Archaeology Meeting Thursday, November 1, 2018

Please join us for the November meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society to be held next Thursday, November 1st, here at the Castle Museum. Dr. Scott Beld will present a wide-ranging talk covering 50 years of archaeological work at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland County. The sites he will discuss span the Archaic through Historic periods so there will be much of interest for everyone! And, there will be treats! The program is free and, as always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend. The official announcement from the chapter is copied below.

 

Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society

November meeting notice

Thursday November 1, 2018

At the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History

7:00 p.m.

50 Years of Archaeology at Chippewa Nature Center 1968-2018

Dr. Scott Beld will present an overview on various sites they’ve excavated at the nature center (Naugle, Sumac Bluff, Cater, Ponton, Sias East)

Dr. Beld is the staff archaeologist at the Chippewa Nature Center in Midland and the Research Assistant to Dr. Daniel Fisher, Paleontologist at the University of Michigan, Museum of Paleontology, Ann Arbor.

Bring an artifact to share with the group.

Advertisements

Michigan Archaeological Society Meeting Thursday, 4 October 2018

The October meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society will be held this Thursday, October 4th, here at the Castle Museum. As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend! The official announcement from the Chapter is copied below.

SAGINAW VALLEY CHAPTER

OF THE

MICHIGAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

OCTOBER MEETING NOTICE

When:       Thursday – October 4, 2018

Where:      Castle Museum of Saginaw County History

Time:        7:00 p.m.

Program:  Don Simons will present a slide program of artifact

collections and single finds, several of which were made by 19th

and early 20th century farmers.

Bring recent finds to share & discuss during the meeting.

Michigan Archeological Society Meeting, Thursday, 6 September 2018

Nick and Julia excavating at the Steltzriede Farm Site.

The Castle Museum Archaeology team spent the summer working at the Steltzriede Farm site in Saginaw Township. What did you do???

Please join the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society for their annual Show and Tell meeting to kick off the 2018-2019 schedule. Members will share tales of their summer archaeological adventures and finds. Did you find an artifact you can’t identify? Bring it along! Many knowledgeable members will be happy to assist. As always, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Time and Location:

Thursday, September 6, 2018

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

In the Morley Room of the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History

500 Federal Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48607

Michigan Archaeological Society Meeting Thursday, 5 April 2018

The April meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society Will be held Thursday,  5 March 2018, at 7:00 pm, here at the Castle Museum. See the official announcement, copied below, for details on what is certain to be an interesting and informative program. As always, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

 

Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society

April Chapter meeting, Thursday, April 5, 2018, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The Morley Room, Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, 500 Federal Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48607

Current Research Status of the Hipwater Locale: A Parkhill Phase Paleoindian Retooling Location

Presented by:
William A. Lovis, Michigan State University

Abstract: The Hipwater Locale is a small Parkhill phase Paleoindian site, or one part of a larger site, located in south central Michigan. There is a limited assemblage of fluted Barnes bifaces, unfluted bifaces, core fragments, and fire cracked rock, with at least one major group of refits. The site location and the small assemblage were subjected to a range of different analyses, including interpretation of site location and integrity, stages of organization of lithic reduction, protein residue analysis, microwear analysis, and pXRF elemental analysis of tool stone sources. Current outcomes of these various analyses are reported and a preliminary synthesis will be undertaken.

The March meeting was canceled due to weather. The decision to cancel was made late in the day, and while steps were taken to contact members, several persons did not receive notification. We apologize for the inconvenience that this caused. A gentle reminder: if you have not submitted an email address or telephone number we will not be able to contact you in the event of a future cancellation.

Michigan Archaeological Society Meeting Thursday, 1 March 2018

The March meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society is fast approaching. Thursday, March 1st, Dr. William Lovis of Michigan State University will present an overview of current research on the Hipwater Locale: A Parkhill Phase Paleoindian retooling location in south central Michigan. See the official announcement, copied below, for more details on what is certain to be an interesting and informative program. As always, the public welcome and encouraged to attend.

Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society March Chapter meeting, Thursday, March 1, 2018, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Morley Room, Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, 500 Federal Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48607

Current Research Status of the Hipwater Locale: A Parkhill Phase Paleoindian Retooling Location  

Presented by: William A. Lovis, Michigan State University

 
Alphabetically coauthored by:  Alan F. Arbogast, Michigan State University,  Dillon H. Carr, Grand Rapids Community College,  Randolph E. Donahue, Bradford University,  G. William Monaghan, Indiana University  Jenny L. B. Milligan, PaleoResearch, Inc., Frank J. Raslich, Michigan State University.   

 

Abstract:  The Hipwater Locale is a small Parkhill phase Paleoindian site, or one part of a larger site, located in south central Michigan.  There is a limited assemblage of fluted Barnes bifaces, unfluted bifaces, core fragments, and fire cracked rock, with at least one major group of refits.  The site location and the small assemblage were subjected to a range of different analyses, including interpretation of site location and integrity, stages of organization of lithic reduction, protein residue analysis, microwear analysis, and pXRF elemental analysis of tool stone sources.  Current outcomes of these various analyses are reported and a preliminary synthesis will be undertaken. 

Archaeological Society Meeting, 1 February 2018

The February meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society will be held at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History on Thursday, 1 February 2018, at 7:00 PM. Dr. Scott Beld will share his research related to excavations at the Early Woodland Arthursburg Hill site in Ionia County. The title of Dr. Beld’s talk is: The Arthursburg Hill Earthwork Enclosure: An Early Woodland (ca. 400 B.C.) Fortified Village in central Michigan.  With a construction date of around 400 B.C., this enclosure is the earliest known in Michigan (other earthwork enclosures in Michigan are from the Late Woodland Period).

To whet your appetite for the program, here are a few Early Woodland biface types (projectile points and knives) from various sites in the Saginaw Valley.

Early Woodland bifaces found in Saginaw County.

And we can’t talk about the Early Woodland Period without showing an example of some Early Woodland ceramics…

Early Woodland ceramics from Saginaw County.

As always, the public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Michigan Archaeological Society meeting Thursday, 2 November 2017

The November meeting of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the Michigan Archaeological Society will be held Thursday, 2 November 2017 at 7:00 pm here at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History. Long-time chapter member Bernie Spencer will be presenting a program on the Ike Davidson site. Bernie describes the program as follows:

“Reflections on the Ike Davidson Site, a mixed Late Woodland site adjacent to the Cass River, occupying the bottom of the floodplain from two to four feet above the present water level. The entirety of my collections from the site will be available for observation at the meeting. This site was totally removed as part of the Cass River Dike Project in 2011. My collections began in 1957 and ended with the total destruction of the site in 2011.”

One of many Late Woodland Rimsherds from the Ike Davidson Site, Saginaw County, Michigan.

Bernie’s collection from this site includes an impressive array of Late Woodland (and some probably earlier) ceramics, projectile points and other flaked stone tools, and ground stone artifacts, all of which will be on display at the meeting.

As always, the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. You won’t want to miss this one!