VERMONT ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH
Vermont Archaeology Month enters its 29th year this September! VAM’s mission is to provide exposure, education, and outreach about the archaeology and history of Vermont and its inhabitants. Please see our schedule of events below or on our Facebook page.
Events are still being added, but the schedule will be finalized soon. We look forward to seeing you!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SOLDIERS ATOP THE MOUNT
August 31 – September 1 (During site hours)
Mount Independence State Historic Site
497 Mount Independence Road
Orwell, Vermont 05760
Fee: $9.00 adults, $1.00 ages 6-14, under 6 free
Reenactors honor the 1776-1777 history of Mount Independence during this living history weekend. Saturday’s popular interactive Baldwin Trail Walkabout, 10:30 to 1:30, features experts at trail stations bringing the site’s history to life. Other events include military tacticals, the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence, and camp life and skill demonstrations. Call (802) 948-2000 for details.
PRESENTATION: ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT THE MORRILL HOMESTEAD
September 7, 10:00 AM
The Senator Justin S. Morrill State Historic Site
214 Justin Morrill Memorial Highway
Strafford, Vermont, 05072
Fee: Free but please register online.
Kathleen Kenny from the University of Vermont Consulting Archaeology Program will share what the group found and learned from their recent archaeological excavations on the grounds of the Homestead. This excavation yielded some surprising results!
MOUNT INDEPENDENCE ROCKS GEOLOGY HIKE
September 8, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Mount Independence State Historic Site
497 Mount Independence Road
Orwell, Vermont 05760
Fee: Hike included with regular price of museum admission
Take a guided hike on the (Cambrian) beach with geologist Helen Mango. Mango, your leader, is an expert on the geology of Mount Independence and southern Lake Champlain. Mango will lead the hike across Mount Independence from the oldest rocks in the Potsdam Formation to the newer rocks of the Great Meadows Formation. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and dress for weather. Co-sponsored by the Mount Independence Coalition.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
September 11, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hubbardton Battlefield
5696 Monument Hill Rd.
Castleton, VT 05735
Fee: Free!
The site is open without charge on Patriot Day for those who wish to contemplate or to honor past heroes. New interpretive signs along the battlefield trail make use of primary research and archaeological studies to relate the movements and importance of this Revolutionary War battlefield.
POINTS OF INTEREST: LAKE CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE GUIDED WALK
September 15, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Chimney Point State Historic Site
8149 VT Route 17W
Addison, VT 05491
Fee: $9.00
Learn the history of what surrounds you as you walk across the Lake Champlain Bridge. Chimney Point site administrator Elsa Gilbertson and Crown Point, NY, site manager Sam Huntington lead this guided round trip walk. Meet at Chimney Point. Rain or shine, dress for the weather. Bring a picnic to enjoy before. Fee includes admission to both museums to visit before or after the walk. Light refreshments afterwards.
ATLATL WORKSHOP
September 20, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Chimney Point State Historic Site
8149 VT Route 17W
Addison, VT 05491
Fee: $70.00
Atlatl experts Bob and Cheryll Berg of Thunderbird Atlatl teach traditional and modern techniques of atlatl and dart construction, flint knapping, hafting stone points, and cordage making. Enjoy atlatl lore and coaching on the use of your new atlatl. Pre-registration required. Call 802-759-2412. Fee includes instruction and materials.
THE 29TH ANNUAL NORTHEASTERN OPEN ATLATL CHAMPIONSHIP
September 21, 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Chimney Point State Historic Site
8149 VT Route 17W
Addison, VT 05491
Fee: Competitors: $12.00, Adult Visitors: $6.00, Free Under 15
Participate in or watch this annual atlatl championship testing skills in accuracy and distance. The sport of using the atlatl to throw darts is based on the ancient hunting technique. Newcomers to experts welcome. Flint-knapping demonstrations and lessons throughout the day. Pre-registration for competitors required. Call (802) 759-2412 to register.
PRESENTATION: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF WESTERN VERMONT AND EASTERN NEW YORK
September 26, 6:30 PM
Rupert Methodist Church
35 Rupert Mountain Road
Rupert VT, 05768
Fee: Free!
The Rupert, VT, and Hebron, NY historical societies host Jess Robinson, Vermont State Archaeologist, for an evening presentation. He will give an overview of the precontact Native history in western Vermont and eastern New York from the first human entrants in the region until the time of European contact. He will highlight some notable archaeological sites and offer insights into the first peoples of the region gained from over 50 years of professional archaeological work in the area. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
VERMONT ARCHAEOLOGY HERITAGE CENTER OPEN HOUSE
September 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center
60 Washington Street
Barre, VT 05641
Fee: Free!
Join State Archaeologist Jess Robinson for a tour of the Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center! Visitors can tour the facilities, view select artifacts curated there, and learn what they reveal about the lives of the ancient and historic people who made them.
VERMONT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING
September 28 – 9am - 5pm
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
4472 Basin Harbor Rd
Vergennes, VT 05491
Fee: $30.00 for the General Public, $15.00 for Vermont Archaeological Society members, Free for Students
Tickets and more information here.
Mark your calendars -- the 2024 Vermont Archaeological Society annual meeting will be held in conjunction with Vermont Archaeology Month on September 28th at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, VT. Please join us along the beautiful shores of Lake Champlain for a day of learning and exploration. The annual meeting will include a fascinating program of expert presenters and immersive discussions on archaeological projects being conducted. The day will be capped by a special "behind the scenes" guided tour of the museum's lab and exhibits.
Speakers will include:
- Fred Wiseman, Ph.D.: Stone Language: The Above-Ground Archaeology of Vermont Indigeneity
- Tim Spahr, The Cape Porpoise Dugout Canoe, Kennebunkport, Main
- Sara Rich (Waccamaw Indian People), Shipwreck Ecologies in the South Carolina Lowcountry
- Cherilyn Gilligan, News and Updates for Projects at LCMM
PRESENTATION: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ST JOHNSBURY FROM NATIVE AMERICAN SETTLEMENT TO THE ARRIVAL OF EUROPEANS BY JOHN CROCK, Ph.D.
October 2, 6:00 PM
Fairbanks Museum
1302 Main St
St Johnsbury, VT 05819
Fee: Free!
UVM Professor John Crock will discuss new archaeological discoveries on the Passumpsic, Native American adaptation to climate change, and what archaeology reveals about the health of St. Johnsbury’s founding European families.
THE 11TH ANNUAL JAMES B. PETERSEN MEMORIAL LECTURE: ANCIENT CITIES HIDDEN IN THE ECUADOREAN AMAZON BY STÉPHEN ROSTAIN
October 16, 6:45 PM
University of Vermont Fleming Museum
Room 101
61 Colchester Ave
Burlington, VT 05405
Fee: Free!
Dr. Stéphen Rostain of the French National Center for Scientific Research is one of France’s preeminent archaeologists. As part of Archaeology Month 2024, The UVM Department of Anthropology is pleased to host Dr. Rostain for a presentation discussing the recent discovery of previously unrecorded ancient cities in the Ecuadorean Amazon.