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Archives For November 30, 1999

Students Receive Training in Roman Glass Studies

By James Newhard
Posted on 7 September 2016 | 1:20 pm — 

IMG00511-20140124-1613Dr. Allison Sterrett-Krause has been working with students in processing the glass artifacts from Roman Carthage for the past several years, and is continuing this work this year. She will host an introductory session this Friday from 2:30-4:30 in BELL 217.

Meeting on Friday afternoons during the semester, volunteers are trained to catalogue and draw Roman glass fragments and asked to devote at least 12-15 hours over the course of the semester to our project. The team’s research goal is the eventual publication of late Roman and early Byzantine glass fragments from the Circus in Carthage.

This is an exciting opportunity to learn the basics of artifact analysis from a recognized expert in the field, in one of (if not the only) spaces in the country that holds ‘live’ unpublished glass artifacts from an archaeological project in the Mediterranean. In most cases, the artifacts stay in the country of origin, requiring extensive costs in travel for limited amounts of exposure to the material. In the case of the Roman glass assemblages from Carthage, the material has been legally exported, and are a 10-minute walk down the street. The unparalleled nature of this opportunity is palpable – both in terms of the thoroughness of the analysis and the opportunities for student training and high impact learning.

For more information, contact Dr. Allison Sterrett-Krause directly (sterrettkrauseae@cofc.edu). Owing to demand, working on the glass assemblages is currently limited to enrolled College of Charleston students, although visitors are welcome.

Faculty Report on Summer Research

By James Newhard
Posted on 28 August 2016 | 4:36 pm — 

Field Reports F16For archaeologists at CofC, the summer is time for exploration via fieldwork and in-depth study. In partnership with the South Carolina Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, we present a series of short reports from the field by Drs. Harris, Hays, Ibarra, Newhard, and Sterrett-Krause. Come to hear what new and exciting work is happening!

Thursday, September 8 at 7:00pm
Simons Center for the Arts, 309
College of Charleston

On August 25, the Charleston Museum will host a book launch and signing for Martha Zierden (Curator at the Charleston Museum) and Elizabeth Reitz (professor of anthropology, University of Georgia) whose book, Charleston: an Archaeology of Life in a Coastal Community, has been recently published.

In addition to being curator at the Charleston Museum, Zierden holds a courtesy appointment in anthropology at the College of Charleston, and is a long-time collaborator/co-director of the College’s Lowcountry field school.

Book Launch and Signing for ‘Charleston: An Archaeology of Life in a Coastal Community’

Excavations at Dixie Plantation in May 2016

By James Newhard
Posted on 8 February 2016 | 9:21 pm — 

For those interested in getting some archaeological experience and being a member of the research team at Dixie Plantation, Dr. Maureen Hays will be offering ANTH493 Field School in Archaeology (4 credits) in Maymester this year (May 16th to May 31st).

This course fulfills the Anthropology major Research Methods requirement and the Capstone requirement for the Archaeology major/minor.

ANTH202 is the prerequisite (or permission of Instructor).  If you have taken ANTH202 students will be able to sign up for the course when summer registration opens.  If students have not taken ANTH202 but really want to learn something about archaeology, send Dr. Hays an email requesting permission.

The property is owned by the College of Charleston Foundation and located in Hollywood, SC (about 40 minutes from downtown Charleston). Dixie Plantation has a long occupational history (both historic and prehistoric). Focus this summer will be on the early colonial occupation of the site (1700-1750).

The project is co-directed by Dr. Maureen Hays (College of Charleston) and Dr. Kim Pyszka (Auburn University at Montgomery).

For more detail, please see attached.

Legendre and ASK present glassHow do archaeologists identify the fragmentary shards of glass found in excavations as bottles, plates, and cups?  Archaeologists at the College of Charleston can tell you. Sarah Legendre and Dr. Allison Sterrett-Krause presented preliminary findings of their work conducted over the summer in the annual celebration of summer research at the College of Charleston.  Their study applied stepped regression analysis to develop a typological hierarchy, useful for identifying the functional type of most glass fragments found in Mediterranean contexts.  The quantitative approach aids a field in which previous studies had used more empirical categories, not always informed by statistical methods.

Their work, funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, the Department of Classics, and the Yawkey Foundation and conducted at the Center for Social Science Research (CofC), will be formally presented at the upcoming 20th Congrès de l’Association Internationale pour l’Histoire du Verre in Fribourg, Switzerland.

Original posting: http://today.cofc.edu/2015/05/01/discovery-of-rare-key-helps-unlock-dixie-plantations-storied-past/

1 May 2015 | 12:00 pmBy:
Contact: Maureen Hays, associate dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, 843.953.0760

Senior Ben Widder  was participating in an archeological field school at Dixie Plantation when he discovered a key dating to the early 1700s.

Some archaeologists dig for years before unearthing a significant artifact.

But College of Charleston student Ben Widder had a bit of beginner’s luck during an archaeology dig last year at the College’s Dixie Plantation, located along the Stono River near Hollywood, S.C.

The senior anthropology major and archaeology minor was participating in his first archaeological field school when he unearthed a key dating to the early 1700s.

“I was using my trowel and I heard the clink of metal hitting metal,” recalls Widder. “I scraped around it pretty quickly when the ring of the key became exposed, and seconds later the tip of the trowel lifted the ring up, exposing the rest of the key.”

“I found a key!” Widder shouted, as his classmates and professor came running.

Maureen Hays, professor of anthropology and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, says the key was probably made before 1707 when a parsonage house for Saint Paul’s Church was constructed on the property. American Indian groups burned the parsonage during the Yamasee War (1715-1717).

“I believe this is a rare find,” says Hays, who is co-director of the archaeological field school along with Kim Pyszka ’92, an assistant professor of anthropology at Auburn University at Montgomery.

The key before it was restored by the Charleston Museum.

Occupied for thousands of years, the site of what is now Dixie Plantation is historically, archaeologically and ecologically significant. The 881-acre property was bequeathed to the College of Charleston Foundation in 1995 by the late conservationist, ornithologist, and artist John Henry Dick.

In recent years, archaeologists digging at Dixie have discovered hundreds of artifacts, including ceramic sherds, tobacco pipe stems and a Spanish coin.

Archeologists have also located the foundation of the old parsonage house. And now, thanks to Widder’s discovery, they have a key associated with the parsonage.

But finding the key was only the first step. The ferrous artifact was heavily oxidized and required months of careful restoration at the hands of archaeologists from the Charleston Museum.

The key after restoration using electrolysis.

Ron Anthony, one of the museum archaeologists who restored the key using electrolysis, has been teaching at the College as an adjunct professor since 1990.

“It’s a process whereby chlorides locked within the artifact are purged from the artifact via electricity or chemical means,” explains Anthony. “This is a common, safe way to conserve any metal artifact which oxidizes.”

As for Widder, he was just happy to be the one to make the discovery. “If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else. I just happened to be assigned to that spot.”

 

“Uncovering Early Islam: The Role of Archaeology”

By Lauren Saulino
Posted on 17 April 2015 | 5:13 pm — 

Islam in Archaeology

Conference flyerFinalThis year’s conference (April 11, 9:00 -3:00; Wells Fargo Auditorium, College of Charleston) will include papers highlighting recent research in the history, archaeology, and societies of the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  Many studies reflect the overall theme of the conference, which takes a particular interest into the uses of technology in the study and presentation of the past. Participants include:

Olivia Adams: “Examining Cultural Landscapes of the Past: Charles Towne Landing”

Zak Bartholomew: ‘The Use of Geospatial Statistics for Defining Archaeological Sites Using Surface Survey Data”

Caitlin Bennett: “Dental Age Estimation in Subadults: A Re-Evaluation of Standards for Contemporary African American Children”

Carolyn Howle: “Reimagining the New Grange Passage Tomb through Folklore”

Jeremy C. Miller & Aaron Brummitt: “Observing Multi-Site Occupation through Innovative and Affordable Technologies:  An Analysis of over 5,000 Years of Human Occupation at 38BK2091, Rebellion Farms”

Hannah Rawcliffe: “Anthropology and Technology:  How Can Cultural Heritage Digitization Improve Dissemination of Information to the Public?”

Susan Bergeron: “Reconstructing the Rice Kingdom: Developing an Immersive Virtual Landscape for Historic Hampton Plantation”

Jesse Rouse: “From the Surface Down: Looking for Landscape Change at Hampton Plantation”

Craig Garrison: “Carriage Steps and Charleston’s Streetscape”

 

Welcoming Remarks by Tracey Burkett, Interim Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Charleston

Keynote Address by James Newhard, Director of Archaeology, College of Charleston

The conference is sponsored by the SC State Park Service in partnership with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Program in Archaeology at the College of Charleston.

ARCHClubLecture

This story is reproduced from its original posting the School of Science and Mathematics blog 

Dr. Harris’ core research will allow for quantitive and qualitative analysis of coastal change in response to varied sea-level rise scenarios across a complex landscape in the North Euboean Gulf of Central Greece. Data gathered, analyzed, and interpreted through this project will also inform several major Bronze Age archaeological sites about their submerged paleolandscapes along the Southwestern edge of the gulf. The research site covers the marine portions of the ancient sites of Kynos, Mitrou, and Halai and from modern Arkitsa to the Theologos Peninsula about two hours north of Athens. The derived scientific products and interpretations will not only inform the maritime aspects of the terrestrial sites, but will also assist in the identification of submerged sites before, during and after the significant periods of seafaring in the Bronze Age along this major seaway. While many studies of the submerged portions of Greece focus strictly on submerged cities, specific shipwrecks, or the deep sea, this collaborative project will form a coherent regional investigation focused on paleolandscapes and coastal changes throughout antiquity. The broader context of the study will influence disciplinary thoughts on the preservation of ancient landscapes, of coastal deposits, and of submerged archaeological sites along an important ancient maritime seaway.

Submerged paleolandscGreece 2apes hold a record of antiquity that informs us about past coastal conditions and human adaptations. Understanding the influence of how variable local sea-level changes have influenced the preservation potential of submerged coastal systems is crucial to understanding these interactions. Working with host faculty and two other Greek universities, we will map the seafloor between Theologos and Arkitsa Greece to answer questions of preservation potential in a natural experiment of differential sea-level change in this actively tectonic and rich Bronze Age maritime region.   The scholar will bring expertise in coastal dynamics and advanced seafloor mapping techniques while the host institution provides expertise in understanding ancient sea-level histories in this region.

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