Central Mass. Chapter Past Events
Friday, March 14, 2008
Excavation of the Indian Hill Site in the Farmington Valley of Connecticut
(Click for talk synopsis)
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Chachapoyas: Unknown Discoveries in the North High Jungle of Peru.
Daniel Fernandez-Davila, Archaeologist
Chachapoyas is a name that is rarely found in archaeological texts.
Encompassing an area of at least fifty thousand square kilometers inside of the tropical cloud forest in the north high jungle of Peru, its settlements resemble some of the uncovered Mayan ruins at the end of the nineteenth century. This Pre-Inca civilization, overlooked by field researchers, has left countless sites behind that are now covered by thick vegetation. Today, spectacular findings are changing our
classical hypothesis about the ancient dwellers in this remote area of
the Andes.
Interestingly, the January/February 2008 of Archaeology magazine, published by the Archaeological Institue of America (AIA), features an article on the same culture: "Realm of the Cloud People".
Daniel Fernandez-Davila
- B.A. Archaeology, Catholic University Lima 1993
- Post Bachelor Studies Diploma of Anthropological Studies, Catholic
University Lima 1997
- Enrolled MA (finish with MA thesis February 2008) Archeology and
Ancient Heritage University of Leicester, England
- Field researcher in the highlands and coast of Peru (1995-2000)
- Archaeological Adviser in the production of Documentaries for
Discovery Channel, BBC and South African Broadcasting.
- Teacher at Catholic University (Introduction to Archeology and
American Archaeology I)1997
- History and Geography teacher at Framingham Middle School (bilingual
Program) 2002-2004
- History and Geography teacher at Wayland Middle School, 2004-present
March 3, 2007
Speaker: Timothy H. Ives, University of Connecticut
"Excavations at the Preston Plains Site"
Excavations at the Preston Plains site have revealed an extensive complex of large pit features dating to the Late Archaic Period. Though initially interpreted to be subterranean remnants of pit houses, the morphological variability of these features and low artifact densities from “floor” surfaces demand the consideration of multiple explanatory models. Also, these features were generated by Native Americans discarding both Laurentian and Small-Stemmed “tradition” tools, affording us an opportunity to critically examine the utility of correlating tool forms with cultural signatures in southern New England during this period.
Timothy earned a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 1996, and an M.A. in historical archaeology from the College of William and Mary in 2001. I have enjoyed a career as a professional archaeologist in New England’s cultural resources management industry for the better part of a decade, and am currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Connecticut. My academic interests include ethnohistory, experimental archaeology, and pre-contact Native American occupation of the Northeast.
