Posts Tagged ‘archaeology’

Monday, March 22, 2021

Remembering an Adirondack archaeologist

David Starbuck reached into the center console of his car and pulled out a polished stone. He dropped it in my hands. After I admired it for a moment he happily told me it was dinosaur poop.

He had pulled that prank on so many students. Some of them would drop the “polished turd” and yell “ew,” the archaeologist told me. In case I was about to do the same, he assured me that there was no harm in holding it now. He slipped it back into a labeled sandwich baggy.

A few months later, he would put the most beautiful blue, 18th century glass cufflinks in my hands, freshly dug from the site of an officer’s hut. It was one of his most exciting finds before he died at the end of last year.

Whenever you met Starbuck, something amazing was always going to happen.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, September 2, 2018

Archaeology of the Adirondacks: New Book, Lecture

David StarbuckThe Hadley-Lake Luzerne Historical Society has announced “Understanding the Archaeology of the Adirondacks,” a lecture by archaeologist and author David Starbuck of Chestertown on Thursday, September 13, 2018 at 8 pm, at the Hadley-Luzerne Public Library 19 Main Street, Lake Luzerne.

David Starbuck is a noted authority on the archaeology of the Adirondacks. He will share excerpts from his latest book Archaeology of the Adirondacks and discuss findings from his most recent Adirondack excavations. The book focuses on the varied material culture brought to the Adirondacks, and now found underground. » Continue Reading.


Monday, November 13, 2017

North Country ‘Birdstones’: Mysterious Ancient Relics

Early Northern New York history goes far beyond the bounds of stories of pioneer families and colorful guides. As archaeologists like to say, the Western Hemisphere was invaded, not discovered. Many different societies, civilizations, or cultures existed here long before Europeans crossed the ocean and discovered “new” lands.

The history of humans in the Americas is extensive. In general (and brief) terms, the Lithic stage ended about 8,000 BCE (10,000 years ago), followed by the Archaic stage, (ending around 1,000 BCE or 3,000 years ago), and then the Woodland Period, which extended to around the year 1500.  I mention this because certain North Country artifacts written about by scholars more than 100 years ago, were created during the Late Archaic or Early Woodland period, about three thousand years ago. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, August 17, 2017

Fascinating Fossils of the Champlain Valley Saturday

Crown point historic siteChamplain Valley fossils, ancient reefs, and old forts are the topics professor and paleontologist Nancy Budd will cover on August 19 at the Crown Point Historic Site, from 10 am to 12:30 pm. The program is sponsored by Champlain Area Trails (CATS).

After a 45-minute presentation in the Museum’s theater, program participants will find and identify fossils in the rock exposures at the historic site. Most fossils in the Champlain Valley are approximately 460 million years old and are remnants of what was once a shallow sea along the edge of the Adirondacks. The climate of the Champlain Valley was subtropical, and the fossils include a diverse group such as sponges, brachiopods, gastropod snails, bivalves, and trilobites and many others. » Continue Reading.


Monday, June 12, 2017

Lake Champlain Boat Tour of Archaeological Sites

Archaeological Tour of Lake ChamplainThe Fort Ticonderoga’s 60-foot Carillon is providing boat tours with views of the lake, surrounding mountains and the fort itself, while also crossing some of the most archaeologically rich waters in North America.

The 90-minute archaeological tour, available daily Tuesday through Sunday, features the story of Fort Ticonderoga and places the fort into a larger context as part of the imperial struggle for the continent in the 18th century.

“From shipwrecks to a massive bridge that the Americans built in 1776, Lake Champlain holds defining stories of America’s past,” said Beth Hill, Fort Ticonderoga President and CEO, in an announcement sent to the press.  Hill says the Carillon has become one of the most popular attractions at Fort Ticonderoga. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Adirondack Museum Presents Cabin Fever Sundays Series

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. » Continue Reading.



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