Let’s Not Stumble on the Road to Economic Recovery
On May 28, 2012 John R. Roby posted a very interesting article on the bad economy’s effect upon archaeology, arguing persuasively that less budget-cutting and more support of archaeology, parks, and historic preservation is called for in the economic recovery. He points out the devastation to archaeology programs at Parks Canada due to draconian budget […]
January in June? 1816, the Year without a Summer
Kindle(This is the eighth in a series of posts about the environmental context of human ecosystems and archaeological sites in eastern North America) On this morning’s weather report, WNYT Channel 13 in Albany recalled a Ballston Spa, New York newspaper story from 1816: June 6, 1816 dawned cold and snowy. According to the Channel 13 […]
Hydrofracking, Regulation, and Archaeology
Wednesday morning I turned on Albany, New York’s WNYT news and saw the actor Mark Ruffalo speaking in an interview about Tuesday’s protest against New York State’s permitting of hydrofracking in upstate New York. Ruffalo, who lives in upstate New York, offered the opinion that hydrofracking will either be “banned” or “heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily […]
In Case You Haven’t Seen It: Scientific American Reports on Paleoindian Origins, Hydrofracking
Scientific American has been reporting for over 150 years on a variety of nuts and bolts as well as cutting edge subjects in science, math, and engineering, covering a range of perspectives on scientific method, theories (and their revision), and the intersections of science, society, ethics, and economics. The November 2011 issue has articles on […]
State Professional Workers Union Approves Contract: Threat of Archaeologist Layoffs is Averted
Earlier this afternoon, the Public Employees Federation (PEF) announced that its proposed contract with the State of New York has been ratified by its membership by a more than 2 to 1 margin. Congratulations to the PEF members who considered the new proposal and expressed their position by voting on it. The State Museum scientist […]
Shaping the Forest with Fire-A Very Old Native American Practice
Kindle(This is the fifth in a series of posts about the environmental context of human ecosystems and archaeological sites in eastern North America, ca. AD 800-1700). A press release last year by the University of Manchester (2010) reported on the oldest evidence of a dwelling yet found in England, some 10,500 years old. It also […]
New York State Contract Negotiations Affecting Archaeologists Continue
The Associated Press reports this afternoon that Governor Andrew Cuomo has indicated that he would consider a shorter, 3-year contract with the Public Employees Federation (PEF), allowing PEF to renegotiate the contract earlier, and potentially at a time when the state’s economy will have improved. The contract that PEF membership has rejected was for five […]
Archaeology and History Events Around the Capital Region and Beyond, Sept. 16-18
Archaeology and history buffs in and around Eastern New York will have some tough choices to make this weekend. Here’s a run down of events. Hat tip to New York History Blog for several of these. Our own Ed Curtin will be giving a talk entitled “The Missing 2000 Years: The Continuing Mystery of the […]
The Missing 2000 Years: The Continuing Mystery of the Earliest Archaic in the Hudson Valley
Ed Curtin of Curtin Archaeological Consulting Inc. and the Van Epps-Hartley Chapter, NYSAA will be giving a talk Friday, September 16, 2011 at 7:30 at the Mulberry House Senior Center, 62-70 West Main Street, Middletown, New York. The talk, entitled: “The Missing 2000 Years: The Continuing Mystery of the Earliest Archaic in the Hudson Valley” […]
Hurricanes, Museums, and Disaster Preparedness
Guy Park in Amsterdam, New York was severely damaged by flooding of the Mohawk River after Hurricane Irene. A corner of the building was ripped off by the flood waters, which rose as high as the first floor windows at one point. Guy Park was the colonial home of Guy Johnson, the nephew and son-in-law […]
Fieldnotes » Fieldnotes- A Hudson Valley Writer on the Ancient Custom of Christmas
- An Inside View of an Archaeological Project: The Adam Shafer Site in Cobleskill, Schoharie County, New York
- When It’s Not about Turkey and Football: Review of The Mourning Road to Thanksgiving by Larry Spotted Crow Mann
- Understanding Chert in the Mid-Hudson Valley: A Note on a Recent Workshop and Field Trip
- Archaeological Memoir: Sharing Our Histories on Social Media
- The Vampire Skeleton: A Scary Seneca Iroquois Story
- Review of Lives in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson
- Reconstructing Frontenac Island’s History
- Frontenac, Island of History
- Glimpses of Archaic Societies
