Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania will host Virtual Learn at Lunchtime: Archaeology, a series of four online learning sessions on Fridays in October to celebrate Archaeology Month.
Speakers Ron Fuchs II, Dr. Jonathan A. Burns, Melanie Mayhew, and Paul M. Nasca will explore the fascinating world of archaeology, the study of past cultures through excavated objects. These material remains allow archaeologists to reconstruct the activities and lifeways of people, from our earliest inhabitants to the present. Archaeologists employ a variety of scientific methods – from radiocarbon dating to geospatial analysis – to piece together the stories of our ancestors. Studies such as these have furthered our understanding of change over time and the adaptation and movement of people across the landscape.
Virtual Learn at Lunchtime: Archaeology is presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council. The Learn at Lunchtime sessions are a way to learn about the contribution of other scientific disciplines to the field of archaeology.
Registration is required to attend each free virtual program. Programs will begin at 12:15 p.m. and last approximate 20 minutes, followed by a question-and-answer session.
For more information or to register, visit statemuseumpa.org/WorkshopsInArchaeology.
Friday, October 4 | Ron Fuchs II, “The Nation’s Guest and Our Country’s Glory”: Lafayette on Ceramics from Philadelphia
Ron Fuchs II is the editor of Ceramics in America and has served as a curator of ceramics for more than 20 years. In this session, he will examine how Americans commemorated and celebrated Marquis de Lafayette, French hero of the American Revolution, with English transfer-printed earthenware decorated with his portrait, his home in France, and key moments of his 1824–25 visit to America.
Friday, October 11 | Dr. Jonathan A. Burns, Training the Next Generation of Preservationists by Processing Colonial Artifact Collections
For historical archaeologists, studying the artifacts of military campaigns, such as buttons, buckles, and lead ammunition, provides a glimpse at the roots of globalization and the distribution of European material goods into the North American colonial frontier. But for every hour spent in the field, archaeologists work an additional four hours in the laboratory – identifying, classifying, and preserving the finds. Dr. Jonathan A. Burns explains how undergraduate students are trained in the processes, helping them to become better stewards of the past and preparing them for their career pathways in historic preservation.
Friday, October 18 | Melanie Mayhew, Where There’s a Weir, There’s a Way: Stone Fish Weirs in Pennsylvania’s Waterways
State Museum of Pennsylvania Curator Melanie Mayhew will introduce the history of V-shaped stone fishing structures, known as fish weirs. Prior to the construction of hydroelectric dams in the 20th century, Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams supported a large fishing industry. This presentation covers the identification of weirs in Pennsylvania, from historic documentation to remote-sensing imagery, and how those sites continue to shed light on life in Colonial Pennsylvania.
Friday, October 25 | Paul M. Nasca, Keystone Collections: Curating Pennsylvania’s Ceramic Past
With more than 11.5 million artifacts, the Section of Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania curates a rich record of ceramics that were produced, imported, and used in the Commonwealth. Historical archaeologist Paul M. Nasca will delve into the archaeological collection to highlight just a few of its outstanding examples and expound on the near limitless potential that ceramic research, study, and collaboration across multiple disciplinary tracks can uncover.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania is one of 23 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History.
As one of PHMC’s premier cultural institutions, The State Museum of Pennsylvania offers visitors a captivating journey through time. Located adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, the museum houses expansive collections that illuminate Pennsylvania’s pivotal role in American history, from the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the Commonwealth's vast industrial age. The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America's story.
For more information about Virtual Learn at Lunchtime: Archaeology and The State Museum of Pennsylvania, visit statemuseumpa.org or follow us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or LinkedIn.
# # #
To vote in the Nov. 5 election, register by Oct. 21, 2024.
Visit vote.pa.gov for trusted election information.