Discoidal from Peck 2

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

Today’s animation is a crude discoidal that was excavated sometime between from March 2 and May 18, 1937, as part of work relief archaeology at the Peck 2 site, a Monongahela village in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

Excavators at Peck 2

It is now within the archaeological collections of The State Museum of Pennsylvania (TSMP). It appears to be unfinished and its final form may have been intended to be a chunkey stone, such as this one from the Fort Hill site, another village excavated by work relief archaeologists.

Pottery Fragment with Carbonized Residue from Peck 1

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

 

Today’s animation is a pottery fragment recovered archaeologically from the Peck 1 site, a Monongahela village site located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was excavated by a Work Projects Administration (WPA) crew from October 13, 1936 to January 29, 1937 and under the direction of Edgar E. Augustine.  This artifact is now in the collections of the  Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Scanning at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

This particular sherd was radiocarbon dated as part of an effort to determine the ages of Monongahela villages excavated by the WPA in Somerset County (Means 2005, 2007).  The research potential of museum collections is shown by what we have been able to learn from this otherwise mundane fragment of a ceramic vessel.

Means, Bernard K.

2005 New Dates for New Deal Excavated Monongahela Villages in Somerset County.  Pennsylvania Archaeologist 75 (1):49-61.

2007 Circular Villages of the Monongahela Tradition.  The University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.

Deer vertebra from Peck 1

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

Today’s animation is a deer vertebra recovered archaeologically from the Peck 1 site, a Monongahela village site located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was excavated by a Work Projects Administration Crew from October 13, 1936 to January 29, 1937 and under the direction of Edgar E. Augustine.

This artifact is now in the collections of Carnegie Museum of Natural History where it was 3D scanned.

Shark Vertebra from Jamestown

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

 

Today’s animation is a shark vertebra recovered archaeologically by Jamestown Rediscovery. It was scanned on September 9, 2015  at the Jamestown Rediscovery laboratory. It was scanned and later printed within two weeks of its discovery.

Animation of the Day: Smoking Pipe with Masonic Symbol from James Madison’s Montpelier

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory

Today’s animation is a clay smoking pipe with Masonic symbol that was recovered from James Madison’s Montpelier.This object was scanned in the archaeology laboratory at Montpelier on July 8, 2015.  As James Madison himself was not a Mason, Dr. Matthew Reeves, director of archaeology at Montpelier, notes there are two possibilities for the origin of this pipe: 1) it may have belonged to one of Madison’s guests, or 2) it may have to a member of the enslaved community at Montpelier, as suggested by descendants of this community that helped recover the smoking pipe.

Animation of the Day: Daub with Finger Impression from Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory

Today’s animation is a fragment of daub with finger impressions recovered archaeologically at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and was scanned in their archaeology laboratory. According to Jenn Ogborne, the Archaeology Laboratory Supervisor at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, “The daub is from the Tomahawk quarter farm at Poplar Forest, specifically in the plowzone above a two-room structure defined by postmolds, with a subfloor pit in both rooms. There are two other structures nearby. It was likely occupied about 1790 to 1812 (when Jefferson had the occupants moved to another location).” Jenn also provides these pictures of the daub alongside a 3D printed replica created in the Virtual Curation Laboratory.  The replica will be painted to resemble the original.

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Animated Object of the Day: Reconstructed Bartmann Jug from Jamestown

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory

 

Today’s animation is a reconstructed Bartmann jug recovered archaeologically by Jamestown Rediscovery and scanned in their archaeological laboratory. As noted here, “the jugs are known as Bartmann or “bearded man” for the bewhiskered face that adorns the neck.”

 

Animation of the Week: Jack of Plates Plate from Jamestown

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

 

Today’s animation is a Jack of Plates plate recovered archaeologically by Jamestown Rediscovery.  Numerous of these plates would have been sewn to a cloth or leather garment to create armor.

Animation of the Week: 17th Century Oyster Shell from Jamestown

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

 

Today’s animation is a 17th century oyster shell recovered archaeologically by Jamestown Rediscovery.  Oysters were substantially larger prior to historic over exploitation.

Animation of the Week: Toy Navy Blimp from Fort Lee RACF

by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL)

 

Today’s animation is a toy Navy Blimp that is on display in the museum at the  Fort Lee Regional Archaeological Curation Facility (RACF).  The toy was scanned to help highlight the collections and exhibits at RACF.