Comstock Middle School Visit

             Greetings fort followers! This is Cece here to tell you about our recent visit to Comstock middle school. On Wednesday morning, Cam and I ventured over to Comstock with our artifact case, an archaeologist’s toolbox, and some fun activities in hopes of getting Mrs. Bloom’s seventh grade social studies class interested in archaeology. 

            After the first bell rang and morning announcements were given, Cam gave a brief presentation on what it means to be an archaeologist. One central point was the importance of viewing other cultures from a neutral standpoint, with an open and curious mind. Without this, we risk comparing other cultures to our own preconceived notions and making false judgements. 

          

             The first activity was meant to emphasize the importance of context to an archaeologist. The kids broke into small groups, and each group received a notecard with a place written on it; we used a farm, grocery store, garage, and restaurant. Each group had to draw four different items that might be left behind at their given place, and then pass them on to the next group, who then had to guess where the items might have come from. With each round, one item was taken away, making it more difficult to accurately infer the context of the items. The kids did really well and had a lot of fun! 

           

            Next, Cam and I distributed a bag of garbage (which, of course was washed), to each group. The kids emptied the bags and were challenged to come up with inferences about the garbage. Who might have thrown away fast food bags and coffee cups? A family? A college student? Someone who has little time to cook? I assembled a garbage bag of my own with empty cans of beans, an empty carton of tomatoes, and a few bottles of coffee drinks made with almond milk. I asked them what they thought, and they said the person was probably a vegan, maybe in their twenties…they nailed it! 

           

            After this activity, the kids got to look at the case of artifacts we had collected from Fort St. Joseph. The bones and musket ball brought about many questions, as well as the ear bob, and the fur. This gave us an opportunity to tell them about the fur trade, and the relationships between the French colonists and the Native Americans. Afterwards, we displayed an archaeologist’s toolbox. We told them the importance of digging slowly and carefully with a trowel, and about making accurate measurements with our measuring tape and plum bob. 

           

           In the final moments of class, the kids got to ask us questions. Of course we got the famous, “do you dig up dinosaur bones?” But, one of the kids came up after class was over to get more of an inside scoop on how to make it into the field. Cam and I were able to visit two classes, and both Cam and Lucy returned on Friday to see two more. It was a great experience, seeing the subjects of archaeology and anthropology through the young and excited minds of seventh graders. Thank you so much to Mrs. Bloom, the seventh graders, and Comstock Middle School for having us! Hopefully we get to see some of you again during the field season, whether it be during the middle school summer camp, a Friday pit tour, or the archaeology open house. 

Until next time,

Cece

Curating FSJ: Behind the Scenes

Hello FSJ Friends!

I hope everyone is enjoying the start of their holidays! Decorations, lights, parades, and holiday open houses are just a few of the fun events available to communities around the globe. This year, the Project has teamed up with our friends at the Niles History Center (NHC) to offer a special behind the scenes look at the Fort St. Joseph collection during the Chapin Mansion’s Holiday Evening Open House. The event is open to the public and will occur on Saturday, December 14 from 4 pm – 7 pm. This behind the scenes look will offer a chance for visitors to see items from the collection, where the artifacts are housed, and what progress has been made in preserving the past for the future.

As many of you know, I have been working as the Fort St. Joseph Curatorial fellow over the past year. Through a generous donation, the fellowship program was developed to address the challenges of curating recovered artifacts from Fort St. Joseph so that they are available for exhibits, research, and preserved for future generations. From this opportunity, I have researched ways to improve our curation practices, developed a plan, and began to implement these initiatives starting in September. To start, I have been working on taking an inventory of the Project and pre-Project artifacts on display in the Fort St. Joseph exhibits (Figure 1 and 2). Currently, we do not have a complete list of the artifacts in the exhibits which makes it difficult to answer research requests and account for all of the collection’s items. During this process, I have also been assisting with updating the exhibits with new information and selecting additional artifacts for these displays (Figure 3).

Figure 1. Artifacts from this display were inventoried in October. The process involved assessing their condition and identifying the accession number for the artifacts not labeled with one. I also worked on identifying the accession numbers for the plaque rings, medallions, and crosses in the pre-Project collection.

        Figure 2. In order to identify the accession number for the pre-Project items, I had to look up their paper catalog cards and match the artifacts with the descriptions provided.

Once these steps are complete, I will move on to compiling a complete inventory of the artifacts in storage. This involves making sure that all of the artifacts found from excavations at the fort as well as the pre-Project artifacts discussed in Hulse (1977) are accounted for. During this step, I (with the help from some friends) will be transferring the artifacts into new acid-free storage boxes! Each item will be checked to make sure that it is in its correct storage location and the location for each will be recorded to ensure that all of the artifacts are easily locatable. This will reduce the staff time involved in pulling artifacts for future research projects and exhibits. As I move through this process, I will also be making sure that each artifact bag is still intact, the silica packets are in good standing, and that boxes are not overcrowded. We have attempted to transfer a few items thus far in order to work through the process and have learned a bit along the way (Figure 4). For instance, the NHC and Project staff like the idea of having smaller boxes within the larger storage boxes to help organize the contents. However, they can be quite costly. To help reduce expenses, other museums have built their own boxes. This is something we have begun experimenting with, but it is a learning process that requires a fair amount of planning. 

   Figure 3. This case was recently painted by a very helpful volunteer! Some artifacts used in the old exhibit will return with updated information and newly recovered items will be added. You can see the progress we have made the next time you visit the NHC!

  To ensure continued work, we are seeking additional funding to implement the plan. Our fellowship founder has issued a challenge grant. If we can raise $5000 by December 31, 2019, the donor will double the amount, allowing us to move forward more quickly with our initiative. A detailed rationale for the curation of the collection and the scope of the task will be available Saturday during the behind the scenes tour or I can email you the information. You can get in touch with me by email at hartleyerikak@jccmi.edu. As always, I will continue to update you as we move forward, but at this time the best way to find out more information is to attend the behind the scenes tour. If you already have plans for that night, you can stop by the NHC (Wed-Sat, 10 am – 4 pm) for more information or contact myself or another Project member at any time. We may also offer another behind the scenes event in the future if there is interest. 

Thank you everyone for your continued support! Hope to see you Saturday,

Erika Hartley     

Life After a Field Season at Fort St. Joseph

Hello Fort St. Joseph followers,

           This is Alex Michnick from the 2019 field season, reporting back to you from Grand Valley State University. When I walked back on campus in Allendale, to begin my third year of undergraduate studies, the field season I had spent in Niles was still fresh in my mind. The day to day routine of working in my unit was an awesome memory, and another formidable experience in my archaeological career. While I reflected on this memory with satisfaction, I looked forward with ambition to the next step of my journey. 

            Near the close of the last week spent at WMU digitizing field notes and unit summaries, I applied for a laboratory position with my home institution, Grand Valley State University’s Department of Anthropology. With two field seasons under my belt going into my junior year, I felt confident that my experience would make me a competitive applicant. I was also excited about the prospect of getting my first paid position in archaeology. Two weeks later, I received a job offer from our Collections Manager, Wesley Jackson.

Alex enjoying his work at the GVSU Archaeology lab. Photo by Wesley Jackson.

            I am glad to have two seasons of field experience at this point in my academic career, and I appreciate the support of my supervisors and professors. On that note, while I find two seasons in a primarily-excavation and survey setting extremely useful and foundational, having a job exclusive to a lab setting is a change of pace that I feel has benefitted me. At the start of my involvement in the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project, my goal was to hone my field techniques and learn more about historical archaeology. I believe I walked away with an achievement of that goal, and a great deal more. I learned how to recover, classify, and interpret 18^th-century artifacts associated with one of the more prominent archaeological sites in the Western Great Lakes region. The staff that I worked with were an exceptional group of people, and assisted my professional growth as much as my personal growth. I firmly believe that it was this integrative, community project that provided me with a unique experience that I could not have gained elsewhere. It also provided me with more tools in my toolkit for engaging with the public, developing a deeper understanding of the importance of curation, and working in historic archaeological contexts.

Ceramic pipes from the DeMarsac collection at Grand Valley State University. Photo by Wesley Jackson.

At my current job with Grand Valley State, I wear a variety of hats that revolve around curational duties. My job description requires me to assist faculty in the department with class projects, such as preparing forensic anthropology kits and comparative faunal and ceramic collections for hands-on experience. The job also calls for assisting students in preparing archaeological collections for analysis. However, these tasks have been about 20% of what I have undertaken this year.

 My first day on the job, my supervisor Wesley Jackson informed me that I would be re-inventorying Grand Valley’s collection of the Daniel DeMarsac trading post, one of the last fur trading posts on the Grand River, and even in Michigan. DeMarsac’s post operated in the 1830s on the banks of the Grand River near present-day Lowell, maintaining ties and ultimately burning a bridge with local Odawa natives. It has not been excavated in about 45 years due to land development in the area. Curating the collection has entailed a great deal of ceramic research and analysis on my part to organize the materials. I was hand-picked out of the three lab assistants working this year due to both my interest in and recent experience with historic artifacts and the fur trade. My task then has been to see what can be further identified in terms of ware type, production, chronology, and function. Many Staffordshire-produced ceramics are present in the DeMarsac collection, including the William Adams and Sons “Caledonia” print, and “Spanish Convent,” of Jackson’s Warranted both of which were produced in the 1830s. In addition, the common “seaweed” print can be found on much of the DeMarsac site’s Mochaware. 

Reconstructed tableware fragments from the DeMarsac collection. Photo by Wesley Jackson.

A Staffordshire fragment, with a partial "Caledonia" maker's mark. Photo by Wesley Jackson.

In addition to working with the DeMarsac ceramics, I have also helped in further identifying many of the gunflints in the collection. Many are similar to the French honey-colored flints found at Fort St. Joseph and numerous other French sites in the New World. The exposure to this artifact type while at Fort St. Joseph has helped me to recognize these gunflints, and enabled me to assist Grand Valley in better understanding the DeMarsac site. I have also worked to classify glass by functional types based on their color, shape, and other attributes. 

A French honey-colored gun flint. Photo by Wesley Jackson.

The primary goal of Grand Valley’s Anthropology Department is to bring our curation standards up to speed digitally and physically. As Erika Hartley, the Fort St. Joseph Curatorial Fellow reminded me throughout the summer, curation is an ongoing process, and is never complete. I now know what she means!

At Grand Valley, we have a reference card containing catalogue information for each provenience in an accession, and we also have a corresponding digital database powered by FileMaker Pro software that allows us to compile, update, and create new entries for the entirety of the Grand Valley’s anthropological collections. On that note, another aspect of curation that I gained experience in at Fort St. Joseph was data entry into an existing system, which certainly came in handy in the first week of my time at Grand Valley when I began re-inventorying the DeMarsac site. In addition, three primary categories of artifacts – prehistoric, historic, and faunal, are now the delineation of general artifact types for the DeMarsac collection, whereas before, many of the artifact types were simply sorted into smaller bags and placed into a larger bag for an individual provenience. 

A photograph of Alex, taken during the 2019 field season at Fort St. Joseph. Photo by Hannah Rucinski.

In closing, I would like to thank Dr. Nassaney and the rest of the 2018 crew for providing me with the experience at Fort St. Joseph that allowed me to further my goals and aspirations. I am pleased to be able to put my experience into practice at Grand Valley. I also enjoyed being a part of the collaborative archaeology community in Niles. It taught me that even non-archaeologists care about archaeology! It is a privilege to work in a job that I thoroughly enjoy, and which allows to continue pursuing my passion of archaeology. Who knows where my next adventure will find me?

It has been a pleasure reporting in to all of the Fort St. Joseph followers,

Until next time, adieu!

Alex Michnick

Laboratory Assistant

Department of Anthropology

Grand Valley State University

Fort St. Joseph Goes To Michigan Archaeology Day!

On Saturday the 19^th, a small group from the Fort St. Joseph community drove to Lansing for Michigan archaeology day at the history center. This was my first time here and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I do know that it exceeded my expectations! This was a family friendly, fun, and informative gathering for all the Michigan archaeologists to show off their work. 

   In order from left to right, Shailee, Cece, and Lucy. Photo by Cameron Youngs

We had our own table for Fort St. Joseph where we got to inform people about our project, and all the exciting artifacts we had discovered this year. I talked to people who had never heard about Fort St. Joseph and told them all about all the amazing archaeology we do at the Fort. We had an artifact case for people to see some of the things we had found, and I noticed that the kids really enjoyed being able to see this display. There was a scavenger hunt where kids were encouraged to explore all the tables to find the ones that had keychains, and if they asked a question, they would get an archaeology-themed keychain. Our table was one of the stops for the scavenger hunt, and we had plenty of kids and adults come by and ask questions about Fort St. Joseph. It made the whole experience more fun because people asked questions they might not have said otherwise, and we got to talk about all different aspects of the project. Many people were excited to hear about our annual open house and all the different activities we have!

Not only did I get to teach people about Fort St. Joseph, but I also got to learn about other projects in Michigan. I found out there is a small project right near my hometown that I didn’t even know about! I got to see all the different universities in Michigan and their field schools. Central had a pretty interesting field school, and some really cool artifacts being shown at their table. 

Overall, I had a great time, and this archaeological convention is an amazing time for all types of people and families who are looking for something fun to do on a Saturday! You get to learn about the archaeology in your own state! I know I will be attending again next year, and you should too.

Until next time,

Lucie

                                                                                                                                                                   

Visiting the Mother Fort

Michael Nassaney delivering his CFCS presentation to a riveted crowd. Photo by Erika Hartley.

The Center for French Colonial Studies held its annual conference in Mackinaw City, Michigan, Oct. 4-6, 2019. This is an important place for French colonial aficionados because it’s the site of Fort Michilimakinac, the most strategic French trading post in the Great Lakes region. You might say it’s the “mother fort.” Indeed, archaeologists are drawn to it because it has been the site of continuous archaeological investigations since 1959—and they’re not done yet!

To provide some historical context, Jean Nicolet was the first documented French explorer in the Upper Great Lakes region when he passed through the Straits of Mackinac in 1634 in search of that illusive northwest passage to China. Father Jacques Marquette founded his mission at St. Ignace on the north side of the Straits in 1671. Sometime between 1679 and 1683 the French formally established a military presence with the construction of Fort de Buade, also referred to as Missilimakinak (Michilimackinac), in the same area. Lamothe Cadillac served as commandant of the post at the end of the seventeenth century, and the French stayed at the Straits after he departed to establish Fort Pontchartrain in 1701 at present day Detroit. The French moved to the south side of the Straits in 1715 and built Fort Michilimackinac where they officially remained until the end of the Seven Years War, surrendering the fort to the British in 1761.

A welcoming entrance to a French-style building at Fort Michilimackinac. Photo by Helen Crist.

Conference participants were treated to a behind the scenes tour of the reconstructed fort by Dr. Lynn Evans, Director of Archaeology for the Mackinac State Historic Parks Commission. In addition to seeing French-style buildings reconstructed precisely where they once stood, we also witnessed a wide array of artifacts from among the more than one million that have been recovered from the fort, along with preserved archaeological remains such as the burned roof timbers of the powder magazine that the British destroyed before moving to Mackinac Island in the late 1770s.

Saturday was filled with presentations about the archaeology (of course!), history, and genealogy of the French in the Mackinac region. Fort St. Joseph staff and supporters were well represented on the program and in the audience. Lynn Evans discussed some of the artifacts of religious devotion from Michilimackinac, a timely topic since Dr. Joe Brandão and I are currently studying the Jesuits and religious artifacts at Fort St. Joseph. James Dunnigan, a participant in the 2013 field season at Fort St. Joseph and M.A. candidate in Anthropology at WMU, discussed his research on the external village at Fort Michilimackinac. I had the opportunity to summarize 21 years of investigations at Fort St. Joseph, drawing on findings from our recent book, Fort St. Joseph Revealed (University Press of Florida, 2019). I closed by sharing some of the exciting work we conducted this past field season that revealed in tact deposits associated with the fort beneath the 20^th century dump that deterred archaeologists for decades. Erika Hartley, the current Fort St. Joseph Curatorial Fellow, discussed the work we are doing to preserve the past for the future at Fort St. Joseph and why it is important to ensure proper curation of the archaeological collection.

The colorful Timothy Kent addressing the audience at the conference. Photo by Loraine DiCerbo.

After lunch, our friends and supporters from the French-Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan discussed what they have learned about their ancestors, including some people who lived at Fort St. Joseph and traveled throughout New France. The last two papers shed light on the Native peoples of the region, how they interacted with Catholics priests, and how they are currently reviving their language. The day ended with an authentic Native American feast followed by an informal yet informative presentation by Timothy Kent. It’s always a pleasure to hear Tim chat about his work drawn from (in his words) “original French documents, archaeological site reports, museum collections, genealogical research on more than 800 of my direct French and French Canadian ancestors, visiting and studying at each of the 137 ancestral communities in France, several decades of private living history research (focusing on the lives of a French trader of the seventeenth century and his native family), and paddling with my wife and two sons from end to end the 3,000 mile length of the mainline fur trade canoe route across the U.S. and Canada.” Tim visited Fort St. Joseph as a public scholar in 2011 when our focus was the fur trade and he hasn’t missed a beat in his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Fort Mackinac from a distance with menacing storm clouds rolling in. Photo by Erika Hartley.

After an exhilarating weekend, some of us still had the energy to brave wind and high seas to take the ferry to Mackinac Island to conquer yet another fort. The following morning before an early breakfast I ran into the intrepid travelers: Erika Hartley, Mary Ellen Drolet, Neal and Kathy Hassinger, and Lynn and Meryl Christensen. I’m sure Fort Mackinac and its personnel were able to withstand any affront these French sympathizers from Fort St. Joseph tried to wield.                                       

                                                                                                                                                                 Until next time,                                                                                                                                                Michael Nassaney 

Hangin’ Out at the Four Flags Area Apple Festival

"Mary Ellen & Erika Hartley, scrupulously identifying lead seals"

Hi Fort followers! This is Cece, here to report back on the fun happenings at the Four Flags Area Apple Festival in Niles. We really appreciated being a part of this event, that has been celebrating Michiana’s bountiful apple harvest since 1972!

Cameron and I set up camp in the Chapin mansion on Saturday morning with our artifact cases, t-shirts, brochures and booklets, ready to get people excited about the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project. Across from us sat field director and curatorial fellow, Erika, and fort supporter, Mary Ellen. They were working with a pile of lead seals, and a big old book on archaeological remains found at Fort St. Joseph written by Charles Hulse, working to get the artifacts properly identified, inventoried, and cross referenced. This process involved studying the worn lead seals for identifying characteristics, like tiny fleur de lis or letters stamped into the seal. From there, we could trace where the seal originated. These artifacts travelled from northern and southern France to our very own Fort St. Joseph, sometime during the 18th century.  

"The curatorial experience, in a first-person perspective"

"Wool spinning, live and in action!"

A couple of rooms over, there was a woman spinning yarn on a wheel, and another woman weaving fabric on a loom, educating people on the process of making clothes from sheep to shirt. Halfway through the day we were gifted Pizza Transit, highly esteemed among all of the FSJ students and staff. I was very happy to be eating those breadsticks again! 

The weather was rather rainy and gray so traffic in the mansion was light, but it was a great day reuniting with some of the community members and talking to folks about the project. After packing up, Cameron and I explored the fair grounds for a little while and went back to Kalamazoo with some beautiful apples. Now I am back in the lab, working on digitizing field notes from the past field seasons, and preparing for an upcoming visit to a local high school where we’ll be getting students interested in archaeology and Fort St. Joseph.  

Thank you as usual, for the lovely time, Niles!  

Tirelessly Working on FSJ at WMU

Hi everyone! This is Lucy and I’m back again with a blog on our first few weeks back at Western! The work for Fort St. Joseph is never done, and this semester I get to do independent study with Cece, under the guidance of Dr. Nassaney and Cameron Youngs. Cece and I were both field school students during the 2019 field season, and we both decided to continue our work for Fort St. Joseph through independent study. We are just beginning to start the list of things we need to do this semester! Up to now, I have started working with Doctor Nassaney on an artifact inventory for the materials we collected from this past field season. Cece has started the process of recreating the Fort St. Joseph brochure, which we do every year after the field season. You will get to hear from Cece a little later in the semester! 

Like I said, Dr. Nassaney and I have started to create an inventory of the artifacts from this field season. This is a meticulous process where we must take out every artifact we have, count them, weigh them, and categorize them by material and function, to create an inventory for the 2019 field season. So far, we have gotten through one of the four boxes of artifacts, and we now have around 50 accessions logged! This process appears to be a lot harder and tedious than it actually is, and up to this point I am really enjoying this work. It gives me more perspective and knowledge about the artifacts we find at Fort St. Joseph. For example, throughout the whole field season, I had a hard time differentiating calcined bone from mortar, because they can look a lot alike. But throughout the inventorying process, I have been able to learn how to differentiate them with ease! I have also been able to see more of the artifacts that I was not able to see, or didn’t know we had discovered during the field season.  

Lucy wet-screening for artifacts during the 2019 field season.

Photo by Hannah Rucinski

Another task that I get to help with this semester is writing the annual report. The annual report is basically an overview of all the activities that have taken place pertaining to the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project. This includes all of our activities from the field school, our discoveries, the conferences that were attended, schools we have visited, the open house, our social media presence, and many other aspects of the project! I am excited that I get to help with this task, and learn more about some of the things we do and have done for this project. 

Overall, I am happy that I decided to enroll in independent study this semester. It keeps me involved with Fort St. Joseph, and has/will give me more experience in archaeology. Not only do I get to work in a lab setting, but I also get to make more of a mark on the project!