Archaeology Staff Receive University at Albany's President's Award

New York State Museum Archaeology staff recently received the University at Albany’s President’s Award for Exemplary Public Engagement in recognition of the joint Museum-University archaeological field school at the Pethick Site in Schohaire County, New York. New York State Archaeologist, Christina Rieth, and John Hart, Director of Research & Collections, along with colleagues from the University at Albany Anthropology Department, were recognized for "providing exemplary publicly engaged teaching and service through the continued excavation of [the Pethick Site], the creation of opportunities for engaged research for undergraduate and graduate students, and the involvement of the community in the discovery and preservation of the area's history." Awardees included Jessica Watson, a University at Albany Ph.D. student who is a NYS Museum Ph.D. fellow and Steve Moragne, a University at Albany Ph.D. student who works for the Museum’s Cultural Resource Survey Program. Both have served as field directors for several years.

The 12-year collaboration has provided UAlbany students first-hand experience with Archaeological fieldwork, site management, and research project development. In turn, the Museum has been able to document and house rare artifacts, laboratory notes and data that will be held in trust for the People of the State of New York for future exhibition and research. Additionally, the field school has also had a focus on public engagement and education through public open-houses and week-long teacher workshops.

Dating back over 6,000 years, the Pethick Site, has revealed evidence of four major cultural occupations: (1) 4,000-3,000 B.C.; (2) 1000 B.C.-A.D. 300; (3) A.D. 1300-1400; and (4) the mid-19th century. From the original hunter-gatherers who left behind evidence of stone tools to villagers who constructed permanent homes and crafted pottery, smoking pipes and bone awls, the 350,000+ artifacts they left behind serve to document and paint a picture of the unique lives of those who, over the span thousands of years, once called the Pethick site, “home”.

Pethick Site: Archaeological Excavations in Schoharie, NY

The Pethick site is located in the Town of Schoharie, Schoharie County, New York. The site has produced more than 350,000 artifacts associated with four major cultural occupations. The earliest occupation dates between 4,000-3,000 B.C. and consists of the remains of a small camp occupied by hunter-gatherers who used the site during forays into the valley. Artifacts recovered from this occupation include small projectile points, debris from the manufacture of stone tools, food remains (including nutshell, seeds, and white-tailed deer) as well as net weights used to catch fish from the Schoharie Creek.

The second occupation dates between 1000 B.C. and A.D. 300 and has produced evidence of a more lengthy occupation of the site for a season or two. Artifacts recovered from this occupation point to the use of the site as a long term camp with several post molds suggesting one or more temporary structures may have been present. Pottery decorated with cord marked designs, projectile points, and pieces of stone (or steatite) bowls have been recovered. Other stone tools include drills, bifaces, scrapers, and hammerstones. The recovery of non-local stone materials suggests that these groups interacted with other groups in southern and central New York, New England, and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic Region.

The third occupation dates between A.D. 1300 and 1400 and is associated with the occupation of the site as a long-term settlement. The site is currently believed to be a small village or horticultural hamlet and contains evidence of three different residential structures. Excavation of portions of these houses suggests they may have had a central row of hearths running the length of the structure. Deep storage pits containing charred seeds and animal bone, incised pottery, smoking pipe fragments, net sinkers, as well as bone awls and other pieces of worked stone have been identified. An analysis of the stone and clay artifacts from this occupation suggest that the site’s occupants may have interacted with groups living in or near the Adirondacks.

The final occupation dates to the mid-19th century and is associated with the occupation of the site by local farmers. Evidence of a small cabin has been identified and offers a view into the lives of farmers at the site. Historic pottery, kaolin smoking pipe fragments, architectural debris, and other farming tools have been recovered.

A number of publications have been produced documenting the excavations at the Pethick site. These include the following:

Rieth, C.B., Rafferty, S., and Saputo, D. 2007. A Trace Element Analysis of Ceramics from the Pethick Site, Schoharie County, New York. North American Archaeologist 28(1):59-80.

Rafferty, S., Wood, C., and Rieth, C.B. 2007. Archaeometric Analysis of Lithic outcrops from Eastern New York. North American Archaeologist 28(2):167-186.

Rafferty, S., Rieth, C.B., and Moragne, S. 2014. Prehistoric Occupations at the Pethick Site, Schoharie County, New York. Archaeology of Eastern North America 42:177-199.