Philadelphia Archaeological Forum

11:30am

• Betsy Ross’ Pitchers Two pitchers were found in the bottom of a privy pit (outhouse) that once stood in the backyard behind the house where Betsy Ross spent her last years. The pitchers bear images of War of 1812 naval engagements in which the fledgling U. S. Navy was victorious over the mighty British Navy. What did these pitchers mean to their owner? And did Betsy throw these pitchers away? (Jed Levin)

• “Whereon ye Ould Foart Stood…:” The search for Fort Casimir, New Castle, Delaware Fort Casimir, also known as Fort Trefaldighet, was a 17th-century fortification defending the town of New Amstel, today’s New Castle, Delaware. Situated along the Delaware River, the fort changed hands four times in its short career – built by the Dutch in 1651, captured by the Swedes in 1654, retaken by the Dutch in 1655, and finally seized by the English in 1664. The first attempt to locate the fort occurred in 1986, when the late Edward F. Heite (1939-2005) completed limited archaeological investigations. In the summer of 2012, this location first investigated over 25 years ago was revisited by a team of archeologists using geophysics, GIS, and archaeology. (Peter A. Leach, RPA Wade P. Catts)

12:00pm-1:30pm LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH

1:30pm Welcome

• Revisiting the Wolf Walk: Giving Life to Native American Place Names Through Archaeological Investigations Native American place names retain no greater significance than in Pennsylvania. Not only has industrialization and urbanization in the city of Philadelphia led to dramatic changes to the natural landscape, most Native American names for specific locations or landscape features within the city have been gradually replaced or forgotten over the past 400 years. This presentation will discuss how ongoing archaeological investigations along I-95 correlate to Lenape places names, such as Tumanaranaming and Shackamaxon, along the Delaware River. (Jenifer Rankin)

• Legends of Philadelphia’s Lost Waterfront: Caves and Stairwells along the Delaware Did you know that early Philadelphia Quaker settlers once lived in caves along west bank of the Delaware River? Or that William Penn directed a series of public stairs to be built along the bank to facilitate easy access to the river? Harry Kyriakodis will discuss this and other research covered in his book, Philadelphia’s Lost Waterfront (2011, The History Press), which surveys the city’s central Delaware waterfront story over time, from Penn’s day to the present, including the conflict of land use (residential vs. commercial vs. recreational vs. transportational) and the devastating impact on the historic and cultural landscape by the construction of I-95. (Harry Kyriakodis)

• Getting to know the Philadelphia Archaeology Legacy: Living in the media, a sneak preview This presentation will introduce a self-guided GPS Augmented Reality walking tour of Philadelphia Archaeology sites developed by Drexel University Digital Media faculty and students. Four sites will be sneak previewed –the Dexter House site, The Dyottville Factory Glass site, the Remer House site and the Hope Farm site. The audience will be invited to take out their smart phones to download the free Augmented Reality Program Junaio available at http://www.junaio.com/. Once loaded, the audience will be invited to view the Dexter House archaeology project located on the grounds of the NCC as they exit the day’s event. They will also be invited to view the other 3 sites at their convenience, additional sites coming soon! (Glen Muschio, Mark Petrovich, Jason Kirk, Joe Tomasso)

2:15pm
Artifacts in the Spotlight
Three-Minute ‘Lightening Round’ Talks (LR#2)

• The Atlatl–A Superior Spear Throwing Accessory Long before the city existed, Native Americans hunted in the lower Delaware Valley using spears. An atlatl (or spear throwing device) helped these hunters to increase the accuracy of their aim, the distance of their throw, and the impact of the spear. Atlatl’s helped Native peoples feed their families as far back as 4500 years ago — and now they aid modern Philadelphians in understanding the creators of this innovative tool. (Amy Litterer)

• Pampered Whiskers During the 19th Century, civilians picked up on a military trend towards growing facial hair as a statement of “manhood.” Men paid much attention to facial grooming and often curled, dyed, and waxed their mustaches, in keeping with Victorian fashion. The porcelain mustache mug recovered from a household privy along a corridor of I-95 is an example of an everyday object, modified to suit the modern man’s needs. (Erin Broadhurst)

• One in a Thousand Recovered during excavations in preparation for the I-95 expansion in Philadelphia, Archeologists recently excavated a piece of window glass etched with a name during an excavation along I-95. The unusual artifact was discovered among more than a thousand pieces of plain window glass, truly making it ‘one in a thousand’ (or more). Come hear some theories about the elusive history of name-etching and see if you can come up your own ideas about why this permanent autograph was left to be discovered centuries later. (Carolyn Horlacher)

• Glass Beads: Signs of European/Native American Contact and Trade along the Delaware Glass beads are one of the earliest European artifacts found on Native American sites. Native peoples attributed cultural and aesthetic meanings to these new items (just as we do today with the materials of the modern world). Glass beads became commonly traded goods and then their popularity dropped away. This talk presents two examples of this ‘contact period’ artifact which were recently discovered during excavations along the Philadelphia waterfront. (Kristin Swanton)

• Lightening Round #3 Questions from the Audience/Discussion