Mammoth Hunters: Archaeology Club Hosts Third Annual Atl Atl Throw, April 23

Chestertown, MD, April 14, 2005 — Long before fast food and microwave dinners, ancient humans stalked “big game” to keep family and village supplied with their daily requirement of protein. About 40,000 years, the invention of a small but ingenious device—the Atlatl—vastly improved our ancestors' chances of survival by increasing the speed, power and accuracy of their hunting spears. Washington College's Archaeology Club, in celebration of Archaeology Month, will exhibit this early technological advance with a free public demonstration of Atlatlspear throwing, Saturday, April 23, 1-4 p.m. on the Campus Lawn. Tours of the College's Public Archaeology Laboratory will also be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Custom House on High and Water Streets in Chestertown.

The Atlatl (from the Aztec word for “spear thrower”) is a device that imparted incredible mechanical and technical advantage to prehistoric humans. Increasing spear velocity 15 times and striking power 200 times, Atlatls were used worldwide prior to the advent of the bow and arrow. The oldest known Atlatl artifact is more than 19,000 years old, although it is believed that the Atlatl was in common use more than 40,000 years ago. An example of how human technology directly affects the natural environment, the Atlatl provided a tremendous hunting advantage and, conversely, might have contributed to the extinction of many large mammals throughout the world. The power that the Atlatl imparted to the spear was so great that the Aztecs readopted the technology for its armor-piercing ability against Spanish Conquistadors in the Sixteenth Century. The Atlatl is now attracting thousands of enthusiasts around the world for sport and competition throwing.

As part of the demonstration, participants will have a hands-on chance to test their ability and accuracy of throwing using the Atlatl by spearing a seven-foot tall straw target, “Murray, the Mastodon,” constructed by the Washington College Archaeology Club. Washington College's Archaeology staff will demonstrate technique and provide throwing and safety instructions.

New Tools For Teaching: Washington College Given Marine "ROV" For Underwater Archaeology Program

Chestertown, MD, January 3, 2005 — Jacques Cousteau, step aside! Washington College has a new addition to its high-tech tool chest of sidescan sonar, magnetometers and seabed scanners for its undergraduate programs in archaeology and environmental studies. The College has received its first marine Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)—a Titan SII ROV—donated by Morris “Chic” Ransone, president of Annapolis-based International Industries, Inc. The ROV will allow professors and students to image and record data on underwater sites for archaeological and environmental studies research projects.

“This donation provides another important tool in our growing array of underwater survey equipment,” said John Seidel, Ph.D., associate professor of anthropology and environmental studies at Washington College and an expert on marine archaeology. “Our staff and students will put it to good use during the coming spring, in conjunction with a course on marine archaeology and an on-going survey of the Chester River. We will also use it to ‘ground truth' underwater finds made with other instruments without having to put a diver in the water.”

An ROV is essentially a watertight housing for a video camera that can dive below the surface of the water and transmit pictures back to a boat via a cable connection. An operator can maneuver the vehicle in any direction through a joystick control. Valued at $7,000, the ROV is a gift of International Industries, Inc., an Annapolis-based firm that markets hydrographic and oceanographic equipment for science and industry.

“I have been working in underwater investigations since 1958 and am very interested in Dr. Seidel's work in furthering students' interest in this field,” said Chic Ransone, president of International Industries, Inc., who has more than 40 years experience in marine operations, instrumentation, surveying and underwater exploration. “As a graduate of a small, private college myself, I know very well how an excellent teacher, with the right equipment, can instill in students a lifetime enthusiasm for underwater exploration.”

“This ROV is a simple but versatile unit, with the kind of attributes that beginners and professionals can use,” Seidel added. “I think our students will get a real thrill when they learn to operate something they probably have only seen on the Discovery or National Geographic channels.”

For more information about Washington College's archaeology program, visit http://archaeology.washcoll.edu.

Underwater Artifacts: College Receives New Hi-Tech Seabed Scanner For Archaeology, Environmental Studies Programs

Chestertown, MD, April 30, 2004 — Ever wonder what secrets lie in Davy Jones's Locker, or just at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay? Washington College students will soon find out. The College's archaeology and environmental studies programs have received a new tool for underwater archaeological and environmental surveys. Produced in Scotland by the firm SonaVision, the RoxSwath Seabed Classification System will add a new dimension to the College's undergraduate learning experience and allow students to study the marine environments at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

According to John Seidel, associate professor of anthropology and environmental studies and an expert on underwater archaeology, RoxSwath can help to determine what objects of archaeological or environmental significance might be hidden under the surface of the Bay.

“We are very excited to have this new tool,” he said. “RoxSwath is a multibeam instrument that uses acoustics to map different seabed types. Simply put, the instrument uses multiple transducers to map a swath across the bottom of a river or creek and then makes fine discriminations between different types of mud, sand, shell, coral, grass, and so on. We have taken delivery of the first system in the U.S.”

On April 5-7, representatives of SonaVision trained a group of College personnel—including Seidel, Dr. Wayne Bell, Director of the College's Center for Environment and Society, Wendy Miller, Geographic Information Systems Program Coordinator at Washington College, and College senior anthropology major, Christian Mears—to use the system through a series of live demonstrations on the Chester River.

Following the field gathering and a post-processing of the data, the survey demonstration found several oyster beds—larger than anticipated—thriving in the river.

“This is an example of the type and the value of the data that this system can produce,” said Seidel. “Combined with our sidescan sonar, marine magnetometer and positioning and survey systems, this places Washington College well out in front of all our peers with regard to marine and estuarine survey capabilities, whether for archaeology or environmental science. We are taking archaeology and environmental studies to a much higher level for our students and letting them experience first-hand the most up-to-date methods in this field, with the Bay and its tributaries as our natural laboratory.”

For more information on Washington College's archaeology program, visithttp://archaeology.washcoll.edu.

The Ancient Art Of Hunting: Anthropology Club Hosts Second Annual Atl Atl Throw, April 18

Chestertown, MD, April 9, 2004 — Long before the Atkins Diet was the craze, ancient humans stalked “big game” to keep family and village supplied with their daily requirement of protein. With the invention more than 40,000 years ago of a small but ingenious device—the Atlatl—our ancestors vastly improved their chances of survival in their life-or-death, hunt-or-die existence. Washington College's Anthropology Club, in celebration of Archaeology Month, will exhibit this early advance in hunting technology with a free public demonstration of Atlatl spear throwing, Sunday, April 18, 1-3 p.m. on the Campus Lawn. Tours of the College's Archaeology Laboratory will be held 4-6 p.m. the same day at the Custom House on High and Water Streets in Chestertown.

The Atlatl (from the Aztec word for “spear thrower”) is a device that imparted incredible mechanical and technical advantage to prehistoric humans. Increasing spear velocity 15 times and striking power 200 times, Atlatls were used worldwide prior to the advent of the bow and arrow. The oldest known Atlatl artifact is more than 19,000 years old, although it is believed that the Atlatl was in common use more than 40,000 years ago. An example of how human technology directly affects the natural environment, the Atlatl provided a tremendous hunting advantage and, conversely, might have contributed to the extinction of many large mammals throughout the world. The power that the Atlatl imparted to the spear was so great that the Aztecs readopted the technology for its armor-piercing ability against Spanish Conquistadors in the Sixteenth Century. The Atlatl is now attracting thousands of enthusiasts around the world for sport and competition throwing.

As part of the demonstration, participants will have a hands-on chance to test their ability and accuracy of throwing using the Atlatl by spearing a seven-foot tall straw target, “Murray, the Mastodon,” constructed by the Washington College Anthropology Club. Instruction will be provided and safety precautions maintained. For more information, contact Liz Seidel, staff archaeologist, at 410-810-7164.

Washington College Announces 2003 Summer Field School In Archaeology

Chestertown, MD, April 23, 2003 — The Washington College Department of Sociology and Anthropology is offering a six-week summer archaeological field school from June 2 to July 11, 2003. The eight-credit program—open to both college students and adults—will teach excavation and lab techniques; remote sensing; artifact identification, dating and analysis; and mapping and surveying of archaeological sites using both theodolite and GPS. Hands-on fieldwork at local colonial-era sites will be augmented by lectures and special presentations, laboratory work, and trips to regional sites and museums.
The course will be taught by Dr. John Seidel, assistant professor of anthropology and environmental studies and an expert on Maryland archaeology, underwater archaeology and historic preservation. Activities will be split between the excavation site and the Washington College Public Archaeology Laboratory housed in the College's restored colonial-era Custom House on the Chester River.
Interested students are encouraged to apply early. Limited housing on the Washington College campus may be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must enroll in ANT 296 Section 10 and 11, Archaeological Field School. Each section carries four credits. Tuition for the eight-credit program is $2,080, excluding housing costs. Other costs include approximately $45 for texts and $20 for tools. For more information and registration forms, contact Dr. John Seidel at 410-778-7756, or via e-mail jseidel2@washcoll.edu.

Washington College Offers Summer Field School In Archaeology For Students And Adults

Fieldwork To Focus On Eastern Shore Birthplace Of Harriet Tubman

Chestertown, MD, April 5, 2002 — The Washington College Department of Sociology and Anthropology is offering a six-week summer archaeological field school from June 3 to July 12, 2002. The eight-credit program is open to both college students and adults and will teach excavation and lab techniques, remote sensing, and mapping and surveying of archaeological sites using both theodolite and GPS. Hands-on fieldwork will be augmented by lectures, laboratory work and trips to local sites and museums.

The course will be taught by Dr. John Seidel, assistant professor of anthropology and environmental studies and an expert on Maryland archaeology and historic preservation, and Bonnie Ryan, Jessie Ball DuPont Scholar in sociology and anthropology at the College. Fieldwork will focus on one of the most significant African-American historical sites in Maryland—the birthplace of Harriet Tubman in Dorchester County on the Eastern Shore.Chestertown, MD, April 5, 2002 — The Washington College Department of Sociology and Anthropology is offering a six-week summer archaeological field school from June 3 to July 12, 2002. The eight-credit program is open to both college students and adults and will teach excavation and lab techniques, remote sensing, and mapping and surveying of archaeological sites using both theodolite and GPS. Hands-on fieldwork will be augmented by lectures, laboratory work and trips to local sites and museums.

"This is a hands-on course," said Dr. Seidel. "Much work remains to be done to record and document African-American history in Maryland. Students participating in this course will have a direct role in this process."

There is no formal deadline, but interested students are encouraged to apply early. Limited housing on the Washington College campus will be provided to enrollees on a first-come, first-served basis. Students must enroll in ANT 296 Section 10 and 11, Archaeological Field School. Each section carries four credits. Tuition for the eight-credit program is $1,950, excluding housing costs.

For more information and registration forms, contact Dr. John Seidel at 410-778-7756, or via e-mail john.seidel@washcoll.edu; or Bonnie Ryan, 410-810-7493.

Archaeologists Dig Behind Chestertown's Colonial Custom House

Chestertown, April 12—Archaeologists from Washington College recently began a two-week archaeological investigation at Chestertown's Custom House, at the foot of High Street. The excavations were prompted by the College's plans for a substantial renovation of the old building, a restoration that might disturb centuries-old archaeological remains.

The original section of the Custom House was built around 1745 by local innkeeper and merchant Samuel Massey. The distinctive brickwork of the house's facade, a style that uses glazed brick in a decorative pattern, marks it as a prominent building for its time. It was acquired from Massey in 1749 and enlarged substantially by another of Kent County's most prominent citizens, Thomas Ringgold. Ringgold, an attorney and member of the House of Burgesses, had extensive mercantile connections, interests in shipbuilding yards, and large landholdings.

Ringgold supervised his holdings from the Custom House, located at the corner of High and Front Streets. The house overlooked Chestertown's main wharf at the foot of High Street. Vaults and cellars beneath the house were used for storage, and the grounds held a wide variety of buildings over the years. Historical documents refer to a dry goods store, a cooper's shop (barrel and cask maker), granaries, storehouses, and wharves.

The location of the house also made it ideal for watching the comings and goings of ships and cargos from Chestertown's busy colonial harbor. Prior to the American Revolution, the District Customs Collector used at least one room in the house as an office, giving the building the name it has retained ever since, the Custom House.

During the 1800s, the Custom House saw a variety of owners and changes in the uses of both the house and its grounds. Outbuildings for the residence included a carriage house, a meat house, and privies, and commercial structures included warehouses and canning factories. For many years, the house was divided into apartments. In 1909 the property was purchased by the Hubbard family, who remained the owners until the property recently was given to Washington College. Much of the historic fabric of the Custom House has deteriorated and the building requires substantial renovation before it can be used effectively. The College plans to rehabilitate the building, paying special attention to historical details and keeping intact as much as possible of the original building.

Part of the renovation work includes construction of new mechanical and storage rooms in the rear of the building. Because this will disturb the ground, archaeologists from Washington College are excavating these areas in advance of construction to ensure that no important evidence of the earlier history of the site is destroyed.

During the two-week excavation phase of the project, which began on April 10, archaeologists will excavate inside the planned construction area. Digging one layer at a time, the students and staff members hope to uncover artifacts and the remains of old foundations from outbuildings. John Seidel, assistant professor of archaeology, said, "The materials we recover during this dig may reveal important insights into the construction phases and history of the Custom House and the everyday life of its occupants."