Upcoming Events

Dr. Ervan Garrison, PhD, RPA, University of Georgia

Dr. Garrison has recently retired from the University of Georgia where he taught geology and archaeology for 32 years. Archaeological sedimentology played a central role in his teaching and research, which encompassed the study of both terrestrial and lacustrine/marine sediments. From 1990 to 1992 he worked as a Marine Archaeologist at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and served as research faculty at Texas A&M University from 1979 to 1989. Dr. Garrison received his PhD. from the University of Missouri and both his B.S. and M.A. from the University of Arkansas.

 

A significant portion of any archaeological site is often in the dirt, aka “sediments.” Even until the mid-to-late 20^th century, sediments were simply discarded and ignored at many excavations. Sediment analysis, or sedimentology, is largely the province of geoarchaeology. In many European geoarchaeological programs it is the central focus. In U.S. and Canadian geoarchaeological programs sediments are important but not the only focus – stable isotopes, eDNA, etc. – are key elements of study as well the petrographic characterization of lithic materials. This seminar will focus exclusively on the “dirt” and how best to use it for archaeological ends. Color, texture, parent material, micro-and- macro inclusions will be discussed as well as important instrumental methods that assist in our understanding of sediments.

1. Learn what sediments are and how they differ yet make up all soils.

2. Learn the basic steps in the characterization and study of sediments.

3. Appreciate the necessity of sedimentological study in archaeology, writ large.

Laurie W. Rush, PhD, RPA, Cultural Resources Program Manager and Native American Affairs Liaison, Department of the Army, Fort Drum, New York

Dr. Rush has a BA from Indiana University Bloomington, an MA and PhD from Northwestern University, and is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome. Her research specialty is Native Americans of the Great Lakes, and she is an Army Archaeologist who serves as Cultural Resources Manager and Native American Affairs Coordinator for the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum. Dr. Rush is a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution, a University of Pennsylvania Consulting Scholar, and Secretary of
the US Committee of the Blue Shield. She initiated the consultation program at Fort Drum, NY over 20 years ago and is proud of the partnerships the Installation has established with the Oneida Indian Nation, the Onondaga Nation, and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.

After consulting with Native American Tribes from coast to coast, the US Department of Defense developed the American Indian and Alaska Native Policy in 1998. This consultation policy takes the form of official guidance, but when read carefully, you will find a road map for establishing meaningful partnerships between US government agencies and the other sovereign nations of North America. This course will offer step-by-step instructions for building consultation partnerships based on the policy, with additional details about lessons learned over the course of the last 20 years from establishing government to government and staff to staff partnerships at a US Army installation.

1. Understand how to initiate and implement a meaningful consultation program for your agency.
2. Understand the two levels of consultation relationships – government to government vs staff to staff.
3. Understand the importance of context for effective meetings.
4. Understand the goals for establishing meaningful consultation partnerships.
5. Opportunities to benefit from lessons learned.

Danielle M. Benden, M.S., RPA, Driftless Pathways, LLC 

Danielle M. Benden is owner of Driftless Pathways, LLC, a small museum consulting firm near Madison, WI. She designs new curatorial facilities and renovates existing ones; consults with museum personnel to improve collections care and management; facilitates consultation between Native Nations and other stakeholders on the development of interpretive content and exhibits; and provides professional development training in curation and collections management. Prior to starting Driftless Pathways, Ms. Benden served as the Senior Curator of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she taught museum courses, designed and managed collections facility upgrades, oversaw NAGPRA compliance, and carried out fieldwork in the Cahokian Hinterlands. She has published scholarly articles, book chapters, and reports, conducted preservation assessments of archaeological sites and collections, and enjoys educating the public about the past through presentations and archaeological tours.

Ms. Benden received her B.S. in Archaeology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and an M.S. in Museum and Field Studies (with an Archaeology emphasis) from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She has served on national committees and task forces including as chair of SAA’s Committee on Museums, Collections, and Curation (2016-2019), co-chair of SAA’s Task Force on Data Access and Archiving (2015-2016), co-chair of the Archaeological Collections Consortium (2014-2016), and member of the SAA Archive Committee (2021-present). Her practical and professional experience puts her at the forefront of the national curation discussion.

From large public museums to university anthropology departments, archaeological repositories exist for two main purposes: to preserve and care for collections and to facilitate collections access for a variety of purposes (e.g., public education, exhibition, research, compliance, traditional uses by descendant communities). But how can repository personnel prioritize which collections have the highest potential for
research, education, and exhibition or the most urgent needs like NAGPRA compliance requirements?

Assessing ‘significance’—or put another way, prioritizing collections— in consultation with stakeholders is a powerful tool that can facilitate the use of collections while ensuring that their preservation and compliance needs are accounted for. This two-hour seminar provides a how-to guide for assessing collections. The resulting data informs how repositories can best direct their often limited financial and human resources to collections with the most needs and highest priorities.

This seminar is for collections caretakers and their supervisors who work across sectors: at a tribal cultural center, a government repository, a CRM firm with a related curation facility or a university department, to name a few. Participants will receive a resource guide with practical information for implementing the assessment process.

1.  Provide attendees with a framework for evaluating archaeological collections in the
   repository.
2. Teach participants how to develop an assessment tool for the physical condition,
   intellectual control, and compliance needs of collections.
3. Offer tips and resources for developing meaningful consultation with stakeholders to
   prioritize collections in the repository.