Prof. Emeritus of Anthropology, SUNY Orange, and Dr. Cory Harris, Chair, Behavioral Sciences Dept, SUNY Orange

Paper proposal abstracts of approx. 250 words should be e-mailed as Microsoft Word attachments.  Indicate any audiovisual requirements.  Poster presentations are acceptable and encouraged, especially by students.  Any topic related directly or indirectly to NYS prehistory/history will be considered.

Submit proposals to Barry Kass at:  barry.kass@sunyorange.edu  call with questions: 845 733-1830.

For information, registration forms, and accommodation details contact David Johnson, President, OCC- NYSAA (globaldj@optonline.net, Phone: 845 454-1860)