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Topics in Archeology Webinar Series

This six part webinar lecture series is devoted to dissemination of information about current research in archeology both inside and outside of national parks. Topics range from recent developments in our understanding of Native American colonization of the New World to archeological investigations of World War II Japanese internment camps.

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Recent Excavations at Harpers Ferry NHP

Darlene Hassler Godwin and Justin Ebersole
Destroyed at the beginning of the Civil War, the Harpers Ferry Armory grounds are an archeological site where recent surveys include an underground tailrace tunnel which powered firearms manufacturing; Native American occupations dating from the Archaic to Woodland periods; the earliest Armory occupation; and evidence of the manufactory's complete demolition in the 1890s. Play video >>

The Northwest College Field School at Bighorn Canyon NRA

Chris Finley
Bighorn Canyon is the site of the NRHP-listed "Bad Pass Trail" that served as the main corridor for migrating herds of bison and prehistoric hunter-gatherers. The Northwest College Archaeological Field School started out in a small community college but grew to include Indiana, and later, St. Cloud State University, Little Big Horn College, and Chief Dull Knife College. Play video >>

Research in Parks

Karen Mudar (01:45-18:25) - Managing Wildland Fires and Cultural Resources: A NHPA Section 106 Primer for Fire Management Activities.
Stan Bond (18:30-56:13) - Changing Traditions in Hawaiian Rock Art: Examples From Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.
Pei Lin Yu (56:20-01:26:05) - Children as Formational Agents in the Archaeological Record: Some Ethnoarchaeological Observation. Play video >>

Research at Fort Vancouver NHS

Robert Cromwell (02:15-21:32) - Comparing the Ceramics of Early-19th Century Fur Trade British Fort Sites along the Columbia River.
Doug Wilson (21:32-52:52) - The Fort and the Village: Landscape and Nationality in the Colonial Period of Fort Vancouver.
Beth Horton (52:53-01:14:19) - Officers, Soldiers, and Laundresses: A Study of Status, Space, and Interaction at Mid-Nineteenth-Century Vancouver Barracks, Fort Vancouver. Play video >>

Climate Reconstruction and Its Implications in the Eastern U.S.

Dennis B. Blanton, Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Reconstructing past climate and weather conditions and judging their influence on human affairs are challenging but can be done successfully. The case studies in this presentation exemplify the strengths and limitations of different proxy data sources, from tree rings to historical records, and their relevance for interpretations of the historical and archeological records. Play video >>

The Windover Site—Voices from the Past

Glen H. Doran, Chairman, Florida State University
Wet sites provide an often spectacular view of prehistoric life and their contribution cannot be over emphasized. The Windover cemetery in Brevard County, Florida, has yielded preserved organics including woven materials, antler tools, wood bottle gourds, food remains, and bone tools with 168 burials dating in excess of 7,000 radiocarbon years. Play video >>

History in Bits and Pieces: The Battle of Cedar Creek

Clarence R. Geier, James Madison University
Clarence Geier and students have documented evidence of the Union encampment, interpreted parts of the battle flow, and reconstructed the cultural setting of the Cedar Creek Battlefield. This presentation discusses approaches used in analyzing battlefield remains; methods and procedures used to study the land involved; and the results gained from the application of the layers of field research. Play video >>

The Pleistocene Human Colonization of Interior North America

Dr. David G. Anderson, University of Tennessee
In this lecture, Anderson focuses on when, where, and how human beings entered the Americas during the last Ice Age, more than 13,000 years ago. The routes early peoples took can be inferred from an examination of the archaeological and environmental record, and are not as obvious as we might think. Play video >>

The Archeology of Japanese American Internment

Dr. Stacey Camp, University of Idaho
During World War II, the U.S. government imprisoned over 120,000 individuals of Japanese heritage solely due to their ethnicity. Internees creatively interrogated their imprisonment by utilizing and crafting material culture. This talk examines the material engagements recovered in the form of artwork, gaming pieces, vases, and other artifacts from Idaho's Kooskia Internment Camp. Play video >>