[OR_Archaeology] Fwd: October 2010 NPS Archeology E-Gram

[Susan White]

FYI
>>> Karen Mudar <Karen_Mudar at NPS.GOV> 11/1/2010 11:25 AM >>>

October 2010 Archeology E-Gram

New Date Set for Federal Archeology Program Data Call
The Secretary of the Interior Department is charged with compiling
data
about Federal stewardship of archeological resources and presenting
these
data to Congress. Every Federal agency with archeological
responsibilities
is required by the Archaeological Resources Protection Act to respond
to an
annual questionnaire sent by the NPS Archeology Program. The
Secretary’s
Report to Congress on the Federal Archeology Program summarizes the
data
and makes recommendations.

Letters requesting data for 2010 will be sent to responsible Federal
agencies in January 2011. Responses will be due in mid-March. No
changes
were made to the 2010 survey instrument, which will request the same
data
as the 2009 questionnaire. Electronic submissions are preferred, but
hard
copies will be accepted.

Contact: Karen Mudar, 202-354-2103

For more information about the Secretary’s Report to Congress on the
Federal Archeology Program, including reports and questionnaires, go
to
www.nps.gov/archeology/SRC/INDEX.HTM .

Archeological Excavations at Boston National Historic Park
Beside the north wall of the Cradle of Liberty, Faneuil Hall,
archeologists
have excavated a small portion of Boston’s colonial past. Town
meetings
held here between 1764 and 1774 heard Samuel Adams and others lead
cries of
protest against the imposition of taxes on the colonies. Frederick
Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Lucy Stone brought their
struggles
for freedom here in the 19th century. Market stalls on the first floor
today service shoppers much as they did in Paul Revere's day.

The area of Faneuil Hall was the port for Boston during the 1600s and
contained lodgings and taverns, among other businesses, next to a busy
shipping channel. Although not constructed until 1742, the building
was
located beside Town Cove, a small extension of the harbor. Cargo was
lost
and discarded here, trash was tossed into the water, and artifact-rich
landfill eventually covered the cove, making room for the growing
city.

The north wall of Faneuil Hall was part of an expansion in 1806 by
renowned
Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, who also designed the State House.
The
north side had never been excavated by archeologists. The excavation,
which
was aided by the University of Massachusetts, Boston, was required
before
the Boston NHP Visitors Center can be relocated from nearby State
Street to
Faneuil Hall. The 15-by-15-foot unit was excavated where a stairwell
will
lead to new NPS offices and public restrooms in the basement.

Before the excavations were completed in late September, the public
had
opportunities to watch the digging and screening of artifacts and to
ask
questions of the archeologists. The artifact-rich deposits provide an
extraordinary glimpse of the city’s 17th-century history. Artifacts
will be
washed and bagged at the city’s archeology laboratory. Some will be
shipped
to researchers who will study parasites, pollen, and other organic
samples
for time-capsule clues about everyday life in young, growing Boston.
(from Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe, September 19, 2010)

For more information about Boston NHP, go to www.nps.gov/bost/ 

Archeological Collections Management Team, Northeast Museum Services
Center
has Stellar Year
During FY2010, the NPS Archeological Collections Management team of
the
Northeast Museum Services Center (NMSC) rehoused eight accessions of
archeological material from the Salem Maritime NHS. The NMSC staff
rehoused
126,346 objects from the old storage containers into new archival bags
and
boxes labeled with pertinent information. Custom storage containers
were
created for fragile and oversized objects and museum cabinets were
reconfigured to store oversized items in the most efficient manner.

Of particular importance is the collection of artifacts from the
Narbonne
House, built ca. 1675. The research potential of a collection from
more
than 300 years of occupancy and the new and improved storage conditions
of
this collection makes it an extraordinary resource.

The NMSC staff also cataloged 33,848 artifacts from Petersburg NB. The
1978
Excavation at the Taylor House yielded 33,848 artifacts and 13 folders
of
associated documentation. The poor condition of the archeology
collection
required significant preparation on the part of NSMC staff before
actual
cataloging could begin. The Taylor House collection was poorly housed
and
loosely organized by material type instead of by provenience (location
within the site) as required by NPS standards. NMSC staff surveyed and
sorted the collection by provenience so that proper cataloging could
begin.
Processing included re-housing the artifacts into space-efficient,
archival-quality enclosures.


The Taylor House was a late 18th-century dwelling that was destroyed
during
the siege of Petersburg in 1864. The archeology collection offered a
valuable opportunity to examine both 18th century and Civil War
artifacts.
Artifacts of particular interest in the collection include a variety
of
Union and Confederate bullets, Civil War and post-Civil War military
buttons, and an anthropomorphic effigy pipe.

For more information about the Salem Maritime NHS collections, contact
Alicia Paresi Friedman, 617-242-5613 x225 or Megan Lentz, 617-242-5613
x227.
For more information about the Petersburg NB collections, contact
Jessica
Costello, 617-242-5613 x226 or Alicia Paresi Friedman, 617-242-5613
x225.
To learn more about Salem Maritime NHS, go to http://www.nps.gov/sama/

To learn more about Petersburg NB, go to http://www.nps.gov/pete/ 

NPSArcheology Twitter Feed
Started in August 2010, the NPS Archeology twitter feed highlights
projects, accomplishments, and news items related to archeology in
national
parks, other Federal archeology projects, and general interest
archeology
news. It emphasizes content related to archeology performed in parks,
with
NPS funds, or by NPS personnel. The feed can be viewed at
http://twitter.com/NPSArcheology.

Role for Archeology in NPS Response to Climate Change
Archeological resources and research figure significantly in the NPS
Climate Change Response Strategy, released in September 2010. The
strategy
provides direction for addressing the impacts of climate change in
national
parks. Archeological activities can contribute to all four of the
integrated components of the response: science, adaptation, mitigation,
and
communication.

Science: Archeological data and models have already provided long term
perspectives on climate change, especially in the Southwest,
contributing
to climate change science. Archeological efforts in parks continue to
inventory and monitor archeological resources, providing data for
assessing
climate change.

Adaptation: This information will be critical to scenario planning and
management decisions that guide adaptive actions within the NPS. The
Climate Change Response Strategy specifically calls for expansion of
the
NPS capacity to conduct inventory and monitoring of archeological
resources
on park lands.

Mitigation: Archeologists can also contribute to mitigation, the
reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions, by developing ways to collect data
remotely,
and by planning field work more carefully, and, when feasible,
telecommuting.

Communication: Through leading by example, archeologists directly
contribute to the final component to the response strategy.
Archeological
interpretation is an excellent venue for messages to the public about
climate change, its causes and effects, and responsibilities for
mitigation
and adaptation.

The full report can be accessed at
www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange/index.cfm 

New Website for the Chaco Digital Initiative
The Chaco Digital Initiative has redesigned its website and officially
transformed into the Chaco Research Archive. This new research portal
offers users access to much more information, as well as the ability
to
download database searches and access over 1,500 digitized archival
documents. The new website is divided into six major sections:

Chaco Sites allows users to access information on 28 different sites
via a
topographic map of the canyon. Flag markers on the map are active links
to
individual pages for each site that provides a site plan, descriptive
summary, image gallery, and data links to artifacts, tree-ring dates,
and
relevant archival documents.

Explore the Canyon allows users two ways to access information about
various areas. One way uses a Google satellite image rather than the
schematic topographic map for the Chaco Sites section. Locational
markers
take the user to the same site pages described above. A second explore
mode
displays aerial photographs overlaid on Google satellite imagery.
These
1963 aerials from the Gordon Vivian archive provide high-resolution
images
of some sites and agricultural features.

Query the Database provides researchers access to the robust Chaco
Research
Archive database. The page allows users to list, search, and, for the
first
time, download (in Excel format) results from individual database
tables.
For example, you can execute and download artifact search results for
a
given room at a site, filtering by material type; or you can search for
all
floor features in the entire database. In addition to downloading
query
results, you can also download individual archival documents in PDF
form
via the "CRA Archival Accessions" table.

Architectural Stabilization contains digitized and keyboarded data from
NPS
Ruins Stabilization Records. Images from nearly all the records
between
1938 and 1983 are searchable and available in this section of the
website.
For example, you can search for all stabilization records for an
individual
room or kiva, or a specific wall of a room. When documentation of
stabilization efforts is available, you can view high-resolution images
of
the work and available data.

Image Gallery provides users access to over 18,000 historic images of
Chaco
Canyon, searchable by site, image type, repository institution,
caption, or
a full text search of all image metadata fields.

Chaco Resources contains tools like the Chaco bibliography (now
updated)
and access to digital monographs. The "Help" section contains new
material
such as a glossary, user guide, and database schema.

The Chaco Research Archive will continue to add data from more Chaco
sites
in the coming years.
The URL for the Chaco Research Archive remains the same as before:
www.chacoarchive.org.

NPS Announces Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards
The winners of the NPS Director’s 2009 Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards
for
Excellence in Cultural Resource Stewardship for Superintendents,
Cultural
Resource Stewardship through Maintenance, and Cultural Resource
Management
have been selected. A number of NPS archeologists have received these
awards in the past.

Cultural Resource Stewardship for Superintendents
Tom Bradley, Superintendent, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
When Tom Bradley became superintendent of the Jefferson National
Expansion
Memorial, in 2008, powerful local interests threatened to impair the
historic values of the Gateway Arch landscapes by sponsoring
legislation to
make them available for development. Bradley completed the parks first
General Management Plan (GMP) in partnership with public and private
interests. The GMP carefully defined and described the historic
significance and character-defining features of the arch and its
landscapes. The GMP proposed to revitalize the memorial through
expanding
programs, facilities, and partnerships in collaboration with a new
international design competition that has just been completed.

Cultural Resource Stewardship through Maintenance
Jim Baker, Maintenance Supervisor, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
and
Preserve
Since 2000, Jim Baker has overseen the preservation of Kennecott Mines
NHL
which is located in the center of the park. Abandoned in 1938, the
buildings sat unmaintained for over 60 years. Under Baker’s direction
and
mentoring, local craftspeople have systematically undertaken the
stabilization and rehabilitation of this national landmark. Roofs and
foundations have been repaired, collapsing walls have been realigned,
and
20 historic structures have been preserved.

Cultural Resource Management
Susan Dolan, Historical Landscape Architect, Mount Rainier NP
Dolan is the author of “Fruitful Legacy: A Historic Context of
Orchards in
the United States, with Technical Information for Registering Orchards
in
the National Register of Historic Places.” The publication will be
invaluable to resource managers and will assist interpretive staff to
convey the significance of the resources to the American public.
Nomination
of historic fruit trees and orchards to the National Register will
assist
in the protection of the resources and will educate and inform the
public
of the vital role that orchards play in the agricultural development
of
post-contact America.

Gary W. Johnson, Supervisory Landscape Architect, Blue Ridge Parkway
The conservation of scenery at the Blue Ridge Parkway is articulated as
a
core value in the establishing legislation of the park. Throughout the
NPS
management of the scenery in the larger context of cultural resources
has
been complicated by the lack of defensible standards. Johnson, in his
role
as Chief of Resource Management, Planning, Lands, and Compliance, has
advocated for many years for the protection of scenery and the
development
of a tool kit for effective analyses and action. To overcome these
obstacles, Johnson worked to develop various products, including a
“Guidebook for the Blue Ridge Parkway Scenery Conservation
System.”

NPS Director John Jarvis will present the awards at the George Wright
Society Conference in March 2011.

NPS Announces 393rd Park: River Raisin National Battlefield in Monroe,
Michigan
River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Monroe, Michigan, was
officially
announced as the 393rd park in the National Park System. The War of
1812
battlefield was set aside by Congress with legislation (P.L. 111-11)
signed
by President Obama on March 30, 2009. Fought along the north bank of
the
River January 18-23, 1813, the battle pitted American and British
troops
against each other in a contest for control of all of Michigan and the
Lower Great Lakes. At stake were America’s independence and the
futures of
Frenchtown (known today as Monroe, Michigan), Canada, and Tecumseh's
alliance of Native American tribes.

The British and their Indian allies destroyed an entire American army
at
the River Raisin and, in the process, raised Native Americans’ hopes
that
their alliance with the British would result in the preservation of
their
land. Frenchtown was laid waste, and the Ohio frontier was exposed to
invasion and raids by the British and Indians. The Battle of the River
Raisin was not a decisive turning point of the war, but it did have
significant effects on the campaign for the Great Lakes. Following the
defeat at River Raisin, American forces would struggle for nine months
before they could regain their momentum.

Apply Now to Become a Preserve America Steward
Preserve America Stewards is a Federal program which recognizes
organizations and agencies that successfully use volunteers to help
care
for historic properties. Among the Preserve America stewards
designated
this summer, four were recognized for their use of volunteers in
support of
their archeology programs. Independence NHP was designated in
recognition
of its Independence Living History Center Archeology Laboratory, and
Valles
Caldera National Preserve was designated for its survey of aspen
dendroglyphs. The Texas Historical Commission was named a Preserve
America
Steward for its Texas Archeological Stewardship Network, and the
Fairfield
Foundation was recognized for its use of volunteers in excavating and
interpreting the site of a Virginia plantation from the 17th and 18th
centuries.

Preserve America stewards receive a designation letter and certificate
of
recognition signed by First Lady Michelle Obama. Non-profit
organizations,
government entities (Federal, State, local, or Tribal), and businesses
are
eligible to seek designation for their programs. Preserve America
Stewards
is administered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and
the
Department of the Interior. The next quarterly deadline for submitting
applications to the Preserve America Stewards program is December 1,
2010.

An application form and further information are available at
www.preserveamerica.gov/ .

Archeology Events at the American Anthropological Association
AAA Archaeology Division Program Editors Stephen Silliman and Anna
Agbe-Davies have compiled a list of all of the archeology events at
the
American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, November 17-21, in
New
Orleans. In case you find the thousands of papers at the AAA meetings
a
little daunting to sort through, the sessions, meetings, tours, and
dinners
are summarized in an easy-to-read two-page document. If you have let
your
membership in the AAA, and the Archaeology Division in particular,
expire
or if you've never joined or attended an AAA meeting, consider joining
and
helping keep up the tradition of having great archeology represented in
the
American Anthropological Association.

You can visit the meetings page at
http://www.aaanet.org/meetings/index.cfm 
.

NHPA Section 106 Training Offered
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) has announced its
training schedule for 2011. The ACHP will offer its two-day "Section
106:
The Essentials" course at six locations, beginning with Washington, DC,
on
February 10-11 and concluding with Buffalo, New York, on October 18-19
in
conjunction with the National Preservation Conference being held that
same
week. The ACHP will also offer its one-day "Advanced Section 106
Seminar"
at six locations beginning with Sacramento, California, on March 8 and
concluding with Nashville, Tennessee, on September 15.

Further information about ACHP training may be obtained at:
www.achp.gov/training.html 

NEH Grant Competition
The Division of Public Programs, U.S. National Endowment for the
Humanities
(NEH) funds humanities projects that are intended for broad public
audiences at museums, libraries, historic sites and other historical
and
cultural organizations.

New application guidelines are now posted on the NEH Web site
(www.neh.gov)
for our America's Historical and Cultural Organizations Grant
Competition.
The next two deadlines are January 12, 2011, and August 17, 2011. The
grants can be used to support interpretive exhibitions, reading or
film
discussion series, historic site interpretation, lecture series and
symposia, and digital projects. NEH especially encourages projects
that
offer multiple formats and make creative use of new technology to
deliver
humanities content. Program officers in the Division of Public Programs
are
available to assist, whether it is to discuss project ideas or to read
a
draft of a proposal.

Contact: NEH Division of Public Programs, 202-606-8269

Projects in Parks: Projects in Parks is taking a break this month.

Projects in Parks is a feature of the Archeology E-Gram that informs
others
about archeology-related projects in national parks. The full reports
are
available on the Research in the Parks web page
www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/npSites/index.htm or through individual
issues
of the Archeology E-Gram. Prospective authors should review
information
about submitting photographs on the Projects in Parks web page on
InsideNPS.

Archeology E-Gram, distributed via e-mail on a regular basis, includes
announcements about news, new publications, training opportunities,
national and regional meetings, and other important goings-on related
to
public archeology in the NPS and other public agencies. Recipients are
encouraged to forward Archeology E-Grams to colleagues and relevant
mailing
lists. The Archeology E-Gram is available on the News and Links page
www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on the NPS Archeology Program
web
site.

Contact: dca at nps.gov  to contribute news items, stories for Projects
in
Parks, submit citations and a brief abstract for your peer-reviewed
publications, and to subscribe.