Fort Vancouver NHS Announces 2013 Speaker Series: “Planes, Mills, Factories, and Forts: Exploring Technological Heritage in the 21st Century”

Archaeology at the site of the Vancouver Kaiser Shipyards is one of the topics that will be discussed during the 2013 Speaker Series

NPS PHOTO

News Release Date: May 29, 2013

Contact: Doug Wilson, [phone]

WHAT: 2013 Speaker Series at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

WHEN: June 27, July 11, July 18, July 25, August 1. All lectures take place at 7:00 PM.

WHERE: All talks will be held at the Tex Rankin Theater at Pearson Air Museum, located at 1115 E 5th Street, Vancouver, WA 98661

COST: Free

FOR MORE INFORMATION, including a full schedule, visit http://go.usa.gov/b2YF

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site's 2013 Speaker Series, part of the annual Public Archaeology Field School, will bring together experts in the field of archaeology to address topics of technological heritage. Lectures in the series will discuss the preservation of aviation crash sites in National Parks, the Kaiser Shipyards, the Brimstone Hill Fortress on St. Kitts in the Caribbean, the underwater archaeology of the World War II Midway battlefield, and more.

Technological heritage is found at industrial and military sites, and forms an important part of many communities' local identity and history. The preservation of technological heritage occurs in many forms, including museum objects and archives, antique and replica aircraft, ships and equipment, industrial structures, and archaeological sites. Together, these tell the story of industrial experiments and undertakings and the people and communities associated with them.

The lectures are open to the public and free of charge. "We are pleased to open these talks to the public to share these incredible sites, artifacts, and the history of technology," said Doug Wilson, Archaeologist and Director of the Northwest Cultural Resources Institute.

BACKGROUND:

The Public Archaeology Field School is a joint undertaking of the Northwest Cultural Resources Institute at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (National Park Service), Portland State University, and Washington State University Vancouver. The Northwest Cultural Resources Institute is dedicated to facilitating cultural resource education and research activities in the region through cooperative partnerships at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and at other Northwest national parks. Fort Vancouver, the premier archaeological site in the Pacific Northwest, provides a dynamic, place-based learning environment for public and academic programs.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, is at the heart of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve. The Vancouver National Historic Reserve brings together a national park, a premier archaeological site, the region's first military post, an international fur trade emporium, one of the oldest operating airfields, the first national historic site west of the Mississippi River, and a waterfront trail and environmental center on the banks of the Columbia River. The partners of the Reserve teach visitors about the fur trade, early military life, natural history, and pioneers in aviation, all within the context of Vancouver's role in regional and national development. The Reserve's vast array of public programs -- including living history events, cultural demonstrations, exhibits, active archaeology, and other special events and activities -- create a dynamic, fun, and unique tourist destination for people of all ages.