We’re switching things up at the Glen Burnie Library! After the successful collaboration for Native American Heritage Month, librarians and archaeologists teamed up once again for Black History Month. The exhibit highlights the numerous contributions by black inventors, and highlights the story of the Savoy family, tenant farmers from Crownsville.
It will be up for the next few months at the Glen Burnie library at 1010 Eastway.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning seeks a Historic Resources Management Intern to support the Cultural Resources section. The Cultural Resources section protects Anne Arundel County’s historic sites, buildings, archaeological sites and landscapes.
The Historic Resources Management Intern will support the Cultural Resources section by updating and modernizing documentation of the County Inventory of Historic Places. This position is primarily remote with requirements to access extensive local and State archival records. More information here.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning also seeks a Community Outreach and Research Intern to support the Long Range Planning section. The Long Range Planning section is the lead in preparing the County’s General Development Plan, Small Area Plans, and other functional plans as needed.
The intern will develop communications materials and engage directly with community members to understand their concerns and aspirations for their neighborhoods. The intern will also gather information on the history and attributes of the community that make these places unique. This is a hybrid position based out of the Annapolis headquarters. More information here.
A new educational toolbox highlighting 13,000 years of indigenous presence in Anne Arundel County
The Lost Towns Project, Inc., in collaboration with archaeologists with the County’s Cultural Resources Section, is proud to announce the launch of “Native American Archaeology in Anne Arundel County, Maryland: A Heritage Toolbox.” Designed for students, teachers, and the curious public, this virtual toolbox shares exciting local archaeological discoveries, along with images of artifacts from the County’s vast archaeological holdings that have helped document and reveal the deep history of indigenous peoples in what is today known as Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Visit losttownsproject.org/toolbox to explore 13,000 years of indigenous history, learn more about fascinating archaeological resources across the County, download valuable educational resources, and find places where you can visit and experience this history in person!
Funded in part by the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area in recognition of the lack of publicly available resources available that tell of the County’s rich indigenous history, the toolbox provides historical context, along with multimedia resources, including interviews with members of local tribes and professional archaeologists, images of artifacts excavated from across the county, and links to presentations by academic experts, web resources, worksheets, and videos. It also showcases the rich archaeological discoveries from the Jug Bay area, a tidal wetland along the Patuxent River in southwest Anne Arundel County.
Dr. Patricia Delgado, Superintendent and Wetland Ecologist at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian, MD welcomes new visitors to the Sanctuary to immerse themselves in the natural environment, and explore the lands where Native peoples once lived. She notes that “the addition of a website dedicated to presenting the Native American story of Jug Bay provides a permanent and accessible way to share these important aspects of our local heritage with the public.” Plan your visit at www.jugbay.org!
Eve Case, Coordinator of Social Studies at Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) sees the toolbox as “an important resource for social studies teachers looking to incorporate local history into their curricula,” adding that “Native American history is a subject area for which we have few local resources on hand.”
Drew Webster, archaeologist and the County’s Historic Preservation Stewardship Program Director, designed the toolbox with the hope that teachers could use the digital toolbox to broaden their curricula, build new lesson plans, and encourage their students to research and explore the area’s extensive indigenous heritage, both virtually and in person.
Mr. Webster also invites the public to experience archaeology firsthand! Sign up for a monthly newsletter by emailing [email protected] and be first to know about volunteer opportunities in the field and the lab, and to hear about new exhibits and lectures about Native American history and archaeology in 2023.
Our very own volunteers Bob and Vera Wiest are the recipients of the 2022 Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Stewardship Award! This award recognizes “efforts that make a difference in stewardship of our natural resources or built environment.”
This married couple of archaeological all-stars process artifact collections by washing, labeling, and preparing artifacts for curation. Whether it’s a 10,000-year-old spear point or a piece of pottery from the 1800s, we know we can count on Bob and Vera to get the job done with care and dedication. Over the last two years, Bob and Vera have given over 550(!) combined hours towards preserving local history! We truly could not do what we do without the generosity of incredible volunteers like Bob and Vera–Congratulations on this well-deserved award!
As part of Native American Heritage Month, a new exhibit is up at the Glen Burnie Regional Library! Titled “We Are Still Here,” it is an introduction to the stories of Maryland’s indigenous people from prehistory to the present.
From left to right: Drew Webster, Mary Jane Williams, Lorelei Bidwell, Emily Lucie
The exhibit was a collaboration between Anne Arundel County Cultural Resources Section, The Lost Towns Project, and the Glen Burnie Library. Archaeologist Drew Webster and archaeology intern Emily Lucie teamed up with librarians Mary Jane Williams and Lorelei Bidwell to create and install the exhibit, along with Dr. Ashley Minner, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, who contributed her research about the vibrant Lumbee Community in Baltimore City.
Want to check it out? Visit the Glen Burnie library at 1010 Eastway in November or December of this year.
