I was saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Dena Dincauze, one of the most prominent archaeologists ever in Northeastern United States archaeology (and indeed, American archaeology).
January in June? 1816, the Year without a Summer
Since I’m seeing news-reference again to the infamous Year without a Summer, I resurrect this piece from a couple years back. 200 years ago this month, a Ballston Spa, New York newspaper story stated that June 6, 1816 dawned cold and snowy. In the “Year without a Summer” it was reported in Ballston Spa that 5 inches of snow fell in June, and 12 inches during June through August.
Archaeologists and Anthropologists Gather for Regional Conferences, Spring 2016
On April 15 the New York Archaeological Council (NYAC) met in Rochester, New York preceding the 100th anniversary meeting of the New York State Archaeological Association. Workshops responsive to the crisis in archaeological collections curation were held as the NYAC program on Friday afternoon. Later that night NYSAA held its business meeting, while the conference continued through the rest of the weekend, ending with a guided tour of the new Seneca Art and Culture Center at the Ganondagan State Historic Site on Sunday afternoon. Some of the featured events of the NYSAA conference included the day-long plenary session on Saturday and the keynote presentation by John Hart on Saturday night. Volunteered papers were presented on Sunday morning.
Reconstructing Frontenac Island’s History
The NYSAA 100th Anniversary Meeting is Coming Up!
Frontenac, Island of History
“My Name Is El Niño. You Can Blame Me For Everything.”
The Funk Foundation’s New Grant Cycle
The Robert E. Funk Memorial Archaeology Foundation, Inc. is initiating a 2016 grant application and funding cycle for grants of up to $2,000.00. The Funk Foundation grants support archaeological research in New York State, and are ideal to assist stand-alone research projects or studies that are parts of larger projects. For example, Funk Foundation grants have been used successfully to support a range of services such as faunal analysis, radiocarbon dating, petrographic slides, and remote sensing. Grant applications must be received by April 15, 2016. The grant application will be reviewed by the Funk Foundation Board of Directors with award decisions made by June 15, 2016. For the 2016 grant cycle, we intend to fund grants for two applicants. For each grant award, the Foundation will issue a check to the recipient for 80% of the grant amount when the grant is awarded. The final 20% will be paid when the completed report of the grant research is received. Further information including the grant application forms is found on the Funk Foundation website at www.funkfoundation.org. The 2016 grant application forms will be posted during March, 2016. If you have any questions, please email Funk Foundation President Ed Curtin at ecurtin12003@yahoo.com, or call Ed at (518) 884-7102.
Curtin Archaeological Consulting, Inc.— Who We Are
A Hudson Valley Writer on the Ancient Custom of Christmas
Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is from an 1820 book named The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. The Sketchbook is a collection of Irving’s stories put together as a marketing strategy meant to undermine the pirating and unauthorized publishing of his individually released stories in England. It also contains a group of stories reporting on a fictionalized Christmas vacation spent in a remote English manor called Bracebridge Hall. Bracebridge Hall is the just the kind of place where ancient Christmas customs (fast-disappearing in a modernizing world) might be expected to survive, or even flourish under the guiding hand of an aged lord of the manor and the eager participation of the younger generations (I count two younger generations and various age-cohorts of children populating the Christmas festivities).