FOAS

Falls of the Ohio

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Announcements

On Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., Dr. Michael Collins will give a presentation at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center, Clarksville, IN. This presentation is being sponsored by the Falls of the Ohio Archaeological Society and is entitled "The Prehistory of the Gault Site in a Hemispheric Perspective."

Come hear Dr. Collins talk about his ongoing research at the Gault site. Located in central Texas this site has yield a rich collection of Clovis artifacts dating from 13,300 to 12,800 years ago. Research at this site is redefining what we know about these early Americans, pointing to a more settled way of life than previously believed.

Dr. Collins is a Research Professor in Anthropology at Texas State University in San Marcos and Research Associate, Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at University of Texas, Austin.

More information is available on the Kentucky Archaeology Facebook page.

For more information, call Anne Bader at 502-592-2355.

FOAS Wins Grant!

We learned yesterday that the Kentucky Heritage Council awarded FOAS a grant to conduct additional research on the Conrad Pottery Site in Jeffersontown. This is just terrific news! More details later as plans unfold, but we invite all of you to participate in this project which will span the better part of a year. There will be opportunities for volunteer work both in the field and the lab. Also, there is money available to pay for some tasks. We need to plan well to ensure that the funded tasks are distributed fairly to all those who may be interested. Please let Anne know if you can help out on a volunteer basis, and if you are interested in working during the week for an hourly rate. This award demonstrates good faith in our organization and we certainly want to put forth our best effort on this project.

Indian Head Rock Returned to Kentucky

An article that appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal of Friday November 5 reports that the long controversy over Indian Head Rock has been resolved with the return of the object to Greenup County, Kentucky. The rock will not be returned to its original location because that area has been "compromised", the newspaper reports. The final disposition of the stone was not made clear in the article.

November 4, 2010

FOAS Applies for Grants

FOAS begins a new phase in its development as we decided to apply for two grants to conduct archaeological research. The first of these was to undertake an archaeological survey of Loop Island in Floyd County, Indiana on property owned by Mr. Al Goodman and with his support. Many of us know the poteential for significant archaeological and historic sites in this location at the mouth of Silver Creek, including early shipbuilding, a famous dueling ground, and prehistoric occupation. The grant application was made to the Division of Archaeology and HIstoric Preservation. A second grant proposal was submitted to the Kentucky Heritage Council for work at the Conrad Redware Pottery Site in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. This redware pottery operated from 1803 until perhaps 1837. Recent exploratory investigations suggest that the kilns are still present and intact. Numerous examples of Conrad's wares have been identified. These opportunities reflect our first attempts to obtain outside funding, and it will be a learning experience for us. We are eligible to apply for these funds through our status as a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedeicated to public involvement and education. If we should be lucky enough to win either of these grants, we will be relying on the membership of FOAS to assist with the excavation, analysis, and report preparation. Wish us luck!

On a related note, Dr. George Crothers has applied for a similar grant with the Kentucky Heritage Council to address the need for investigation at Flint Island. If successful, Dr. Crothers has asked for our assistance.

Visit by Michael Collins

Just an update on the status of the planned visit by Dr. Michael Collins to the area. It is now anticipated that he will be speaking to us in February 2011. We have not abandoned plans for his visit; scheduling conflicts dictated a change of plans. More later as details become known.

December Meeting

We would like to do something different for our December meeting. We are planning on having a "Christmas" dinner at the Market Street Inn. Details for the food are still in the planning stage, but we expect to have a slide presentation that captures our "adventures" together over the past eight years. Stay tuned.

Upcoming Elections

We need to have a slate for our ballot this month. Please come prepared to serve and nominate your fellow members...especially those that do not show up at the meeting! Seriously, we have several openings for officers that need to be filled, and we welcome new candidates. Remember, you will not be doing this without help. Anne and Sundea and others will stay very involved in the whole process. See the email from Christina Pfau for more details.

July 12, 2010

Happy Birthday to FOAS!

This month marks the eight anniversary of the founding of FOAS. Thanks to all you who have stayed with us through these eight years, and welcome to all the newly arrived members! We have had some turnover in membership over time, but still attract new folks monthly. If you have not yet visited us, feel free to drop by the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana on the second Saturday of the month from 2 to 4 and see what we are all about.

July 7, 2010

Dr. Michael Collins to Speak in October, 2010!

In October, Dr. Michael Collins will be addressing FOAS! Dr. Collins was formerly (during the late 1970s) with the University of Kentucky. Some of you may recall that he worked on the archaeology of the southwest Jefferson County Floodwall project where he excavated and reported on four Archaic Sites including Villiers, Longworth-Gick, Spadie, and Rosenberger.

Dr. Collins, who has appeared on the History Channel, is now with the University of Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) at Austin where he has become well known for his pre-Clovis and Paleoindian work. Dr. Collins’s work has focused on the Gault Site (41BL323) in southernmost Bell County, Texas where he has been working since 1998. The site has been at various times since 1929. The Gault site may be the largest Clovis period excavation in the country, producing more than 60 percent of known Clovis points. Since 1990 investigations in a small area near one of the springs have brought to light at least twenty-one small weathered cobbles of limestone with elaborate engravings on their weathered surfaces, apparently associated with Clovis points dating to about 11,200 B.P. These constitute the earliest securely dated engravings in North America.

Stay tuned to learn more about the precise date and time of this presentation. We may need to move into the auditorium or schedule for a Friday or Saturday evening.

New Journal Volume Published!

Be sure to check out the latest in our journal series Currents of Change. This newest volume provides the technical papers presented at our 2005 Lithics Conference. The volume should be ready for distribution at the July meeting.

May 9, 2009

Check out the schedule of events page

There is an updated list of upcoming speakers and events on our Schedule page. Check it out....there are some very interesting speakers coming to talk to us throughout the rest of the year. As always, if there is a topic you'd like to hear about, or someone you would recommend to be a speaker, please let us know and we will try to retain them.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunity

Cheryl Munson of Indiana University wants to get the word out that an archaeological project along the Indiana Greenway will be starting in a few short weeks and she needs volunteers. Since the work will be done at or near known archaeological sites, you are sure to find the experience to be both interesting and educational. Cheryl will provide us a firm start date as it becomes available. Let's have a good turn out to help her on this much needed project.

The Jewell Site National Register Nomination

You may recall our presentation on the Jewell Site in Barren County, Kentucky. Mr. Keith Keeney of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has provided us with the following information regarding the progress of the efforts to list this highly significant site to the National Register of Historic Places:

On December 9, 2008 the KY State Review Board for the National Register of Historic Places approved the nomination of the Jewell Site Complex at Barren River Lake, Kentucky. The nomination was prepared and presented by the Louisville District-U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Keith Keeney) and Corn Island Archaeology, LLC (Mindi King Wetzel and Anne Tobbe Bader). The nomination was signed by Mr. Mark Dennan, the Kentucky State Historic Officer, and then forwarded to the Army Corps Headquarters in Washington DC where it was signed by the Agency's Federal Preservation Officer. The nomination was then sent to the Department of Interior for review and listing. The nomination is now in a 30-day period for public comment. We can expect to hear in the near future that this site has been added to the Register.

The Jewell Site Complex is a Mississippian sociopolitical center consisting of sites 15BN21, 15BN349, 15BN384, and 15BN390 located on property owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Barren and Allen counties, Kentucky. It is the single most significant prehistoric site at Barren River Lake, and based on currently available data, it is the largest and most complex of the Mississippian sites in the area. The 30-acre complex consists of a platform mound; at least two stone box cemeteries; at least six distinct habitation areas; and a possible plaza. It is located on a peninsula of land at the confluence of Barren River and Peters Creek on lands leased to the Kentucky State Parks Department. The complex has historically yielded, and continues to provide significant information regarding Mississippian settlement and habitation of the region.

April 30, 2009

MAY FOAS MEETING!!!

Our regular meeting this month will feature Dr. Jocelyn Turner of Indiana University. Some of you will recall Jocelyn who helped us out considerably during the Meyer Site excavations. Jocelyn, who holds a PhD in biology, will be speaking to us about the field of archaeobotany, the study of plant remains from archaeological sites. This study sometimes allows reconstruction of past environments, as well as determining the patterns of wild food use patterns prehistorically, and finally, the domestication of plants.

Custer Site Excavations

We have returned to the Custer Site! Be sure to check out this link to see a schedule of upcoming field days as they become known. There is no fieldwork planned this weekend due to the Derby and forecasted bad weather, but check in for the following week.

April 8, 2009

APRIL FOAS MEETING!!!

Our regular meeting this month will feature Sandy Brue from the National Park Service. Sandy will be speaking to us about the recent archaeology at the Knob Creek Site in LaRue County, Kentucky. This is the site of Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home near Hodgenville. Sandy will also speak to us about a recent fossil survey done at the site. This is a very timely topic and a rare opportunity to hear first-hand about this exciting research.

Also, Saturday is Earth Day at the Falls. The Park may be crowded and parking might be difficult, so plan to come early....and take in Earth Day as well!

Paul Olliges in the News!

Be sure to check out this link to see our own Paul Olliges in the headlines. Paul has been named Indiana Volunteer of the Year...a well deserved honor.

Congrats Paul!