Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Public Archaeology at Fort St. Joseph

Hello Fort Friends,

For those of you who don’t know me, I am Erika Loveland and serve as the field director for the Project. This is my fourth year working with the Project and at the site. I truly love every bit of it! I completed the master’s program through the Department of Anthropology at Western Michigan University in Spring 2017. My thesis, “Archaeological Evidence of Architectural Remains at Fort St. Joseph (20BE23), Niles, MI,” examines the architectural remains of Fort St. Joseph.

We have our hands full with many different fun and exciting opportunities throughout the year, especially during the field season. The Lecture Series, for instance, began last Wednesday (check out Melanie’s blog) and will continue for the next three upcoming Wednesdays in the Niles District Library at 7 pm. These talks are awesome! Not only do they provide information on how technology is used in archaeology, but they also allow everyone who attends to interact with one another. Field school participants are able to share exciting news about what they are uncovering at the site and community members share any knowledge they have related to the fort. This informal opportunity to interact and communicate is an important avenue for the Project as it truly highlights the collaborative nature of our work.

One of the best ways to find out more about what is going on is to continue the in-person interaction. Site tours are offered every Friday at 12:30 pm (weather permitting). It is really exciting to see the public, their interest in the site, and their strong desire to learn more about what we are finding out. Please come out and visit us, you will not be disappointed!

Our site visitors also teach us a thing or two! Last week and today, the local Pokagon Band of Potawatomi have brought out around 100 summer campers to see the site and how the artifacts unearthed relate to their history and life today. For example, the campers shared information about the use and production of beads and tinkling cones with us. It was amazing to see their excitement! I know that each one of the field school members enjoyed having them on site.
Eating lunch together at the site. The university students were excited to meet the 2018 middle-school campers.

There are more ways to share information about Fort St. Joseph, its inhabitants, and archaeology beyond the lecture series and site visits. We often are invited to attend a variety of events and programs happening in southwest Michigan. Pears Mill in Buchanan, the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, the Mini Makers Faire in St. Joseph, the Brothers of the Holy Cross in South Bend, and Nile’s own Third Thursday have all invited us to come out, spread our enthusiasm, and convey knowledge about archaeology. Additionally, the blog, Facebook, and Instagram are a few great ways for us to post about happenings at the site. We enjoy looking to see how many people read, “like,” and comment on our posts! Feedback from fort followers is so nice to receive.

In sum, there are many activities and opportunities that the Project participates in and we love every minute of it! I hope to see you at an upcoming public event. Please introduce yourself and tell me what interests you about Fort St. Joseph.

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