Scroll Down to Explore Archaeology Events in North Carolina - Enjoy!
North Carolina Archaeological Society Annual Fall Meeting and 90th Birthday Celebration
WHEN: Saturday, October 7th and Sunday, October 8th, 2023
WHERE: Canon Lounge, Gladfelter Bldg., Warren Wilson College (Saturday program and reception)
Biltmore Estates (Sunday morning site tour)
SATURDAY TIMELINE:
9:00am Gladfelter Building opens (event set-up)
9:30-10:00am Morning Reception (check-in, coffee/refreshments)
10:00-10:50am NCAS BOD Meeting followed by the Membership Meeting (Opening Remarks and Announcements for the Silent Auction, Saturday Reception & Sunday Tour, Raffle, and Elections)
11:00-11:15am Dr. Scotti Norman (Warren Wilson College) – “Overview of the Warren Wilson College Archaeology and Anthropology Program: Current Projects”
11:15-11:55am Dr. David Moore (Warren Wilson College/Joara Project) – “Joara and Fort San Juan: Sixteenth Century Native Americans and Spanish Colonizers in Western North Carolina”
11:55-12:35pm Dr. Tom Whyte (Appalachian State University) – “Warm-Weather Tourism in Boone, a Trend that Began 12,000 Years Ago”
12:35-1:35pm LUNCH BREAK (ON-SITE, provided by TRC Environmental)
1:45-2:25pm Dr. Jane Eastman and Dr. Brett Riggs (Western Carolina University) – “Astronomical Landscapes in Western North Carolina”
2:25-3:05pm Dr. Alice Wright (Appalachian State University) – “Old Data, New River: Revisiting and Revealing the Indigenous Landscapes of Northwestern North Carolina”
3:05-3:45pm Dr. Cameron Gokee (Appalachian State University) – “Oral and Archaeological Histories of Junaluska: A Black Appalachian Community”
3:45-4:45pm Q&A Session/Comments/Election Results
6:30-8:30pm RECEPTION (sponsored by the North Carolina Archaeological Council) – Music, cake, treats, raffle prize drawing & pick-up, silent auction results and pick-up
North Carolina Archaeological Society Newsletter (Summer 2023, Volume 33, Number 3) Page 9
SUNDAY TIMELINE:
9:30am Gather in the Parking Lot at Gladfelter Building, Warren Wilson College, to board the vans that will
transport you back in time (i.e., drive you to Biltmore Estates…I’m doing my best here)
10:00am Arrive at Biltmore Estates to meet Scott Shumate (Biltmore Estates Archaeologist) who will guide us
on a 2-hour walking tour of sites on the Biltmore grounds (please dress accordingly depending on the
weather)
12:00pm Tour concludes
12:30pm Return to Warren Wilson College
NCAS Fall Meeting at Town Creek
The NCAS Annual Fall meeting will be held at Town Creek on Saturday, October 15th, coinciding with International Archeology Day and the final day of the NCAS field work. Please join us for our business meeting, speakers, and guided site tours!
NCAS Fall Dig
SAVE THE DATE!!! October 10th – 15th 2022
The North Carolina Archaeological Society will be partnering with the NC Office of State Archaeology, the Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC-CH, and Town Creek Indian Mound State Historic Site to offer a hands-on archaeological experience for NCAS members. This fieldwork is planned for October 10th – 15th 2022 (Monday through Saturday), with the NCAS Annual Fall meeting being held at Town Creek on Saturday, October 15th, coinciding with International Archeology Day and the final day of excavations. Please join us for our business meeting, speakers, guided site tours, and lunch!
The specific research goal of the excavations will be to investigate an area north of the palisaded portion of Town Creek where a 2014 magnetometer survey indicated the potential for numerous subsurface features. Due to the lack of systematic archaeological excavations in this part of the site, little is known about how this area was used and how it relates to the core of the site to the south. The planned investigations have the potential to help us learn what activities were taking place outside the palisade, and how they relate to the overall trajectory of American Indian history at Town Creek. In this first phase of field work, the primary goal will be to expose, document, and map any intact features.
We invite current NCAS members to participate in the excavations (to join or renew, go to: https://www.ncarchsociety.org/membershiplanding). Activities for which help is needed include digging, sifting soil to recover artifacts, troweling, and mapping with a laser transit. Archaeologists will be available to train participants in field methods, so no previous experience is required. Come for the whole week or just an afternoon! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Douglas Hill (dbhill222@gmail.com).
Excavations will begin daily at 8:30 am and continue until 4:00pm. In case of inclement weather bring rain gear. Canopies will be on site. Wear comfortable outdoor clothing that can get dirty and bring gloves and camping chairs if needed. Food and lodging will NOT be provided, but free on-site tent camping is available. The camping area has a large fire pit, ample firewood, and a spigot, but no power.