Please contact us if you didn't receive your copy.
In-person meeting March 20, 2026!
7:30 PM at the Mulbury House Senior Center located at 62-70 West Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940.
Unfortunately, I have decided to cancel our chapter meeting scheduled for tonight, Friday the 20th, due to the weather. They are predicting snow and rain during the late afternoon into the evening with near freezing temperatures. If the temperature drops by a few degrees we could have icy conditions. Safety first for our members. I look forward to seeing you in March.
Dave
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – November 2024 has been sent to the membership!
If you are a member and do not receive yours, please contact us for an address correction.
Barry Kass
will present, in person:
“The Dutchess Quarry Caves Site in Orange County, New York: Archaeological Evidence of the Occupation of the Americas During the Last Ice Age by Ancient Human Groups.”
Join Barry Kass, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, SUNY Orange, and long-time member of the Orange County Preservation Committee for a presentation and discussion on the historical and archeological significance of the Dutchess Quarry caves and the efforts to preserve them.
Since joining the Orange County Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association in 1970, Prof. Kass has been involved in excavations at the DQ Caves site, as well as giving presentations to local groups about the prehistory and current status of this important archeological site in our region. He is presently serving on the Orange County Legislature's Committee designated to study the current protection and future educational possibilities of the Caves site.
Registration is required. There are 99 seats available.
https://goshenpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/12076612
Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024. 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET
Location:
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – May 2024
has been sent to the membership!
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – April, 2024
has been sent to the membership!
We will not have a monthly meeting in April since the state archaeological conference will be held this month in Oswego, NY.
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – Oct., 2023
President’s Message
We are not going to have a meeting this October. Last year we decided to cut down on monthly meetings. So our next meeting will be on Friday, November 17th. The presentation for the November meeting will be in the November newsletter. In addition to a presentation, we will have some holiday desserts for the meeting. I look forward to seeing you in November.
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Bill Sandy presented at our September meeting:
Black Archaeological Sites – Famous and Obscure
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – Oct., 2023 has been sent to the membership, so please let us know if you are a member and you didn't receive your copy.
President’s Message
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. We had a very enjoyable picnic in June with lots of good food and lengthly discussions in regard to the items people brought with them for show and tell.
We will be holding our first meeting of this season on Friday, September 15, 2023 starting at 7:30 pm at the Mulbury House Senior Center, 62-70 West Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940. Bill Sandy will be our presenter. We hope you can attend the in person meeting, however if you cannot, please sign in through Zoom at https://tinyurl.com/5xw2amuc. We hope that more of you can attend our meeting in person since it adds to the fellowship our chapter has been known for. We hope to offer a combination of regular meetings with some field trips this year. If you come across anyone who might be an interesting speaker for our chapter, please let me know, and I will contact them. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions please let me know.
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Black Archaeology Sites in the Middle Atlantic, Famous and Obscure
The Middle Atlantic and Southern New England are filled with an infinite variety of archaeological sites relating to Black history. This paper looks at 10 Black archaeological sites that include five historic cemeteries. The New York City African Burial Ground is now a National Landmark, our Nation’s highest honor. The Catoctin Slave Cemetery near Camp David, Maryland was excavated more than 40 years ago, and is the subject of a recent article in Historical Archaeology. Locally, the Montgomery African American Cemetery, subject to an IOCC-NYSAA mapping project in the 1990s, is the subject of ongoing research and interpretation. A salvage dig at a churchyard in Newark, NJ proved to that Episcopalian cemetery was integrated at an early date. Documentary research relating to Black Revolutionary War soldiers who died in Fishkill, NY from CT and elsewhere will be presented. Other sites to be discussed include Beverwyck, a northern plantation in Morris County, NJ and the Mann House site in Sussex County, NJ. The Mann House famously had a “hiding”, a metal object hidden in the rafters to reflect the “evil eye”. The Gabriel Esselstyne Site in the Catskills of NY had a 19th Century log cabin with a hiding of its own. Dug 30 years ago, only a draft, unpublished report exists. Nearby are huge cement plants. Industrial Archaeology has a Black component; Black men were historically a lower paid part of this industry. Urban archaeology in Providence, RI may have provided evidence of a small Black house pulled down in a race riot. These sites range from world famous to nearly unknown. Together with a myriad of other sites, they are prime for interpretation and reinterpretation, with the ultimate goal of a more accurate and nuanced understanding of Black history as an integral part of American history.
Chapter Picnic replaced June Meeting.
Next meeting in September.
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – May 2023
President’s Message
As you know, we have been organizing and reorganizing the state conference for the last three years, and as of April 21 - 23, it finally happened. We ended up with 135 registering for the conference, and, according to what everyone told me, it was very successful. Everything went very well, and the hotel did everything they could to accommodate us. We didn’t have a major problem, and, when a minor one occurred, everyone pitched in and solved it within minutes. The reason why it was so successful was the result of the number of outstanding and dedicated volunteers we had collaborating together from our chapter and the Lower Hudson chapter. Members from both chapters who didn’t know one each other before the conference bonded together and functioned as a well oiled machine to get the various jobs done. During the conference it brought our chapters closer together than ever before. For those of you who helped with the conference, I cannot thank you enough. It was a pleasure, privilege and honor to work with all of you. I am sure this will be a conference that attendees, as well as ourselves, will talk about for years.
This month’s meeting will be in person. Our speaker will be Richard Hull who is a member of our chapter. I hope you can attend.
Recently, we learned that Ray Decker <https://www.recordonline.com/obituaries/pnys0467791> and Larry Hansen <https://www.recordonline.com/obituaries/pnys0376112> have passed away. Both were members of our chapter for decades, as well as, officers, and participated in numerous activities.
We need someone to help set up the chapter picnic which is scheduled for June. If anyone is interested please, contact me as soon as possible.
David Johnson
- - -
I hope to see you at the meeting.Dr. Richard Hull will be the speaker at our May meeting.
‘Speculations on Sustainability Among the Early Lenape in the Hudson River Valley’
An exploration of the numerous ways in which pre-colonial Lenape people attempted to adapt to the critical environmental, cultural, religious and health challenges they had to face in the 17th and 18th centuries to sustain themselves.
Professor Emeritus of History
New York University
Former board member: the Nature Conservancy, Orange County Land Trust, Warwick Historical Society, author of a dozen works including ‘People of the Valley: History of Warwick 1700-2005’.
Reminder: State Conference replaces the regular April meeting!
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST, April 2023 has been sent to the membership.
New York State Archaeological Conference Deadlines
We are canceling the February chapter meeting which was scheduled for the 17th. The executive committee is going to meet to discuss developing a new meeting schedule and work on finalizing the state conference which will be held in April.
Link to 2023 NYSAA State Conference Registration
https://sites.google.com/site/ioccnysaa/home/2023-nysaa-state-conference-registration?authuser=0
THE ARCHAEOLOGIST – Dec. 2022 has been sent to the membership:
All are welcome to this month’s in-person meeting!
at the Mulbury House Senior Center located at 62-70 West Main Street, Middletown, NY 10940.
All are welcome.
Dear IOCCNYSAA Members,
The Holiday season is upon us. We hope you have wonderful times with family, friends, and all as this season gets underway.
In fact, if you want to celebrate with us, we will hold our annual “Holiday Grab Bag” on Friday December 16 at 7:30 pm at the Mulberry House Senior Center. Please see the general rules below.
If you would like to bring a dessert too, please let us know in advance by emailing Stephanie at stephanie.tice@yahoo.com.
Let’s not let old acquaintance be forgot! (By the way, did you Robert Burns didn’t write Auld Lang Syne – it was an old Scottish folk song that he happened to be the first to write down and publish?)
Sending warm wishes from my family to yours this holiday season.
Take Care,
Veronica Ditko, VP, IOCCNYSAA
December Special HOLIDAY GRAB BAG GENERAL RULES
### Should weather force us to cancel the meeting this month, please check your email, the blog (https://ioccnysaa.blogspot.com/), or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/IOCCNYSAA/) for any updates/cancellations on the morning of the meeting!
Open Call for Papers
104th Annual Meeting
April 21-23, 2023
New York State Archeological Association
Hosted by the Incorporated Orange County Chapter
at the Crowne Plaza Suffern-Mahwah in the scenic lower Hudson Valley
This is an open call for papers from any NYSAA member interested in submitting an abstract on any archaeological topic related to the prehistory or history of New York State or surrounding region. Students especially are encouraged to submit proposals for posters to be displayed at the meeting.
Send your abstract proposal of about 250 words attached as a Microsoft Word document to Program Chair:
Cory Harris, Prof. of Anthropology, SUNY Orange
cory.harris@sunyorange.edu 845 341-4464
The Orange County Chapter is excited to host this year’s annual meeting of the NYSAA. The meeting will take place in the scenic lower Hudson Valley at the Crowne Plaza Suffern-Mahwah ( 3 Executive Blvd., Suffern NY 10901). For hotel reservations contact the hotel by March 24, 2023 to receive group rate of $129/night. tele: (845) 357-4800 website: www.cpsuffernhotel.com Group Code: NYSAA
The New York Archaeological Council will hold its annual meeting conference on Friday, April 21. The NYSAA business meeting will take place Friday evening, April 21. Paper and poster sessions will be held Saturday, April 22nd and Sunday morning, April 23. The annual banquet and awards ceremony will take place Saturday evening, April 22. A book sale room will also be available on Saturday and Sunday.
Guest speaker during the banquet:
Richard Veit, Ph.D, Monmouth University Department of History and Anthropology, presenting:
“A Monument to Fallen Royalty”: Rediscovering Joseph Bonaparte’s Point Breeze Estate in Bordentown, NJ.
Tours of the Iron Industry, Sterling Forge and Iona Island will take place on Friday and Sunday (weather permitting), and will be led by local environmental educator and naturalist Doc Bayne. Sign up on the Registration form for the conference.
SPECIAL SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT
Researching Three Early Paleo Sites
President-elect David Johnson will be the presenter at our October meeting. During August David worked on three early paleo sites located in Kentucky, Wyoming and Nevada. His presentation will discuss the research being conducted at these sites. Two of the sites are paleo quarries, and the other is associated with hunting Pleistocene animals including mastodon. The points found at the Wyoming site are being classified as a new type of paleo point. David will be presenting in person at our October meeting, and it will also be televised. For those who attend the meeting in person, there will be a display of artifacts from some of these sites.
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