Library Displays (that were not to be)

CCASM planned to create displays celebrating Maryland Archaeology Month for two Charles County Library Branches (LaPlata and Potomac) during the month of April.  As you know the Charles County Libraries were closed in response to corona virus concerns.  So no one would have seen the displays.

Although we did not complete the displays, we did create plans for what to put on the back of the displays.  The theme this year irecognizes the partnerships and people for the (almost) fifty annual Field Sessions.  So the displays highlight the people that participated in the five Field Sessions held in Charles County - Popes Creek (1985), Chapel Point (1988,1989), and Port Tobacco (2008, 2009). 

Here is what you might have seen at the libraries.

LaPlata Library (draft)

Potomac Library (draft)

2020 April is Maryland Archaeology Month

Due to ongoing efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic the March 28 Workshop in Archeology has been postponed.  Although events including the May 18 Annual Spring Symposium have also been cancelled, we should try to celebrate Archeology Month however we can.

Partners in Pursuit of the Past

50 Field Sessions in Maryland Archaeology

Download 2020 Maryland Archeology Month Booklet

Download Printable 2020 Archaeology Month Mini-Poster

This year's annual Field Session will be the fiftieth one.  Sites throughout Maryland have been investigated  And three of the sites (five Field Sessions) investigated were in Charles County - Popes Creek (1985), Chapel Point (1988,1989), and Port Tobacco (2008, 2009). 
Field Sessions require planning and need participation to do the archaeology.  This year's theme recognizes the partnerships and the people that allowed these investigations to take place.

2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)

CCASM has been working with Charles County at the ongoing Public Archaeology Lab Days for several years.  The lab is for processing artifacts recovered from various archaeology initiatives in Charles County -  including processing artifacts recovered from savage archaeology in County as well as those recovered in the 1970's around the Port Tobacco Courthouse.  Esther Read is the archaeologist in charge.

Here is what we did the first part of 2020 before the shutdown to help prevent the spread of covid-19.  The last lab day was March 9.

Since we had five people --Denise, Mary, Linda, Elsie, Julie, and Carol-- at the March 9 Lab, we were able to have three work stations for cataloging the Port Tobacco artifacts.  This decal-decorated whiteware sherd was selected as the artifact of the day.  Decals were first introduced in 1890.  So this is a 20th century artifact.

March 2 Linda, Denise, Elsie, Carol, and Mary continued reconciling and processing the Port Tobacco artifacts.  Linda and Elsie were sorting a large bag of ceramics, and we decided to highlight this North American stoneware fragment.

Even with just a few volunteers work continued at the February 24 Lab.  Mary and Carol continued cataloging.  Elsie and Julie continued comparing bag contents with the catalog.  And this "complete" white tobacco pipe was selected as the artifact of the day.  According to Noel Hume's book it would have been made in Britain 1720-1820.

February 10 Mary and Linda continued cataloging.  Elsie, Denise, and Carol spent some time cataloging, but also did inventory of bags, boxes, and computers.  We chose this base of a glass vessel as the artifact of the day. The stem seems too big to be from a wine glass.

At the February 3 Lab Mary and Linda continued cataloging while Elsie, Denise, and Julie checked previously cataloged lots for missing items without pull slips and instances where actual artifact number disagreed with the catalog.  And there was another session of Archaeology Academy.
For the artifact of the day we chose this lead crystal decanter stopper with internal decorative bubbles in the round head of the stopper which do not show in the picture due to patination and etching of the glass.  The stopper is similar to one sketched in Noel Hume's book as circa 1720-1835.
Thanks to Elsie for the info and the photo.

Denise, Elsie, Linda, Carol, and Esther spent the January 27 Lab continuing to catalog artifacts and also correcting the catalog.  We chose something different for the artifact of the day - a Schrader pneumatic tire valve.

On January 13 Denise, Mary, Elsie, Mary, Carol, Julie, and Esther were once again cataloging artifacts and also correcting the catalog.  We now have three computer stations.  The Port Tobacco River Conservancy now has a new computer and is donating the old one to CCASM.  CCASM's current plans are for the computer to be used in the Monday Lab.  Several of those attending lab have also given older computers and printers for use in the lab.
This porcelain bowl was chosen as the artifact of the day.  Part of an image of a woman with a Gibson Girl hairstyle can be seen in the bottom of the bowl.  Only the top of the head is shown. This bowl was recovered from Area B, Feature 1, Square 5, Level 5.

The January 6th Lab was a good start for the new year.  After putting away the Christmas decorations in the South Wing it took a little time to remember where we had left off cataloging.  But soon Linda was organizing while Elsie, Janna, Julia, Mary, Carol, and Esther started cataloging.  These fragments from a tin-glazed plate were chosen as the artifact of the day.

2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jul-Dec)
2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2015 Public Archaeology Lab Days

Finding Women and "Women's Work" in the Archaeological Record

Esther Doyle Read

CCASM did meet on March 12.  Esther Doyle Read talked about how finding a thimble on the Simpson-Coatback Site (18CH949) in Dentsville led to her research into the lives of the women who lived and worked on the farm from the late 18th through mid-20th century.  In addition to talking about the women, Esther highlighted the types of work, particularly in the kitchen, that these women would have done on the farm.

CCASM members along with other volunteers had worked on the site in 2018.  So many of us were familiar with the site and were interested in hearing the story told by the artifacts and the historical research.

 

Esther is the County Archaeologist for Charles County Planning and Growth and an Adjunct Professor at UMBC.

Attendance: 13

Postponed-2020 Workshop in Archeology

WORKSHOP POSTPONED:
Due to the limitation of public access and closure of state buildings with the movement of Maryland government operations to an Elevated Level II footing, the Workshop in Archeology WILL NOT be held on March 28th.  MHT will coordinate with the ASM to determine a date in Fall 2020 for the Workshop.  Check mht website for details.

The Maryland Historical Trust and The Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc

 29th Annual Workshop in Archeology

Saturday March 28 (9:00am-3:30pm)

Maryland Historical Trust, 100 Community Place, Crownsville, MD  map

Click for more details
The agenda for the workshop is

• 9:00    Registration and Coffee/Danish
• 9:30    Welcome - Elizabeth Hughes (MHT) and Valerie Hall (ASM)
     
• 9:45    Keynote Speaker
  The Search for St. Mary's Fort,   Travis Parn
   
• 10:45  Coffee Break

      Concurrent Sessions 

• 11:00   Priestly Plantations: What We Know (and Want to Find Out)
  About the Archeology of Jesuit Sites in MD,    Laura Masur
   
• 11:00   "A bleak, barren sand beach": Recent Investigations at Point Lookout
  Light Station,   Robert Wanner
   
• 11:00   Cobble Reduction and Tool Production from Late Archaic through Late
  Woodland at the Elkridge Site ,  Bob Wall
       
• 12:15   Lunch  
                     (Cafeteria is closed.  Bringing your lunchrecommended.
  

       Concurrent Sessions 

• 1:30     "The once great plantation is now but a wilderness": Archeological Research
  at the Josiah Henson Site,  Cassandra Michaud
   
• 1:30     Workshop: Dating Late 18th- to Mid-19th-Century Refined Earthenware - Part I,
  Patricia Samford
     
• 1:30     CAT Session: Prehistoric Overview - Part I,  Bob Wall and Charlie Hall

• 2:30     Archeology at the Cloverfields Site,
  Zachary Andrews, Alex Glass, & Zachary Andrews, Alex Glass, & Kristen Browne  
    
• 2:30     Workshop: Dating Late 18th- to Mid-19th-Century Refined Earthenware - Part II,
  Patricia Samford  
    
• 2:30     CAT Session: Prehistoric Overview - Part II,  Bob Wall and Charlie Hall
 

$7 for general admission, $5 for ASM members and students

CCASM is a chapter of ASM.

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2020 Charles County History Day and Science Fair

The combined Charles County Public Schools Annual History Day and the Annual Science Fair (now part of H.I.T.S. Expo) were held on March 7, 2020.  CCASM sponsored one of the special History awards and one of the special Science awards.  In both cases the award was $50 and a one-year membership in CCASM.

This year's history topic was "Breaking Barriers in History”.  The CCASM History Special Award went to Madison Broady for the exhibit on “Thurgood Marshall: The First African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice”.   Madison is in the seventh grade at Mattawoman Middle School.

This year's CCASM Science Special Award for a project "demonstrating excellence and scientific thinking relevant to the field of archaeology" went to David Ainerua for his science project on “Abate the Wind Effect”.  David is in the third grade at William A. Diggs Elementary School.

Congratulations, Madison and David!

Also CCASM would like to thank Carol Cowherd and Mike Creveling who judged the science projects for the CCASM award.

An Afternoon at the Charles County H.I.T.S. Expo

On Saturday March 7  Charles County held its fifth Annual History, Industry, Technology, and Science (H.I.T.S.) Expo.  There were forty-nine tables and eight classroom activities/presenations sponsored by different organizations with CCASM having two of the tables.  A lot was going on.  There was a variety of hands-on activities to engage the students (and the adults).

One of CCASM's tables included a display depicting the various archaeological skills related to history and science.  But most of our table space contained an activity we call "Archaeologists Dig for Clues".  Over sixty students completed the activity.  And we talked to several parents that also expressed an interest in archaeology.

Thanks to Linda, Doug, Denise, and Carol for being there to interact with the students and their parents.