2023 April is Charles County Archaeology Month

At the May 29th Charles County Commissioners Meeting the Commissioners proclaimed April 2023 as Archaeology Month in Charles County.   Ned and Carol, representing CCASM, accepted the Proclamation.

Accepting the Proclamation

2023 Proclamation

Montpelier Pubic Archaeology Programs

Pat Vazquez

The March 16 CCASM meeting was fairly informal.  Patricia Vazquez, CCASM's Vice President, shared her experiences participating in two week-long public archaeology programs at James Madison's Montpelier.  The two programs she attended were Excavate: Archaeology Expedition and Locate: Archaeology Site Location (that included metal detecting).  These programs include a mix of lectures/tours and working in the field.  Interestingly, the site on which they did metal detecting was a blacksmith's shop.  Also due to the soil chemistry the artifacts that are not diagnostic are photographed and returned to the hole. 

Finding Metal
(Blacksmith Site)

In the Lab (when raining outside)

Tour with Dr. Matt Reeves

 

After Pat's talk Charles County Archaeologist Esther Read shared her plans for the next two months.  Esther needs to complete the interim report for the  Phase IA survey at the Maxwell Hall Equestrian Center.  She also plans to start additional investigations at the James Swann House in Port Tobacco and is working with Tourism to have students come out to that site.  Of course, all this will require additional field work, and Esther recognized that CCASM support would be needed for these efforts.  Jim Gibb and Esther also discussed possible directions for archaeology in the county.  Quite interesting.

Members and Guests

Attendance: 10

An Afternoon at the Charles County HITS Expo - 2023

On Saturday March 11 Charles County Public Schools once again held its History, Industry, Technology, and Science (H.I.T.S.) Expo at St Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland.  There were forty-four tables and nine classroom activities/presentations sponsored by different organizations and school groups 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).

Display and Activity

Family at CCASM Table
with other tables in background

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".  We didn't count the number of students completing the activity but we were busy all afternoon - not only with the children, but also with the parents.
 

Quite Busy

 

Sharing what we found

Archaeology is fun

What is it?

Thanks to Elsie Ned, Peggy, and Carol for being there to interact with the students and their parents.  

Click to see the winners of the special History Day and  special Science Fair awards sponsored by the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc.

2023 Charles County History Day and Science Fair

On March 11, 2023 the combined Charles County Public Schools Annual History Day  and the Annual Science Fair (now referred to as H.I.T.S.) was once again held at the St Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland.  CCASM sponsored one of the special History awards and one of the Science awards.  In both cases the award was $50 and a one-year membership in CCASM.

Display - Hadrosaurus Foulkii

This year's history topic was "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas”.  The CCASM Special History Award went to Hayden Robertson for the display titled "Hadrosaurus Foulkii, The First Full Dinosaur Skeleton Found in America".  Hayden is in the 6th grade at St. Mary's School.

The History Day judges identify projects with merit and assign them to one of the organizations sponsoring special awards. 

Display - Effect of Soil on
Bones Over Time

 

This year's CCASM Science Award for a project "demonstrating excellence and scientific thinking relevant to the field of archaeology" went to Mallory Chewning for the display titled "What Effect Foes Soil Have on Bones Over Time?".  Mallory is in the 6th grade at Milton M. Somers.

CCASM members review all the Science Fair entries and choose the project to receive this special award.

Congratulations, --- Hayden and Mallory!

CCASM would like to thank Carol Cowherd, Doug Zabel, and Gabi Zabel who judged the science projects for the CCASM award.