The Adirondack Museum’s Cabin Fever Sundays winter lecture series is back, and brings to the North Country a wide-ranging look at life in the Adirondacks – yesterday, today, and tomorrow. These events explore a variety of topics, from archaeology in the Adirondacks, to the history of resort hotels in the region.

“Hidden Beneath Our Feet: The Deep History of the Adirondacks:” In the first installment of the series, Timothy Messner of SUNY Potsdam will share findings from recent archaeological investigations carried out over the last several years which have provided data for a more accurate, complex and deep history of the Adirondacks. “Hidden Beneath Our Feet” will begin at 1:30 pm on Sunday, January 8, in the Museum’s auditorium in Blue Mountain Lake.

Shortly after the retreat of the Laurentide ice-sheet which began approximately 13,000 years ago people first arrived in the Adirondacks. But to many, Adirondack history began only centuries ago with the arrival of Euro-American adventurers and industrialists into what has conventionally been depicted as an empty pristine mountain wilderness.

Timothy Messner is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Potsdam where he teaches courses in archaeology. His research examines relationships between past peoples and their environment and how these ancient case-studies can inform our contemporary world.

Admission is free for museum members, students, and children; $5 for non-members. Refreshments will be served, and the Adirondack Museum Store and Visitor Center will be open before and after the program, with the exception of April 9 and April 23.

Unable to attend this program? Send any questions for the presenters to @ADKMuseum on Twitter, or Adirondack Museum on Facebook to join in the conversation from home.

Future installments of the Cabin Fever Sundays lecture series will include:

“Farrand Benedict: The Little Giant with Big Ideas” with Mike Prescott
1:30 pm, Sunday, Jan. 22
Learn about the many ideas and proposals of Farrand Benedict, a surveyor of the Adirondacks.

“Neo-Homesteading in the Adirondack-North Country: Crafting a More Durable Landscape” with Brett McLeoud
1:30 pm, Sunday, Feb. 5
The history of homesteading in the Adirondacks along with McLeoud’s vision of neo-homesteading in the region.

“Kontiwennenhá:wi – Carriers of the Word” with the Akwesasne Women Singers
1:30 pm, Sunday, Feb. 19
Kontiwennenhá:wi, which is translated as Carriers of the Words, is a women’s singing group that originated from the Mohawk Nation at Ahkwesashsne.

“Chipmunks: the Timber Tigers of the Adirondacks” with Charlotte Demers
1:30 pm, Sunday, Mar. 5
Explore the uncommon natural history of the Eastern Chipmunk.

“Balancing the Scales: Women in Adirondack History” with Peggy Lynn
1:30 pm, Sunday, Mar. 19
Celebrate Women’s History Month by learning about the important role women played in shaping the Adirondacks.

“Artifactually Speaking: Collecting in the 21st Century” with Adirondack Museum Chief Curator Laura Rice
1:30 pm, Sunday, Mar. 26
Join Chief Curator Laura Rice to examine some of the most recent acquisitions that will be featured in the Adirondack Museum’s temporary exhibits opening in 2017.

“Waters of the Adirondacks” with Lorraine Duvall
1:30 pm, Sunday, Apr. 9
Dive into the many facets of the Adirondack waters from protection to destruction.

“Resort Hotels of the Adirondacks: The Architecture of Tourism and Related History, 1850 – 1950” with Bryant Tolles
1:30 pm, Sunday, Apr. 23
Discover the architectural development of resort hotels in the Adirondacks.

To learn more about this season’s upcoming Cabin Fever Sundays winter lectures, call the Adirondack Museum at (518) 352-7311. A complete description of all programs and program descriptions can be found here.

The Cabin Fever Sundays series is supported by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts.