Lost Towns and AA County Honored at Heritage Awards

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The Lost Towns Project and Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section were among the awardees honored at the twentieth annual Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Awards, held on November 2nd at historic Baldwin Hall in Millersville. Honorees included:

  • The Archaeology of Jug Bay for the Heritage Partnership of the Year
  • Anne Arundel County’s Historic Markers Program for the Public/Private Initiative
  • C. Jane Cox for the Patricia Barland Leadership Award
  • View the full list of honorees here
Heritage Partnership of the Year

The Archaeology of Jug Bay initiative won the Heritage Partnership of the Year Award. Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary has partnered with archaeologists from Anne Arundel County Cultural Resources Section and the Lost Towns Project since 2015 to research the area’s 13,000+ year-old human history and to share these discoveries with the public. The Jug Bay area is home to some of the most important archaeological sites in the state; Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary alone has 24 registered archaeological sites between the three properties they manage. Citizen science projects at these sites have brought hundreds of volunteers and grade school students to participate in discovering their community’s heritage through archaeology.

Over the past year, these three organizations have worked together to host three archaeology paddle tours, one archaeology hike, and one homeschool program. They also debuted the Native American Heritage Toolbox an online resource that shares the discoveries of Jug Bay archaeology with the general public.

Public/Private Initiative Award

Anne Arundel County’s Historic Markers Program, run by its Cultural Resources Section, won the Public/Private Initiative Award. The program began in 2021 and is a collaboration between public agencies, heritage organizations, and local historians which highlights and celebrates local history.

The program seeks to recognize often under-represented history and places that may not be recognized by the conventional historic preservation mechanisms. Some important sites lack an aboveground presence (as in archaeological resources, or the location of historic houses that have been demolished). In other cases, surviving physical resources are on private property, not necessarily visible from the public way, and thus are not publicly accessible. This makes applying conventional heritage tourism tools and methods challenging, and results in limitations to the public’s understanding of the full range of resources and historic landscapes that tell the whole story of the County’s historic development.

In the three years that the program has been in operation, the County and dozens of non-profit and private community partners have developed, produced, and installed 24 wayside interpretive signs, 24 roadside markers, and 18 signs for small family cemeteries. These markers, which commemorate historic structures, archaeological sites, and cultural landscapes, provide a powerful means of communicating with the public on important historic places that matter across the Heritage Area.

County offices and community partners include:

With contributions from Stacy Poulos

Patricia Barland Leadership Award – C. Jane Cox

C. Jane Cox was honored with the Patricia Barland Leadership Award, awarded for the highest level of achievement over a career with long-lasting contributions to local history and heritage. Jane currently serves as the Administrator of the Cultural Resources Section of Anne Arundel County’s Office of Planning & Zoning and is a founding board member of the Lost Towns Project.

Over decades of public service, Jane has participated and then overseen archaeological and historic preservation research and compliance projects at dozens of sites across Anne Arundel County. She has also developed public programs, museum exhibits, websites, and more for training and education. A short sampling of projects she has worked with support from with the Heritage Area includes “Paddle Through History” kayak tours, archaeology displays for the public, a cemetery symposium, and the much-lauded Story Map project, “African American Voices, Memories and Places: A Four Rivers Heritage Trail.”

She thrives on bringing the rediscovery of the past to the citizens who live in and visit the County. Her extensive knowledge of the heritage assets of the County has made her a sought-after expert on matters of local archaeology, history, and heritage, and her efforts have had a long-lasting effect on historic preservation and interpretation.

Congratulations, Jane!

With contributions from Heather Ersts and Dr. Carol Benson

Photos courtesy of Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area

The Ogle Collection and the Maryland State Standards for Archaeological Collections

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By Gabriella Gonzalez. Gabriella is a Senior at the University of Maryland, College Park Anthropology Department and a current fall intern with the Lost Towns Project and the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab.

In 2009, Anne Arundel County received a donation of 176 boxes of artifacts from Robert Ogle. In the collection the staff has found 154 different archaeological sites. This collection took 50 years to collect and the staff, volunteers, and interns have been working to process the 160,000 artifacts to state standards. 

Shawn Sharpe intaking the Ogle Collection in 2009

Robert Ogle was a professional land surveyor and over the course of 50 years he collected artifacts in central and southern Maryland. Many sites he collected from were destroyed in the 1960s and 1970s so his collection of artifacts, maps, notebooks, and pictures are the last record of these sites. He stored these artifacts in coffee cans and cigar boxes. However, the team had to work to organize and remove them from the deteriorating containers and bring them up to state standards. This collection is important because even though 80 sites were known archaeological sites, 30 were unknown and unreported in central and southern Maryland.

Bag tags with Swann site numbers

To bring this collection to state standards the team had to start by giving the sites site numbers. For example, the site numbers for the Swann sites in Calvert County are 18CV4, 18CV40, 18CV41, 18CV42, 18CV43, and 18CV472. 18 stands for Maryland, because it was the 18th state alphabetically* CV stands for Calvert County. The numbers following CV are the different archaeological sites found on Swann Farm. To obtain site number the team had to contact the MAC lab. Once the artifacts were removed from the original containers they were organized by where they were found and what they were. 

Labeled artifacts from the Swann sites

After obtaining the lot numbers the team had to work to properly clean and repackage the artifacts. According to state standards stable artifacts can be cleaned unless they have to be kept to perform residue analysis. Ceramics, glass, tobacco pipes, lithics, and bine may be wet-washed individually. Shell, brick, FCR, flag, and coal may be wet-washed in bulk. All metals, wood, leather, textiles, and fragile objects may be cleaned with a dry-brush. Stone-tools, ceramics, tobacco pipe stems, and tobacco pipe bowls may be left unwashed for specialized residue analysis. In some cases certain artifacts were washed with equal parts water and alcohol. 

All artifacts have to be cataloged with site number, lot number, artifact number, provenience information, artifact count, and artifact description. These must then be used in the labeling process. If the object is too small it does not have to be labeled. Ferrous metals, mortar/daub/plaster, wood, leather, textiles, fragile bone/shell, fragile non-ferrous metals are not to be labeled. Diagnostic ceramics/glass, lithic tools/cores, tobacco pipes, stable non-ferrous metals, and small finds may be labeled individually. Plain ceramic body sherds, plain glass body sherds, window glass, brick, lithic debitage (flake, shatter, etc.), FCR, and stable bone/shell are to be labeled, but only 10% of the lot. Labels must not cover any important markings or wrap around the artifact, or be placed on broken edges. Acid-free tags with the site, lot, and artifact number may be tied to beads, buttons or pierced coins. 

A completed bag

When bagging the artifacts they must be bagged in perforated polyethylene ziplock bags with acid-free tags. The bags must be labeled with site number, lot number, and the full provenience information. Once artifacts have been bagged they must go into boxes in numerical order. These boxes must then be labeled with a temporary label which includes the box number, the types of artifacts, lot numbers, and site numbers.

After these processes have been completed the artifacts from the Ogle collection may be sent to the MAC lab for curation. The team at the Lost Towns Project and the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab have been working intensely to make the collection meet state standards. The Ogle collection is very important to shed light on the archaeological sites that have never been reported and because many of the sites have been lost. 

Gabriella labeling buttons from the Swann sites

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*before the addition of Alaska and Hawaii. More information.

Join Us for Native American Heritage Month in Anne Arundel County

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The American continent is vast and has a variety of cultures that date back thousands of years. Indigenous peoples’ histories, cultures, and heritage are evident in all areas of Anne Arundel County. Each November during Native American Heritage Month and throughout the year, Anne Arundel County, the State of Maryland, and the National Park Service (among many others) take time to honor the history and culture of America’s indigenous peoples.

Anne Arundel County has created a list of resources about the area’s Native American Heritage, which can be viewed here. In addition, County archaeologists are highlighting Native history and archaeology at the following events this November:

Archaeology Lab Tour

In Partnership with AA County Office of Equity and Human Rights

Saturday, November 4th. Four tour times:
11:30 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, & 2:30 pm
Sign up here.

Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab
839 Londontown Rd, Edgewater, MD

Cost: Free

Join Anne Arundel County archaeologists for a free tour of the County archaeology lab to learn how we research county history and the lives of those who came before us.  View artifacts from recent excavations, discover new educational resources, and learn how you can get involved in preserving our shared heritage. There will be a special focus on the 13,000+ years of Native American history in the area.

Online Lecture: Native American Archaeology in Anne Arundel County

Hosted by the Natural History Society of Maryland

Wednesday, November 15th
7:00-8:30 pm
Cost: $0-$5
More info and registration

Did you know that Anne Arundel County has over 1,700 registered archaeological sites? Maryland has a deep Native American history which spans at least 13,000 years. Join Drew Webster from Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section to learn what archaeology has revealed about the region’s deep Native American past and how archaeologists study it.

River Farm at Jug Bay Tour

In Partnership with AA County Office of Equity and Human Rights

Friday, November 17th. Two tour times:
10:00 – 11:30 am & 1:00-2:30 pm.
Sign up here.

Address: River Farm Road, Lothian, MD. Note: this event is not located at the Jug Bay Visitors Center. Click here for detailed directions (please read!)

Cost: Free

The Jug Bay Area of southwest Anne Arundel and southeast Prince George’s Counties is home to over 75 archaeological sites, many of which speak to the area’s 13,000+ years of Native American history. The River Farm site is located in Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, an Anne Arundel County park and nature preserve. Join county archaeologists at the River Farm Site to learn about how Native Americans have adapted to the changing environment over millennia, and what archaeology can tell us about their lives. 

Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time. Participants may not arrive late or depart early–access to the site is through a locked gate and we will need to all enter and exit together. This event is best suited for adults and teens, but all are welcome. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Hike into History at Beverly Triton Nature Park

Saturday, November 18th
3:00 pm
Register here.

Beverly Triton Nature Park
1202 Triton Beach Road
Mayo, MD

Cost: Free.

Join archaeologist Drew Webster from Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section for a journey back in time! Explore the history and archaeology of Beverly Triton Park, from 3,000-year-old Native American sites through 19th-century home sites and 20th-century beach resorts.

Evening & Weekend Volunteer Hours at the Archaeology Lab

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Beginning this September, the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab will have expanded volunteer hours. The Lab will be open:

  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
  • Thursdays from 1:00 to 7:00 pm
  • One Saturday a month from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (Sep. 9, Oct. 7, Nov. 4, Dec. 9).

You can check the lab schedule or sign up here. Future dates and times will be added to the same signup link. The lab is located at 839 Londontown Road in Edgewater, MD, just behind the London Town visitor’s center.

Volunteers help process artifacts by washing, labeling, sorting, and cataloging them. No experience is needed. Volunteers must register in advance. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

For further information, contact our volunteer coordinator at [email protected].

Preservation Month Event: General Stores

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This May is Maryland Preservation Month! Join us Thursday, May 18th, from 12:00 – 1:30 pm, for this exciting and insightful virtual presentation.

General stores were the heart of many communities across the county and were essential to rural life. In this online presentation, come explore stores of the past and learn about the restoration plans for the historic Corwell’s Store in Severna Park, MD.

Presenters:

  • Darian Beverungen, Senior Planner, Cultural Resources Section, Anne Arundel County, MD.
  • Richard Striner, Historian

Click here for the Zoom link.