Fort St. Joseph Summer Camps

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The Society for Historical Archaeology's 46th Annual Conference

Enjoying the view!

            Hi everyone, it’s Erica providing a quick update on what the Fort St. Joseph staff were up to earlier this month. In early January, I along with Dr. Nassaney, travelled to Leicester, England to attend the 46^th annual conference of the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA). Our project zooarchaeologist Dr. Terry Martin and several project alumni, including Cynthia Nostrant, LisaMarie Malischke, Andrew Robinson and Andrew Beaupré were able to make the trip as well. It was exciting to have the conference in England this year as it’s only SHA’s second time there and we had the opportunity to hear about what historical archaeologists across the UK and other parts of Europe are working on as well.

'Key in Palm' 2nd place - B&W artifact

            Conferences, like SHA, are important for professionals and students in the field to attend. It takes research a long time to go through the peer review process and be published in journals or books, but archaeologists present their current work at these conferences so we can keep up with what is going on in the field. Individual presentations are placed into sessions, each organized around a specific theme. This is a great way for us to meet other people who are working on similar topics and share our ideas.

Principal Investigator, Dr. Michael Nassaney, organized a  day-long session where authors from the American Experience in Archaeological Perspective book series, of which he is the editor, presented papers dealing with their specialization. The session sought to highlight how archaeologists have used archaeology to come to understand the American experience in ways which often challenge and force us to reconsider the “official” telling of history. The presentations dealt with both specific topics like farmsteads, race, and cemeteries as well as theoretical frameworks like Dr. LouAnn Wurst’s (our department chair here at Western) presentation on class. Dr. Nassaney updated everyone on some of his recent work using Fort St. Joseph to explore the trends in the historical archaeology of the North American fur trade. Dr. Terry Martin’s presentation was in this session as well. He used the faunal remains from Fort St. Joseph and other French Colonial site in the region to explore how foodways provide insight into colonial relations.

'Carefully extracting the deer mandible' 1st place - Color Field Work

Late Saturday afternoon I presented my paper (and got to spent the whole conference with it looming over my head…yay…) which deals with using archaeology in children’s education programs. Among all of my responsibilities as Public Outreach Coordinator this summer I managed to sneak in a few hours of work with the summer camp programs which provided the context for my paper as well as my upcoming thesis. Andrew Robinson and Andrew Beaupré both presented on some of the work they have done post-Fort St. Joseph.

Although graduate student, Susan Reichert, was not able to attend the conference she did submit some of the photos she took on site as the staff photographer this summer. And (drum roll), her submissions garnered a third place ribbon, two second places ribbons, and a first place ribbon for a color image of fieldwork.

      Overall, the conference was a success; we learned a lot about many topics in archaeology and we able to share our work with others. After the conference I went to Marseille, on strictly non-work related business, but I did get to see some of the fascinating excavations which were done at the old Roman Docks there. We’ll be looking forward to the next SHA conference which will be held in Quebec! But until then we have another busy and exciting field season in Niles to prepare for!
  
                      -Erica D'Elia

'How many archaeologists fit in a unit?' 2nd place - Color portrait

‘Searching for clues, Fort St Joseph’ 3^rd place Archaeological fieldwork

A Trip to Niles

Leah, Tabitha, and I were sitting in the lab, doing our usual work, when Alex informed us that he needed a couple of us to do a presentation.

 I look at Leah and Tabitha, then back to Alex and ask “what is it for?”

“Support the Fort would like to know what happened this season. It’s next Tuesday.”

Thinking it over, I agree to do this presentation with Leah.  Now just have to figure out the most amazing PowerPoint I could create.

The waves were giant!

Tuesday fast approached and Hurricane Sandy has been pounding the east coast. Due to the size of Sandy, Lake Michigan was having massive waves! A must see! Leah and I left a couple hours early to stop by the beach at Lake Michigan in St. Joseph.

Lines of cars backed up the beach’s shore, everyone trying to get a glance at the large waves crashing against the beach. Leah is trying to maneuver the car into a prime spot to get pictures on my camera. The high winds were screaming past my window, while I’m hoping to God that I don’t drop my phone out the window! After capturing a couple pictures, Leah follows the long line to make our way to the Niles Senior Center.

At the Niles Senior Center, my PowerPoint was set up, except we had a missing cord! The cord that would attach the projector to my computer was nowhere to be found. Fifteen minutes and multiple cookies [thanks Mary Ellen!] later, Support the Fort members gathered around my computer screen and the presentation commences. Leah and I discussed:

• The field season: our focus on finding the size of the houses, the special artifacts we found, more about the Lyne site, uncovering past excavated fireplaces
• The open house: the re-enactors, having 1800 visitors, having exposed the pits to show the public
• What we personally learned: being an archaeologist, working with different people, importance of public outreach
• Lab: Pastperfect, inventory, labeling artifacts, fine sort, our visit to Michigan Archaeology Day
• Our personal experience

Heading home, bags of cookies in hand, Leah and I discuss how great of an experience it was presenting to a great group of people; people who do so much for us. Public outreach is a great thing and full of a variety of rewards (including cookies sometimes).
    -Cassie Mohney

A Weekend With New France

The food was excellent!

Each year, the Center for French Colonial Studies holds an annual meeting to encourage scholarship, foster learning, and hear presentations on topic related to the French in the New World.  Dr. Nassaney and I attended this year's conference on September 28 and 29 in beautiful Bloomington, Indiana, sponsored by the Mathers Museum of World Culture & the Glenn A. Black Laboratory and Indiana University.

            The weekend began on Friday with a workshop in the Great Lakes Ethnohistory Archives in the Glenn A. Black Laboratory. Participants had the opportunity to examine the incredible collection of primary and secondary resources assembled on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice for the Indian Claims Commission. Intended to provide evidence for cases of Indian land claims and treaty infringements, this unique assemblage of indexed documents and microfilm is invaluable for researchers who wish to learn more about any of the sixteen Native tribes referenced there, as well as those who want to learn more about the people with whom the French would have interacted during the fur trade.

            In the evening, the Laboratory, with our host Dr. Timothy Baumann, graciously provided a delicious spread of appetizers as well as a fascinating exhibit on the French military post of Ouiatenon and the artifacts that were excavated there. Many of the artifacts found there were similar to those found at Fort St. Joseph, including lead shot, ceramics, and straight pins, but there were other unique items as well: combs, a repurposed gun barrel transformed into a hide scraper, and a bison bone that was used as a paint brush, following Native tradition.  Dr. Terry Martin, our bone specialist from Illinois is especially excited about this last – no other brushes have been found this far East! Perhaps next year we will find one at Fort St. Joseph.

            Saturday was the day of presentations. Dr. Baumann gave a general introduction on culture and the creolization that took place in the New World among the French, Natives, and Africans. He and Dr. Christina Snyder introduced speakers and moderated the interesting discussions that arose after presentations. Members listened attentively to speaker after speaker for a greater understanding of the French in the New World.  The presentations were all excellent, with topics ranging from the French language and its linguistic descendants in Francophone Louisiana from Dr. Kevin Rottet, to interpretations of material culture and its relation to identity in New France from Dr. Sophie White, to an examination of the ethnohistoric materials on the Sioux as documented by the French from Dr. Raymond J. DeMallie, Jr. 

            Topics of considerable interests to followers of Fort St. Joseph were Dr. Kathleen Ehrhardt's discussion on metal consumption and trade to Indians (so much metal has been found at Fort St. Joseph, including the possible cache of the blacksmith) and Dr. Diana DiPaolo Loren's work on “The Archaeology of Colonial Sounds.” (What might have been heard at the fort on an everyday basis? The splash of oars, the music of glass seed beads and tinkling cones, the rustling of garments, and the loud calls of trade.) Dr. Terry Martin also spoke about how we might interpret the animal remains found at archaeological sites of French forts, including Fort St. Joseph. These animals were used for their pelts in trade, for their bones as various tools, and for meat, but also for fats and oils – which may have been used to make food a bit tastier.

            After the presentations, a brief business meeting was held with a presentation on the venue for next year's meeting: Austin, Texas. This conference will be especially meaningful as it is being held at the opening of the exhibit there on Sieur de la Salle's lost ship: La Belle. The exhibit looks visually striking with an amazing selection of the estimated one million artifacts found on the ship, including 800 axe heads, thousands of glass beads, three bronze cannons, and perhaps 1,500 Jesuit rings. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend!

            In the evening, a magnificent repast of food and entertainment was laid out for conference-goers.  Before we were dismissed for dinner, however, we fêted the retiring president Ruth A. Bryant for her many accomplishments as president of the Center. Under her leadership, new technologies have been used to connect members through the website and print publications for members on a simpler and more cost-effective basis. Dr. Karen Marrero, the new president, presented gifts on behalf of the Center: fragrant soaps, imported from France from the same manufacturer who made soap for Napoleon.

            Dinner was next, and was nearly indescribable in its excellence. Dr. Baumann had provided a list of ingredients available at the time to the chefs of Indiana University, and they poured all their creative energies into a meal of succulent venison, roasted root vegetables, braised duck in polenta, and for dessert, blueberry cobbler.  The only thing that could top dinner was the entertainment that followed, and no one could be disappointed by Dennis Stroughmatt and his French Creole music. Along with Rob Krumm and a sound system that could not keep up with the awesomeness, Dennis demonstrated various folk tunes that he had learned  in areas of French heritage in the Midwest and Louisiana, and which he had performed all over the country and beyond, including at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this past year.  The lively French music, which inspired both vocal participation and dancing, was a fantastic way to end an amazing conference.
       -Sarah Oren

Michigan Archaeology Day

Tony the "fur trading" Tiger

On Saturday October 6th, Fort St. Joseph joined Archaeology Day at the Historical Center in Lansing. Archaeology Day is a event where archaeological projects around Michigan came together to show the public their recent work and give updates on their archaeological projects. This year FSJ was represented by Leah Rice, Cassie Mohney, Skylar Bauer, our "mascot" Tony, and myself. Each group was stationed in the museum according to their topic, Fort St. Joseph was in the exhibit for French fur trade. 
This year we had about 500 people come to visit Archaeology Day, which also included presentations and demonstrations by various presenters. This year the public enjoyed talking to us about this past year's excavation and different artifacts that we found. They especially enjoyed the Women of New France publication. I found Archaeology Day to be a lot of fun and cannot wait to see what next year has to bring.- Michelle Letang

Tony, Leah, Cassie, and Michelle

Floating Samples: A Good Way To Start A Monday

Greetings folks!

Jordan and Leah floating soil samples.

       Today we floated soil samples that were collected during the 2012 field season. Flotation is just one of many methods used by archaeologists to collect more information about a site. We start by filling our Flote-Tech Flotation Machine with water. The flotation machine has a system of pvc pipes that connect to a small pump. The pvc jets gently push water up towards the surface, separating the light from the heavy fractions, as well as assisting in clearing out the soil. The light fraction consists of seeds, charcoal, and other lighter material. This light fraction floats to the surface and over to a separate screen area. The heavy fraction consists of seed beads, lead shot, bone, and a variety of other heavy materials. The heavy fraction remains at the bottom of a separate screen. Once the soil sample has been completely sorted by the flotation machine, they are set out to dry, and will be bagged and sorted into more detailed categories in the future. This process helps us, especially, to recover seeds that may be too small to find while excavating. We'll let you know later what we recover from them! 

      Today also marks the first day that our independent study students started their work in the lab! Students participated in both the flotation as well as entering data into past perfect (our database system). We have a tremendous crew this year, consisting of Leah Rice, Michelle Letang, Cassie Mohney, and Tabitha Hubbard. Each of our new lab crew members participated as students in the past field season, so you may have already met them! If not, they will be introducing themselves and updating you on their work in the future. Thanks for stopping by! We'll update you again soon!

              Alex 

Stay Tuned Folks! More Updates From The Lab Coming Soon!

Greetings!

This is me, supervising in the field....we'll go with that.

      We hope that you enjoyed this past field season as much as we did. We're back at Western Michigan University once again after a very successful two months of field work. Now it's time to start analyzing the data we collected and see what we can learn! There are soil samples to run through the flotation machine and sort, artifacts to inventory and evaluate, data to enter into our software system (Past Perfect), publications to put together, and, of course, start planning the next field season! A handful of students (and some old and new faces) will be working in the lab under the supervision of Dr. Nassaney and myself. We will continue to update you throughout the year on special events, lab goals and achievements, new discoveries, and other announcements and publications. Thank you again for your constant support and vested interest in the preservation of the past. We'll update you on a regular basis, so make sure you bookmark our site and visit again soon!

                 Alex Brand