FALL 2015 1 The New Hampshire Archeological Society Inside the Newsletter 2 4 Newsletter Edited by Marika Labash 3 5 6 7 6 7 ISBN # 0545-1604 2015 SCRAP Field School 2015 SCRAP Octoberfest 2015 Field School at Strawbery Banke NHDHR Case Study- Worker’s Midden Site Committee Updates Boston Museum of Science Archaeology Fair Letter from the President Archaeological Roundtable Save the Date Volume 31, No. 2 NHAS Annual Meeting Mark Greenly The 2015 Annual Meeting of the society was held on October 3 rd at the John O’Leary Adult Community Center in Merrimack, NH. Our thanks to Mike Malburne, 2 nd Vice President of the society, for arranging this venue. Attendees heard presentations on a wide range of topics. Alexandra Martin, Archaeologist at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, spoke on the museum’s historic archeology program, using the 2015 field school as a springboard to discuss the process of archeology at the museum (historical research, fieldwork, and lab work) and the uses of what was learned: interpretation, reconstruction, and education. The focus of this year’s field school was on the circa 1800 Yeaton-Walsh House, currently undergoing rehabilitation through the museum’s Heritage House Program. The field school served as a recovery effort to mitigate the disturbances of rehabilitation (i.e., repairing the deteriorating foundation and digging for new pipes and wiring). The artifacts recovered ranged from mid-18th century to early 20th century. Cory Atkinson, Dept. of Anthropology, Binghamton University NY, spoke on an analysis of Paleoindian scrapers from the Corditaipe Site in central New York. He pointed out the shortcomings of the widely-used term “spurred end scraper” as a category descriptor. He cautioned that it is not rigorously defined, can’t be shown to reflect the maker’s intent or the range of variables that effect the shape of a scraper, and therefore restricts our understanding of that particular Paleoindian technology. Matthew Labbe, Project Manager for Monadnock Archaeological Consulting, spoke on the canals constructed along the Merrimack River built between Concord and Nashua between 1811 and 1813 to make the river navigable as far upstream as Concord. Scattered physical evidence, both archeological and architectural, remains of these canals and the buildings associated with them. Some of this evidence has been preserved but some is threatened. Dick Boisvert, State Archaeologist, NH Division of Historical Resources, spoke on the 2015 SCRAP field school An assortment of artifacts recovered during the 2015 Strawbery Banke Museum Field School at the c. 1800 Yeaton-Walsh House, including a commemorative spoon, a ceramic figurine, and other personal items
The2015AnnualMeetingofthesocietywasheldonOctober3rdat the JohnO’LearyAdultCommunityCenter inMerrimack, NH. Our thanks to Mike Malburne, 2nd VicePresidentofthesociety,forarrangingthisvenue.Attendeesheardpresentationsonawiderangeoftopics. AlexandraMartin,ArchaeologistatStrawberyBankeMuseum in Portsmouth, spoke on the museum’s historicarcheology program, using the 2015 field school as aspringboard to discuss the process of archeology at themuseum (historical research, fieldwork, and lab work) andthe uses of what was learned: interpretation,reconstruction,andeducation. Thefocusofthisyear’sfieldschoolwasonthecirca1800Yeaton-WalshHouse,currentlyundergoing rehabilitation through the museum’sHeritageHouseProgram.Thefieldschoolservedasarecoveryefforttomitigate thedisturbances ofrehabilitation (i.e., repairingthedeteriorating foundationanddigging fornewpipesandwiring). The artifacts recovered ranged from mid-18thcenturytoearly20thcentury. Cory Atkinson, Dept. of Anthropology, BinghamtonUniversityNY, spokeon ananalysis of Paleoindian scrapersfromtheCorditaipeSiteincentralNewYork.Hepointedoutthe shortcomings of the widely-used term “spurred endscraper”asacategorydescriptor.Hecautionedthatitisnotrigorously defined, can’t be shown to reflect the maker’sintent or the range of variables that effect the shape of ascraper, and therefore restricts our understanding of thatparticularPaleoindiantechnology. Matthew Labbe, Project Manager for MonadnockArchaeological Consulting, spokeon the canals constructedalong the Merrimack River built between Concord andNashuabetween1811and1813tomaketherivernavigableas far upstream as Concord. Scattered physical evidence,botharcheologicalandarchitectural,remainsofthesecanalsand the buildings associated with them. Some of thisevidencehasbeenpreservedbutsomeisthreatened. Dick Boisvert, State Archaeologist, NH Division ofHistorical Resources, spokeon the2015 SCRAP field school
An assortment of artifacts recovered during the 2015 Strawbery Banke Museum Field School at the c. 1800 Yeaton-Walsh House, including a commemorative spoon, a ceramic figurine, and other personal items
2 Volume31,No.2
SCRAP 2015 Field School
Dick Boisvert
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in Holderness on a property where the family hadcollectedartifacts in thegardenthroughoutmuchofthe20th century. Located between Big Squam and LittleSquam Lakes, the site was ideally suited to takeadvantageofaquaticresources.ThesiteprovedtohavebothArchaicandWoodlandcomponents,wasessentiallyundisturbed,andhaspotentialforfurtherresearch. Members of the Executive BoardMarika Labashand Bruce Rusch were both re-elected to three-yearterms.Anewadditionatsocietymeetingswasaraffleasa fundraiser for portable educational displays. GeorgeLeduc, 1st Vice President of the society and anaccomplishedflintknapper,donatedoneoftheprojectilepoints he had made; the Executive Board donated sixguest passes to theMt. Kearsarge IndianMuseum thatcame to us through ourmembership in that institution.Theraffleraised$90andwasconsideredasuccess.
Stemmed point
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The2015SCRAPfieldschooltookplacefromJune21toAugust31inHolderness,NH.Thesitewasbroughtto our attention by Doug McLane of Plymouth whoconducted test excavations at the site in 1986. Thoseexcavationsconfirmedthatarchaeologicalmaterialswerepresent in the Neilsen family garden. The family hadcollectedmanyartifactsover severaldecades fromtheirproperty. With the support of the family, SCRAP wasallowedtomorefullyinvestigatetheproperty.Thesiteislocatedon the short lengthof river betweenBig Squam
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and Little Squam lakes and it would have been ideallysituated for taking advantage of the annual fishmigrations. Here fish such as shad, alewife and salmonwould have been available in great quantities as theypassed through the Squam River to spawn furtherupstream. The first half of the field school focused on thelarge family garden. Here examples of Archaic periodprojectile pointswere recovered alongwith a scatteringofMiddle to LateWoodlandpottery.As the field schoolprogressed the owners extended their permissions toallow us to work on the lawn between the garden andtheirhouse. Initiallyartifactswerefoundcomingledwith20th century trash in broad pits and these areas werequickly abandoned. Systematic sampling finally revealeda small areawhere intact deposits were located. A lateWoodland arrow point and dentate stamped potterywere found along with a small pit feature. Excavationsproceededforthelasthalfofthefieldschool,punctuatedby several episodes where resident moles invaded the
Lawn excavations Landowners assisting in excavation
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Beginning the trench
Diggers and screeners
Fluted point in situ
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pitsandwereseensprintingthroughthesite. Laboratory processing has just begun and it isapparent that there are a substantial number of toolfragments present. We hope that this assemblage willhelpfillgapsinourknowledgeaboutwhenandhowthisareawasusedoverthelastseveralmillennia.
SCRAP 2015 Octoberfest
Dick Boisvert The 2015 SCRAP Octoberfest was successfullyconducted fromOctober 8 through 12 in Jefferson, NH.Anadvancepartywasabletosetupcamponthe8thandwithsurprisinglygoodweathertheywereableto layoutagridandexcavateafewshoveltestpitsontheJeffersonVsite.Thegoodweatherdissolvedthenextdayinacoldrainbutwewereableto resumework in theafternoon.Only a few flakes were found but we were able todelineatesomesiteboundariesthere. By Saturday theweather had become far betterandwewereabletobeginexcavationsonwhatbecameaone by nine meter trench in the north field of theJefferson VI site. Although we did not amass a hugevolumeofartifacts,wedidindeedmakesomesignificantfinds.Notably therewere two flutedpieces (a tip andabase), a heavily used side scraper, channel flakes, a fewretouched flakes and a thin scatter of debitage.Cataloging is underway and final artifact counts are notavailable. Perhaps the most important finds were tworock concentrations, clearly isolated in the surroundingrock free soils. Neither was fully exposed as theyextendedbeyondthewidthofthetrench. It is difficult to saywhat it allmeans. This areamaybe an edgeof a larger, denser hotspot. It could bethe trench intercepted an activity area where chippedstone tool manufacture and maintenance was not aprincipalactivity.Wehopetorefinethepossibilitieswiththecompletionofthecatalogingandpreliminaryanalysis.Certainly we will generate many more questions. Wehope to continue our field research at the Jefferson VIsite as there are clearly more opportunities to discovernewand significant aspects of the site. Lab analysis willcontinueandnodoubttherewillbediscoveriesthereaswell. Asalwayswehadalargeandhighlyskilledcorpsof volunteers for Octoberfest. All of the New Englandstateswererepresentedandindividualscamefromasfaraway as Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Portland andMontreal. Friendships were renewed and new friendsmade.
4 Volume31,No.2 2015 Field School at
Strawbery Banke
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This summer, Strawbery Banke Museumwelcomed 18 students to its 39th archaeologicalexcavation. OurfocusthissummerwasontheYeaton-Walsh House. The house lot waspurchased by Thales G. Yeaton in1794as partofalarger,empty, L-shaped property.Yeaton split thelot, selling this portion to JosephSmith in 1803, bywhich time thishouse had been built.The househad many owners over thedecades, but we learned fromdocumentary research that itslongest residentswere an Irishimmigrant family, who lived herefrom the 1850s until the early1900s, first as Leonard Cotton’stenants,andthenasownersofthehouse.The house changed handsa few more times in the20thcentury before thePortsmouth Housing AuthorityboughtthehouseduringUrbanRenewal. Thishouseiscurrentlyundergoingrehabilitationthrough the museum’sHeritageHouse Program,a program designedtorehabilitateunderutilizedbuildingsat Strawbery Banke to provide bothrental space and revenue to supportmuseum operations. Preliminaryexcavationswere carried out aroundthis property during the StrawberyBanke archaeological field school in2007, and this field season wasintended serve as a larger-scalerecovery effort to mitigate thedisturbance ofrehabilitationprojects(i.e. repairing the deterioratingfoundationanddiggingfornewpipesandwiring). While digging in a museumsetting, we get many people whocomeupandarevery inquisitiveandinterested. They like to ask usquestions such as “What are youlooking for?” “What are youdiggingto?” “How far will you be going
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down?”Oftentimes theyexpectus tohave theanswerslaid out neatly and concisely, but that isn’t always thecase! Thousands of artifacts were recovered from atrenchbehindthehouse,datingtothetimeperiodduringwhich Irish immigrantswere residents. Bywashing theartifacts, the field students reallystarted toget toknowandunderstandallthematerialthey’vecollected,aswellas gain a comfort and confidence in the field when
identifying objects. They uncovered anarray of different types of metal (e.g.wire, different cut nails, electricalaccessories, etc.), varying types ofceramic (creamware, redware,pearlware, bowl pieces, rim pieces),many fragments of bone and animalremains (giving some insight into whattheowners of thehomemayhavebeenconsuming), andother little oddities likefragments of figurines, marbles, andpieces of jewelry. As we continue toprocess our finds, we will be able tointerpret what the residents of PuddleDockwereeating,whattheyboughtandused, and what updates were made tothehouseholdinitslonghistory. Although the field school ended
inearlyJuly,diggingcontinuedinanattemptto gather more information around Yeaton-
Walsh, before the masonry work on the foundationbegan. Murphy’s Law of Archaeology graced us with
perfect timing, and all the mostinterestingfeatures showedupwhentherewasnotmuchtimeleft!Amongthemostinterestingfindswerethreefeatures: 1) a possible NativeAmerican post hole (howawesome!)2) a wooden frame structure alongthewesternsideofthehouse,and3)another wooden box structure(maybeaprivy)onthesouthernsideof the house. The two woodenfeatures pre-date the house, datingto the mid- to late-18th century,during which time the property wasin use as a Mast Yard, owned byJames Marden. A comparisonbetween these commercial featuresand the artifacts within and theresidential materials will help us tocontinue to learn about daily life atPuddleDockovertime.
PhotocreditsMikeFillyaw
Alix Martin and Laura Martin
Ellis Codd (UNH) and Anna Greco (UMass Boston)
Laura Martin (University of Florida) measuring a wall profile
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An archaeological investigation of the newlydiscoveredWorkers’HousingMiddensitewithintheNewHampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT)Manchester I-293 Exit 4 Bridge Refurbishment Project(#14966) was conducted by the NHDOT and theNortheast Archaeology Research Center. In 2012,archaeologistsexposedsealedartifactdepositsthatdatefromthe1890sto1920s,hiddenunderlayersofroadfill,whichrevealastoryofthelocalcommunity.Theartifactsrepresent trash fromworking class families that lived inhousing intheneighborhoodnearthehistoricCraftsandGreenshoefactory.ResultsindicatethesiteiseligibleforlistingintheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces.Investigations combined archaeological and archivalresearch methods to develop in-depth historic contextsand associated research themes related to large-scalefactory shoemaking,municipal expansion, public health,and waste disposal practices. The archaeologists usedhistoric documents including town histories, maps,censuses, companyand townrecordsaswellasdetailedartifact analysis and comparative studies to reconstructthe story of the working classneighborhood. Archaeologists also studiedissues related to land acquisition,neighborhood formation, ethnicity,household composition and otheraspects of everyday life related tourbanworkingclasscommunitiesinthe late nineteenth and earlytwentiethcenturies. Historic documentsdemonstrate that construction ofthe Crafts and Green Shoe Factoryin 1890 stimulated the growth ofthe neighborhood, blendingmunicipal planning and privatedevelopment. Single and multi-family residences were built tohouse workers and families, whomoved there to find work andbetter opportunities. Immigrants came from Germany,England,Canada,Scotland,Austria,Holland,SwedenandIreland; others came from New Hampshire, Vermont,New York, Maine, Massachusetts and Nebraska. Many
NHDHR Case Study- Archaeological Investigations at
the Workers’ Housing Midden Site Rosemary Cyr and Ellen Cowie
NortheastArchaeologyResearchCenter,Inc.
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childrenwerefirst-generationAmericans,andtheyoftenwent to work as teenagers in nearby factories. Of the107 workers listed in the censuses, 40% worked inshoemaking. Others were cotton and textile workers,carpenters, farmers, day laborers, servants/domestics,cigarmakers,blacksmiths,tailors,tinsmiths,grocers,andpeddlers. Artifacts reveal an upwardly mobile workingclasswhopurchasedhousehold items like tea and tablewares that reflect bothbroad and local tradenetworks.Discarded medicine, alcohol, infant and dairy bottlesindicatechangingsocialcustomsandviewsonhealth. The study also demonstrates how creation of
municipallawsimpactedtrashdisposalpatterns. The presence of theWorkers’HousingMidden site reflectsthe commonhistoric practice of fillingin low, undeveloped areas at citymargins with neighborhood trash andconstruction debris. Trash was alsopicked up by private contractors in a“scavenger” system; later, by moreregulatedcitygarbagecollectors. AprimarygoaloftheWorkers’Housing Midden site study was thedevelopment of an in-depth HistoricContext that could be used for other,similar archaeological sites. Thiscontext will inform futurearchaeological studies related toworkers’ housing neighborhoods thatdevelopedduringthistimeinresponseto the growth of various industries. Thestudyprovidedawealthof
informationonthehistoryofthis latenineteenth–earlytwentieth century West Manchester working classneighborhoodduringthisdynamictimeperiod.
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Update on the Northern Pass Project Karl Roenke
Boston Museum of Science Archaeology
Fair October 17th, 2015
Linda Fuerderer
Future archeologists discover artifacts in the "Hidden Beneath Our Roads" sand trays with Sheila Charles.
Volunteers model replicas of Roman era headgear. L-R: Linda Fuerderer, Sheila Charles, George Leduc,
Karen Malburne, Tanya Krajick.
Site Files Pat Hume
AsofNovember10th,allofthesitefilesareuptodate.
In August, the Northern Pass Projectproponents unveiled a revised plan for the projectcalled, FORWARDNH.Changesfromtheoriginalplaninclude 52 more miles of buried line added to theoriginal eight miles, lower energy costs for NHresidents, $30 million in tax benefits, and muchmore. Todateour twoSenatorsandGovernorappeartostillfavorburyingtheentireline. The Section 106 and Environmental Impactprocesseswill now focus on thenewplan. Efforts arebeing made to provide more transparency in bothprocesses and in providingmore opportunities for thepublic to be involved. For more information andupdatesjustGoogle:NORTHERNPASS.
Committee Updates
FortheninthyeartheArchaeological InstituteofAmericateamedupwiththeBostonMuseumofScienceto host their annual Archaeology Fair. Avocational andprofessional archeologists and archeology educatorsengagedinavarietyofhandsonactivities,presentations,anddemonstrations. TheNewHampshireArcheologicalSocietyhostedaboothjointlywithrepresentativesoftheNewHampshireDOTandProjectArchaeology. Hands-onactivitiesatthetableincluded“HiddenBeneathour Roads”,amock archeologicalexcavation insand trays revealing artifacts and evidence of the past;piecing together fragments of historic ceramic vessels;making buttons using button molds and flint knappingdemonstrations. George Leduc displayed his flint knapping skillsand exhibited some of his handiwork. Sheila Charles,Tanya Krajcik, Linda Fuerderer and Karen Malburneassistedinhandsonactivities. For the third year, Sheila Charles ofNHDOTandCurator for the NHAS joined the panel of ‘Ask theArchaeologist’ fieldingquestions fromtheaudiencewithafocusonAmericanarcheology.
Sheila Charles fielding questions from the "Dr. Dig" audience.
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Tuition Waivers at UNH:
An Educational Opportunity for NH Senior Citizens
IfyouareaNewHampshire residentaged65orolderthentheUniversityofNewHampshire,aspartofitsContinuing Education program, gives you the chance totake a maximum of two credit-bearing courses peracademicyeartuition-free.WhileNHASmembersmightbeparticularly interested in anthropology or archeologycourses, this waiver applies tomost of the courses thatUNHoffers.Itonlyapplies,though,ifyouarenotalreadyenrolledinoneofUNH'sdegreeprograms.More details are available on UNH's websiteathttp://www.learn2.unh.edu/tuition/seniorcitizens.html
Archaeological Roundtable:
Save the Date March 11th, 2016
In December 2013 the NH Division of HistoricalResources hosted an Archaeological Roundtable invitingallof thearcheological consultants listedandworkinginNH. During the event we discussed the possibility of afuture symposium focusing on challenging “sitedistributionmodeling”usedbymanyhereinNH. ThetimehascomeandthedateissetforMarch11th (snowdateMarch18th) from8:30amto 4pm, lunchwill be provided. The NH Division Historical Resourcesand the Department of Transportation will co-host theevent with support from Karen Mack of TRC. Theconferencewill be held at theGranite StateConferenceRoom at the New Hampshire Department ofTransportation headquarters, in the John O. MortonBuildingat7HazenDrive,Concord,NH. The general theme will focus on the use ofpredictivemodeling in the northeast: what do weworkwith now and how is it working? Papers andpresentations will focus on the glaciated northeast.Wehaveinvited theStateArchaeologists fromtheregiontoparticipate.Weare requesting anRSVPby January 31st,,seatingislimited.RSVPsshouldbeemailedto:EdnaFeighner([email protected])WewillbesendingdirectionsandregistrationspecificsinFebruary.WelookforwardtoseeingyouinMarch!
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Please join me in thanking our Executive Boardfor theirwork andenergy throughout theyear. GeorgeLeduc,MikeMalburne,SheilaCharles,MarkGreenly,DickBoisvert,DavidStarbuck,KarlRoenke,BruceRusch,EdnaFeighner,PatHume,MarikaLabashandKarenMalburne.Averyspecialthankyou toDebDuranceau forherworkmaintainingandmonitoringourwebsite.Inthespiritofenergyandvitality,LindaFuerdererPresident
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Ah, my last fieldwork of the season. As I stepfrommy tentonachillyOctobermorning, Iamgreetedwith the wonders of the fall foliage. Yellows, oranges,andredsarevisibleformiles.ThereisadustingofsnowonMt.Washington.Fallisinfullswing.MotherNatureistransitioningintowinter.Atimeofrestandrejuvenationthatstrengthensherfortheenergyandvitalityofspring. As 2015 draws to an end, we reflect on theaccomplishmentsoftheyearandutilizethatinformationtoreachourgoalsin2016.In2015thesocietygained14new members, organized a very successful ArcheologyMonthandtwosocietymeetings,highlightedthegroundbreaking work on the bear protein in our ArcheologyMonth poster, conducted many lectures to school andother groups and began fundraising for an educationaldisplayandmaterialstohaveavailableasateachingtoolto schoolsand libraries. All thewhilebehind the scenesour board members have curated, collated, logged,advised,reported,taught,arranged,editedandlectured. Aswe ease intowinter, theExecutiveBoardhasbegun work on goals for 2016. We will use the energyandvitalityofspringtolaunchArcheologyMonthinApril.Aposterdesigniscurrentlyonthedrawingtableandtheboard is scheduling events and lectures. ArcheologyMonth will culminate with our SpringMeeting on April30th. This will be a joint meeting with the VermontArchaeological Society and will be held at DartmouthCollege.So,markyourcalendar. Experience theenergyand vitality and let’s make 2016 the best season ever.Welookforwardtoseeingyouthere.
EMAIL: ________________________________________________________ To apply, please fill out this form and mail it with a check made out to the New Hampshire Archeological Society or NHAS for the amount (USD) indicated for the desired type of membership: ______ Individual $25 ______ Institution $35 ______ Senior (65+) $18 ______ Student $18 (photocopy of valid student ID required)
Mail to: New Hampshire Archeological Society Attn: Treasurer P.O. Box 406
