Wapanucket Celebration, Saturday March 31, 2007
The Middleborough Cultural Council awarded a grant to the Massachusetts Archaeological Society (MAS) to underwrite the cost of reprinting Wapanucket, a book which comprises an archaeological report by Maurice (Doc) Robbins, the first Massachusetts state archaeologist and one of the early members of MAS, about the excavation of a well known Native American site on the shore of Assawompsett Pond. All are invited to attend the events planned to celebrate.
A free lecture was presented to MAS members and the general public at the Middleborough Public Library on March 31st at 1:30 pm. Dr. James W. Bradley, editor of the MAS Bulletin. He discussed the results of his recent research on artifacts from Wapanucket, with a focus on the Palaeoindian component. The title of his talk was “Middleborough's First People: PaleoIndians at the Wapanucket site”.
An Open House at the Robbins Museum was held following the lecture. Of special interest at the Robbins is the ongoing exhibit on the Wapanucket site, including dioramas of the village and house plans inferred from post molds that were discovered at this site, the first evidence ever found for houses from the Late Archaic period in New England.
An exhibit of artifacts from Wapanucket is at the Middleborough Public Library during the months of March and April to inform the public about this important excavation undertaken in the 20th century by the Cohannet Chapter on the shore of Assawompsett Pond.
Dr. James Bradley demonstrates the use of an "atlatl" used in hunting game
Attendees listen as Dr. Bradley illustrates a point about Palaeo-indians at Wapanucket
Please visit the "Wapanucket" page to read about and order this publication
