On Saturday, October ^12th, Indiana University of Pennsylvania held its Archaeology Open House to celebrate International Archaeology Day! The event had a lot of great tables and a huge turnout. Thank you to all the graduate students who helped make the day a success, and to all the people who came to learn about archaeology! The event was primarily organized by students taking the Public Archaeology course, and several other students volunteered their time to ensure the day was a success.

Tables were set up at the entrance and exit to bring people in and provide information about Archaeology Day to people first coming in or leaving. They handed out “passports”, which had the names of all the tables at Archaeology Day where people could get stickers. Anyone who got all their stickers was rewarded with candy at the end. The exit table handed out evaluation forms for people to tell us how we did, and they also shared additional information about archaeology and the anthropology program at IUP.

Brendon Ward, David Hay, and Nathan Coughlin at the Squirrel Hill table.

 

 

Dion DeGarmo and Rae Tuite with some cookies.

 

The hallway on the ground floor of McElhaney Hall was filled with tables where students shared information about different aspects of archaeology and offered educational activities. First year graduate student James Duke worked the historical archaeology table, where people could use a guide to identify different artifacts. Nathan Coughlin, Brendon Ward, and David Hay shared artifacts from the field school at Squirrel Hill. Jennifer Kennedy and Selena Rodriguez hosted a table dedicated to spreading awareness of issues among indigenous people in the U.S. such as missing indigenous women, repatriation, and the protection of natural resources. Second year students Dion DeGarmo and Rae Tuite took on the task of educating people about conspiracy theories and pseudoscience in archaeology. Dion even wore a terrific tin foil hat to look the part.

Ryan Devanny and Cassidy Tech teach folks about bones.

In the lab, Ryan Devanny and Cassidy Tech educated people about animal bones. Their activity involved matching long bones to the correct animal. People who came to their table would also be able to guess the different kinds of animal skulls and learn what different skulls looked like. The PHAST table was run by Elena Vories, who is the GA for the PHAST program, also known as the PennDOT Highway Archaeological Survey Team. She had a poster on PHAST, with pictures from surveys over this past summer and an activity to find all of the PHAST letters within the pictures. She would also explain what PHAST was and go through some of the projects she worked on. Abdul Jones is our GA working for DCNR, and at his table he taught people about working in cultural resources management and what life is really like in the field.

Authentic Cave Painting

The Kids Activity Room was run by Rickie Weinrich and Catie Rosler. They had several activities for kids to enjoy, including Wampum beading, pottery, and cave painting! Kids had the opportunity to make a beaded bracelet and put their handprints up on the wall. The Flotation table was run by Heidi Hepburn, who is the GA for the float lab this year. This table went through what flotation is and what it is looking for. This includes micro-artifacts and organics that can tell archaeologists things about what people were eating and what they were using different surfaces for. Heidi also processed some samples in the flotation lab while people walked through so they could see the process and answered questions about the process.

Tyler Fanell oversees a GPR demonstration.

Outside we had the Geophysics table, run by Tyler Fanell. Tyler demonstrated our ground penetrating radar (GPR) unit and let folks take it for a spin. He also had processed GPR data out on the table for people to examine. The data was both in vertical orientation, as well as 3D, so people could see what GPR anomalies look like after they are processed.

Two young archaeologists sift through the past

Next door was the mock excavation table run by Isabel Srour. She had a screening activity where people could dump dirt into a screen and screen it to find artifacts (little toys) they could then bag and write an artifact tag for. This taught people stewardship and the importance of properly recording and turning in artifacts.

The next table was flint knapping run by Emma Kinsinger and her uncle, who ran a flint knapping demonstration throughout archaeology day. They also had multiple types of precontact artifacts for people to see. Emma answered questions about flint knapping and precontact technologies.

Selena Rodriguez goes for the kill

The last table was spear throwing, using an atlatl, run by two members of the community who own several atlatls and have even participated in National Atlatl throwing competitions. They had two targets out and two atlatls for people to try out. This is a type of precontact technology people would have used for hunting. This table was probably the biggest hit of Archaeology Day and a lot of people enjoyed throwing spears.

 

Overall, we would like to thank everyone who came once again, this day never would have been possible without everyone who helped out and who came willing to learn. Thank you everyone, and see you next year!

On Saturday, archaeology students will be showcasing different aspects of our field for the community at McElhaney Hall. All are welcome to come and learn about archaeological research. There will be spear throwing, flint knapping, and activities for children. The event is being organized by students from the Public Archaeology class, and many students have volunteered their time to work different stations and educate people about various topics in archaeology. The event will run from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, and there will be some outdoor activities in addition to the main event on the ground floor of McElhaney. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Ann Axtell Morris.

Is anyone else patiently waiting for the movie Canyon del Muerto, which is currently in production right now? Well, I certainly am!  This film I am referring to is expected to be released sometime near the end of this year, and seeks to retell the story of Ann Axtell Morris, one of the first female archaeologists in America. She worked in the 1920s and 30s in the American Southwest and Mesoamerica and was married to Earl Morris, another archaeologist, who some say was the inspiration for Indiana Jones!

Morris sketching at Chichén Itzá.

Ann was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1900, graduated from Smith College, went to the American School of Prehistoric Archaeology in France, and married Earl Morris in 1923. Along with being a prominent archaeologist, she is known for her artistic abilities with painting and for being an author of two books titled, “Digging the Yucatan” and “Digging in the Southwest.” She excavated throughout the American Southwest, Mexico, as well as Chichén Itzá, Yucatan. Some places where she excavated are now national parks, such as Mesa Verde National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and the Aztec Ruins National Monument. As a female archaeologist Ann faced many obstacles, such as the fact that although her books were published, they were marketed to older children by publishers that did not accept the idea that a women could create literature about archaeology for adults. She was seen as “radical” for wearing men’s clothing, using a trowel, and sleeping in camps full of men in remote locations.

The Morrises investigated several sites throughout the Navajo Nation.

Despite setbacks due to prejudices, this revolver carrying women continued to trailblaze a successful career. After arriving in Chichen Itza, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley (another inspiration for Indiana Jones), assumed she would play the role of a babysitter or hostess at the site, however she convinced him to let her excavate a small, overlooked temple from which she copied many of the wall art which were included in a book she co-authored titled “Temple of the Warriors at Chichén Itzá, Yucatan.” She fostered the idea that the Anasazi were not nomadic hunter-gatherers, but rather had cities and civilizations, from her work in the Four Corners region. She helped excavate Massacre Cave in Canyon del Muerto, uncovering the remains of those slaughtered by Spanish soldiers almost 120 years ago, and Mummy Cave which houses a three-story tower built by the Anasazi and of course mummies of many ages and genders, wearing shell and bead jewelry. Mummy Cave was also where Ann spent her honeymoon with Earl, brushing off mummies and shooing away mice.

Many do not note her accomplishments, remembering only that at beginning in the 1930s she became a recluse. The cause is still unknown, but after having two daughters and settling down in Boulder, Colorado, she remained in her room most of the time. Many seem to now agree that a combination of alcoholism, diabetes, arthritis, and depression are to blame for this “life of the party” woman’s self-removal from society. She passed away at the age of 45 in “self-imposed solitude,” the cause still unknown. The movie will portray explanations for Ann’s death; her families understanding of her having “weak bones and the arthritis of the Axtells,” and the idea that her death was caused after disrupting the dead, based on Navajo death taboo beliefs.

British actress Abigail Lawrie.

Morris stated in one of her books that archaeology is “a rescue expedition sent into the far places of the earth to recover the scattered pages of man’s autobiography.” The movie based on her work in the 1920s will hopefully act as an autobiography of her work and life. As some of the first archaeologists to hire Navajo people to work in their digs (Ann even spoke a little Navajo), the film crew is taking a page out of Ann and Earl Morris’s book by heavily involving the Navajo nation in their moviemaking. The crew has even been allowed by the Navajo nation to film at Canyon del Muerto, something never allowed to film crews before! The film is directed by Coerte Voorhees, and British actress Abigail Lawrie will play Ann Morris while Tom Felton from Harry Potter will play Earl Morris. The movie will also include veteran actors like Val Kilmer, Q’orianka Kilcher, Ewen Bremner, and Wes Studi, along with Johnathan Nez who is the president of the Navajo Nation and will be portraying a time-traveling incarnation of an Anasazi. Be on the lookout, it is sure to satisfy anyone interested in archaeology!

Ann Axtel Morris was an incredible female archaeologist during a time when her gender impeded the extent of her career. However, through her own efforts and “in telling her own story, she wrote herself into the history of American archaeology.”

References:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/land-ancient-ones-ann-axtell-morris-cinematic-treatment-180978344/

https://www.nps.gov/people/ann-axtell-morris.htm

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Today marks the 19^th anniversary of one of the darkest days in American history: the attach on The World Trade Center known only by its date, 9/11.  While many years ago now have past, it still feels like yesterday to many people and indeed is only yesterday when speaking archaeologically.  However, archaeologist played an important role shortly after the event and still work at the site and in aspects relating to the event.

Forensic anthropologists, some of whom come from archaeological backgrounds and many who have had archaeological training, worked tirelessly from the day of the attach through July 2004 to recover and identify 19,970 human remains.  This recovery operation acted similarly to archaeological excavations; sifting through piles of debris and identifying every bone or charred piece of metal.  After the collection, the remains were identified using DNA analysis and returned to their families.

Ten years after the catastrophe, an 8-acre, outdoor tree-covered 9/11 Memorial Plaza was created on Ground Zero.  This plaza contains two pools

Aerial image of the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.

surrounded by the name of the 2,977 victims of the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Flight 93.  A year later the 9/11 Memorial Museum was opened.  This museum treats Ground Zero as it would an archaeological site, using artifacts from the disaster, location, and personal stories to transport visitors to the event.  Artifacts (rubble) from the Towers were repatriated back to the site and placed in public areas for people to walk through.  These include large pieces of steel, an elevator motor, fire engine from a company that lost 11 members, and a broadcast antenna from the North Tower.  These large artifacts and the in situ structural columns create an atmosphere similar to the ruins of other archaeological sites were visitors ask the question “what happened here”.  The museum structure itself is called Reflecting Absence and is located below the ground, drawing attention not only to its absence but the absence of the Towers themselves.  Exhibits use photographs, footage, and personal testimonies to create a soundscape allowing witnesses to narrate the exhibits rather than signs.  This is a feature that is not possible at many archaeological sites whose events took place hundreds or thousands of years ago.

The exposed hull of the 18th century ship. Source: Archaeology Magazine

Archaeology had one final interaction with Ground Zero.  In 2010 during the construction of a Vehicle Security Center, archaeologists monitoring the project discovered a portion of an 18^th century trade ship in exceptional condition. The 32-foot-long portion of this 70-foot-long brigantine vessel likely brought livestock, wood, and food to the Caribbean and brought back sugar and other goods.  The vessel was likely brought to shore for repairs but when this section was deemed unsalvageable it was discarded.  During this time, the shoreline was expanded.  The clay-rich fill soil used to expand the shoreline covered the vessel creating an anaerobic environment perfect for preservation.   It is rare to find these vessels in such incredible condition.  The archaeologists decided the best course of action was to carefully excavate, dismantle, and preserve the ship for research.  However, because of the need to continue construction, the team had only 5 days to complete this task.

9/11 was a horrific event that sparks a huge chain of conflicts that are still going on today.  Every single person, profession, and heart was impacted by this event.  There are those heroic first responders who rushed to the scene risking and even giving up their lives to save others, the courageous passengers of Flight 93 and other regular people who acted to help others, and all those people to helped in the aftermath of the tragedy.  This even extended to archaeologists who aided in recovery and were allowed to preserve the memory of the event for all time.  Thank you so those who helped others during this time and who still help others today.

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Source: Kerrigan, Ian   2011 Exhibiting 9/11: Interpreting Archaeology and Memory at the World Trade Center Site. Exhibitionist, Fall: 20-24.