ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH
AT THE ROBBINS MUSEUM
Archaeology on the Nemasket—A Canoe/Kayak Tour
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 7, check-in at 9:30am. Trip time is approx. 4 to 5 hours. (Rain date: Saturday, October 21)
LOCATION: Lower Nemasket River from Oliver Mill Park to Titicut
INFORMATION: Massachusetts Archaeological Society/Robbins Museum,
508-947-9005 or Linda Grubb, 508-947-4085
SPONSOR: Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Taunton River Watershed Alliance
ADMISSION: $15/person for guided tour, $5/children under 12 when companied by parent; box lunches available for purchase; canoe/kayak rental extra-contact Canoe Passage Outfitters, 1-800-689-7884, www.canoepassage.com
The success of our 2005 trip has brought the Massachusetts Archaeological Society (MAS) and the Taunton River Watershed Alliance (TRWA) back together for Archaeology on the Nemasket River—a canoe/kayak tour featuring the Lower Nemasket. Once again our river guide will be Dr. Curtiss Hoffman, past president of MAS. Lecture sites will include Muttock (the Nemasket Indian tribe’s principal settlement), the recently restored Oliver Mill Park, and Titicut. Wildlife and plants abound on the lower Nemasket. Watch for river otters, muskrat lodges, and birds galore.
Archaeology Day at the Robbins Museum
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 14, 1:00–4:00pm
LOCATION: Robbins Museum, 16 Jackson St.
INFORMATION: Craig Chartier, 774-488-2995
SPONSOR: Massachusetts Archaeological Society
ADMISSION: Free (donations accepted)
Come and visit the Robbins Museum and enjoy an afternoon of archaeology and fun. Meet the archaeologists and see the real history of eastern Massachusetts, all 10,000-plus years of it! Activities will include corn grinding and nut mulling, the bare bones of faunal analysis, flint knapping (how to make a stone arrowhead). Also, have your name written in Egyptian Hieroglyphics!
“The End of the Minoans” and the Fall Meeting of the MAS, October 22, 2006
The Fall meeting of the MAS will be held in conjunction with ESAF and NEARA November 8-12, 2006. There will be no business conducted at this meeting. The annual business meeting will be held on October 22nd at 10:00 AM at the Robbins Museum of Archaeology. As part of “Archaeology Month” in Massachusetts, MAS will host a lecture on this day at 2:00 PM.
“The End of the Minoans” Evan Hadingham, Science Editor, NOVA WGBH, Boston
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2:00 PM; Suggested Donation at the Door: $5.00
Since the 1930s, archaeologists have speculated that a Bronze Age cataclysmic eruption of the Thera volcano on Santorini destroyed Crete's Minoan culture, Europe's first great civilization. However, a surprising lack of evidence of volcanic devastation on Crete, coupled with archaeological clues indicating that the Minoans flourished for at least a generation or two after the eruption, led to the theory largely falling into disfavor. Now, however, some startling new discoveries in Crete are leading archaeologists to think again about the impact of the eruption. E.H. recently returned from Crete and will report on the new discoveries relating to perhaps the greatest single natural disaster of the ancient world.
Archaeology Exhibits
DATE & TIME: Every Wednesday and Saturday, 11:00am–3:00pm
LOCATION: Robbins Museum, 16 Jackson St.
INFORMATION: Curt Hoffman, 508-947-9005, info@massarchaeology.org
SPONSOR: Massachusetts Archaeological Society
ADMISSION: Free
Come visit the oldest archaeological society in the country. Enjoy our exhibits on the Massachusetts past. Learn about archaeology from our dedicated staff, volunteers, and archaeologists. Fun for the whole family.
Archaeology Education Programs
DATE & TIME: Variable
LOCATION: Robbins Museum, 16 Jackson St., or the location of your choice
INFORMATION: Craig S. Chartier, 774-488-2095, info@massarchaeology.org
SPONSOR: Massachusetts Archaeological Society
ADMISSION: Varies, contact for information
The Robbins Museum and the Massachusetts Archaeological Society offer education programs for all ages. Lectures for adults and hands-on programs for schools, boy scouts, and libraries. Have a real archaeologist visit your group and teach you about the fascinating history of New England as discovered through the science of archaeology.
