Updates from the Field

On September 10 CCASM conducted their first Zoom monthly meeting.

James Gibb

Archeological volunteer activities in Charles County were put on hold in March.  However, archaeologist Jim Gibb (sometimes by himself and other times with a very small group of people) was able to go out into the field.  At the September meeting, Jim provided updates for two of these projects. 

Cadaver dogs were used at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) in Edgewater, MD, to locate the 1685 grave of Thomas Frances and a grave marked with "A.S." that make have been in the nineteenth century Sellman Cemetery.  It was hoped the dogs might also located graves of enslaved people or tenants that had worked there. The dogs did find several locations that could be unmarked graves.   Remote sensing was used around these locationa.
For more detailed information, check out  SERC-Hunt for Historic Graves

 

Jim and a small crew completed a Phase III investigation at the Mill Branch Crossing Site in Bowie that is destined to be developed.   Several buildings and other features were revealed.  This was the location an in-tact mid-18th-century (1720-1770) plantation called Amptill Grange. But the Amptill Grange tract goes back to 1670.

Jim is the owner of Gibb Archaeological Consulting and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

Normally we try to show a photo of those in attendance.  This time we can only show the Zoom photos even though some photos show the ceiling rather than the person.

Attendance: 12

2020 'Virtual" Workshop in Archeology

Due to the limitation of public access and closure of state buildings, the Workshop in Archeology was not held on March 28th as originally planned.  Instead, Maryland Historical Trust staff coordinated with the Archeological Society of Maryland as well as the originally scheduled speakers to present this "virtual" Workshop in Archeology for 2020. 

The Workshop lectures as well as opening remarks from ASM President  Don Housley are available on-line at    https://mht.maryland.gov/archeology_workshop.shtml.

Lectures include

• Priestly Plantations: What We Know (and Want to Find Out) About the Archeology of Jesuit Sites in Maryland  (40 mins)
  Laura Masur, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, the Catholic University of America
  
  
• "A bleak, barren sand beach":  Recent Investigations at Point Lookout Light Station (50 mins)
  Rob Wanner, Archeologist and GIS Technician with EAC/Archaeology, Inc.
  
  
• Cobble Reduction and Tool Production from Late Archaic through Late Woodland at the Elkridge Site  (38 mins)
  Bob Wall, Lecturer in Anthropology, Towson University
  
  
• "The once great plantation is now but a wilderness":  Archeological Research at the Josiah Henson Site  (23 mins)
  Cassandra Michaud, Senior Archeologist, Montgomery Parks (M-NCPPC) – Planning & Stewardship Division
  
  
• Archeology at the Cloverfields Site   (40 mins)
  Zachary Andrews, Crew Chief, Applied Archaeology and History Associates, Inc.

Celebrating July 4th 2020

Celebrating July 4th in 2020 is a little different than previous years.  Last year CCASM was at an Independence Day event at Smallwood Retreat. 

We created a number of activities for the event.  Even though we can't meet in person, we can share one of the activities - a broken Betsy Ross Flag "plate" that could be mended.  It had been broken into thirteen pieces.

Here are the pieces that you can print, cut out, and try to put together, and also what the mended plate looks like.

 

New CCASM Board Members (June 2020 - May 2022)

The newly elected CCASM Officers and Members at Large for June 2020 - May 2022 are

• President                   Carol Cowherd
• Vice-President          Patricia Vazquez
• Secretary                   Douglas Zabel
• Treasurer                   Elsie Picyk
• Members at Large    Michael Creveling,  Peggy Knoernschild

They would definitely appreciate your ideas and your support in implementing those ideas.

2020 Annual CCASM Meeting - a little different

CCASM normally has its annual meeting at the May meeting, and for the past few years this has included a Pot Luck Supper and a presentation.  But this year we are social distancing and could not meet.

How could we have the meeting?  A lot of organizations are doing video conferencing.  But without a presentation, how many people would want to attend a virtual business meeting to hear people reading reports?  Probably not that many.

So this year's meeting was an e-mail on May 13.  The body of the e-mail contained the President's introductory remarks.  Attachments included the President's Report of what the organization had been doing the past twelve months, the 2019_2020 Annual Summary Treasurer Report, and the Minutes of the 2019 Annual Meeting.  So instead of listening to the reports, members could read them.  Members having something they wanted to discuss were asked to e-mail us and we would follow up.  Nobody has so far.  The predicted results (voting was open through May 15) of the election for the CCASM Board were also announced. 

Members who responded to the e-mail were counted as attending the meeting.  Six members "attended".

Looking forward to having meetings where we can see and talk to each other again.