NYSAA News

Ocean City, Maryland, October 26-29

Alerting NYSAA and NYAC members of the upcoming ESAF meeting in Ocean City, Maryland:

https://esaf-archeology.org/annual-meeting.html

The meeting includes optional tours on Thursday, and organized sessions on Paleoindian and southern New England archaeology scheduled for Friday and Remote Sensing session on Saturday.

Dr. Julia King is the keynote speaker for the Saturday banquet, presenting on “Revisiting Portobago: A Mid- to Late 17th Century Trading Post on the Rappahannock River in Virginia.”

Prospective presenters can submit abstracts for paper or poster presentations through the extended deadline of September 15.

Reduced hotel conference rates at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront require room reservations by September 24.

2023-2024

The joint meeting of NYAC and NYSAA will take place April 21-23. NYAC’s program in on Friday April 21st, 1-5. Everyone is welcome to attend and no one has to be a member. Voting however is for members only. Saturday and Sunday is the NYSAA program. More on the conference menu can be on the NYSAA conference page or below.

Due to the pandemic it has been three years since our last New York State conference and our chapter is thrilled to host the 104th conference. In addition to providing a platform to share our research during the last three years, another objective of this conference is to bring the members of NYSAA and NYAC together in an in person meeting so we can personally share our camaraderie, as well as our knowledge.

Please fill out a registration form for each person attending. Print the information and check off the appropriate boxes for registration and meals. Total the registration and meal costs and send your check along with a copy of the registration form to the following address by Monday, April 22, 2023. Make your check out to the chapter, IOCCNYSAA. Meal plan prices are inclusive. You can choose from the meal plan selection below or choose to buy your meals on your own. There is a restaurant in the hotel and others nearby.

2023 NYSAA Conference Program (2.6 MiB)

104th Annual Conference Registration Form (183.4 KiB)

TO: Department Chairperson & Financial Aid Personnel
DATE: 11/30/22
RE: Daniel H. Weiskotten Scholarship Award for 2023

Attached please find the current flier from the William M. Beauchamp chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association announcing the 2023 “Daniel H. Weiskotten Scholarship” Award program.

We ask that you please post a copy of this flier for your students majoring in anthropology/archaeology. We also request that a copy of the flier be forwarded to your school’s financial aid office.

We are pleased to share that 2023 marks our 34th year of awarding a scholarship to an outstanding New York State student who plans to pursue a career in archaeology. We take pride in the fact that to date we have awarded over $28,000 in scholarships to worthy candidates. The 2023 award will be $1,000.00!

Contributing members of the New York State Archaeological Association as well as the members of the William M. Beauchamp Chapter in Syracuse, NY have been most generous in funding this scholarship program and enabling us to continue this tradition.

We ask you to urge your qualifying students to take a copy of our award announcement, and to apply for this award without delay.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 315-345-5094. Thank you for your cooperation and for your enthusiastic endorsement of this program!

Michael Beardsley, Treasurer
Daniel H. Weiskotten Scholarship Fund

William Beauchamp Chapter, Daniel Weiskotten Scholarship 2023 Committee Members:
Vicky Jayne Ellis McDowell Loudan, PhD
Gary Loudan Michael Beardsley

***** Award of $1,000 *****
&
***** 1-year membership in NYSAA******

Administered by the William m. Beauchamp chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association

To apply for this award, a student must be a New York state resident enrolled in an accredited New York state college or university undergraduate anthropology or history program. The student applicant must have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours; be majoring in anthropology or history; and be intending to pursue a career in archaeology (prehistoric, historic, military, industrial, marine) or museology; and be able to show a financial need.

The applicant must provide:
1). A current college transcript showing a “B” average or better

2). A financial need statement
(financial aid verification form from the college)

3). A letter describing involvement in archaeological projects; a brief description of financial need; and applicant’s future plans (stated in the applicant’s own words & writing)

4). A recommendation from a professional archaeologist

The application for this award must be postmarked no later than March 6th, 2023. It is advised that materials be sent as early as possible in the event that the committee has questions. All materials are to be sent to dr. Ellis McDowell-Loudan at the following address.

Dr. Ellis McDowell – Loudan
Box 502
3 West Academy st.
Mcgraw, NY 13101

A committee composed of professional archaeologists, and avocational members of the Beauchamp Chapter will review the applications after march 6th, and choose the award recipient.

The award winner will be selected no later than April 15th, 2023 and announced at the 104th NYSAA Annual Meeting in Suffern, NY during the NYSAA Annual Awards banquet on Saturday, April, 22nd, 2023.

Daniel H. Weiskotten Scholarship Fund 2023 Flyer (149.8 KiB)

Exploring African American Contexts in New York Archaeology

NYAC will host the fall meeting on October 1, 2022 at the New York State Museum in the Huxley Theater. The general business meeting will be from 12:45-1:45 and the program from 2-4:30. 

Contrary to popular belief, the percentage of slave holding households was higher in New York than many places in the south. Unlike the plantation economies to the south, enslaved people in the north rarely lived in clusters of separate quarters. Most often enslave people of African and Indigenous lived in the main house, an outer kitchen, or other multi-functional outbuilding. Such complex households as well as free and Maroon communities have been investigated on archaeological projects in urban and rural settings. Surprisingly, there are few publications which address these households and communities that existed in New York. Only in cases where a household or a community was known to have been occupied by African Americans are deposits considered reflections of their lives.

Archaeologists have struggled to interpret the lives of enslaved people through the material culture of plural households. Recent investigations however, suggest that there are ways of ‘seeing’ African Americans in diverse households. This program brings together archaeologists to share what they have learned from their experiences working with plural households and communities in New York, suggestions for better material culture analyses, and the importance of working with descendant populations and vested communities. Format is short presentations followed by discussion with the audience.

(more…)

The September 8th, 2022, Monthly Meeting will be in person at 7:30 PM, but they are also experimenting with making the talk available remotely via ZOOM. If you are not a member and want to attend via ZOOM send a request to James Keron (jrkeron@yahoo.com) for a link to the ZOOM meeting. Their website is http://oaslondonchapter.ca/

The speaker will be Dr. Andrea Waters-Rist of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Ontario talking on: Milk Matters: Unusual Breastfeeding and Weaning Practices in a Nineteenth Century Dutch Village. Details can be found below. (more…)

June 18-19 and June 25-26

Public Archaeology Excavation Event at the Knickerbocker Mansion, Schaghticoke, New York.

See flyer for more information or contact vsjames17@gmail.com.

The Knickerbocker Historical Society has graciously approved a public archaeology excavation to locate a home built on the property possibly as early as 1707, prior to the Knickerbocker Mansion built by Johannes Knickerbocker III ca. 1770. This call is for archaeology volunteers to excavate and staff the project, which has a goal of promoting archaeology and historic preservation in New York State by engaging the public in an archaeological excavation. Students, avocationals, and professional archaeologists are all welcome to apply! (more…)

Event Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022
Time: 1:00-6:00 pm ET
Location: Eichenbaum Colloquial Room, Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Zoom

Program Information and Registration: https://potsandpans.eventbrite.com

We are pleased to announce this symposium in honor of our late colleague Dr. Mary Beaudry (CAS Archaeology and Anthropology; MET Gastronomy). Dr. Beaudry (1950-2020) was an influential scholar, professor, and beloved fixture of Boston archaeology. Speakers and panelists will discuss Dr. Beaudry’s scholarly legacy across a range of disciplines, including gastronomy and culinary arts, the archaeology and history of food, anthropology, material culture studies, museum studies, women’s studies, preservation studies, and American studies.

Please go to https://potsandpans.eventbrite.com for further information on the program and to register to attend in person or remotely.

This event is made possible through a grant from Boston University’s Center for the Humanities, as well as through contributions from the College of Arts and Sciences, Metropolitan College, the Department of Anthropology, the Archaeology Program, the Gastronomy Program, and Programs in Food and Wine.