Vermont Archaeology Month
Vermont Archaeology Month enters its 28th 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 our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/VermontArchaeologyMonth. ,
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
September 2 (Saturday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM) and September 3 (Sunday, 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM)
Mount Independence State Historic Site
497 Mount Independence Road
Orwell, Vermont 05760
Fee: $9.00
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. Military tacticals, annual reading of Declaration of Independence, and camp life and skill demonstrations. Call (802) 948-2000 for details.
Petroglyphs of the Mid-Connecticut River Valley
September 5, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Elnu Tribal Center
350 Putney Rd.
Brattleboro, VT 05301
Join Elnu Abenaki Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Rich Holschuh for a presentation about the two noteworthy petroglyph sites in the mid-Connecticut River valley: one at Wantastegok (West River/Brattleboro, where we will meet) and the other at Kchi Pôntegok (Great Falls/Bellows Falls). We will discuss their significance in Abenaki cosmology, as contextualized in the landscape, how they have been seen historically, and their relevance today. The site in Bellows Falls is the subject of an ongoing National Park Service-funded documentation process, a team effort including the Elnu band, archaeologist Gail Golec, and other knowledgeable community members. Time for questions included!
Ethan Allen Homestead Archaeology Discovery Table
September 9, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
1 Ethan Allen Homestead Road
Burlington, Vermont, 05408
Fee: Free!
Vermont Archaeologists will be cataloging the Homestead’s archaeological collections in the museum’s atrium. Visitors can observe, ask questions, and see some of the prehistoric to 20th century artifacts retrieved from the museum’s grounds over the last 50 years.
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 battlefield trail make use of primary research and archaeological studies to relate the movements and importance of this Revolutionary War battlefield.
Pittsford Ridge Hike
September 16, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Hubbardton Battlefield
5696 Monument Hill Rd.
Castleton, VT 05735
Fee: Free with Museum Admission
Hike up to Pittsford Ridge, to experience the area many American soldiers withdrew from the July 7, 1777, Battle of Hubbardton. Learn about the importance of this natural area too. Meet at the museum for orientation. Your guides are Jim Rowe, historian of the Crown Point Road Association, and Travis Hart, state and private lands biologist with the VT Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.
Vermont State University Granger House Open House
September 16, 9:00 – 12:00
30 Seminary Lane
Castleton, VT 05735
Fee: Free!
Join Professor Matt Moriarty and students in Vermont State University’s historic Granger House. They will be highlighting student project posters, discussing early results of the extensive archaeological investigations undertaken on the grounds of the house, and view digital three-dimensional scanning of artifacts from the site.
Ethan Allen Homestead Archaeology Discovery Table
September 16, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
1 Ethan Allen Homestead Road
Burlington, Vermont, 05408
Fee: Free!
Vermont Archaeologists will be cataloging the Homestead’s archaeological collections in the museum’s atrium. Visitors can observe, ask questions, and see some of the prehistoric to 20th century artifacts retrieved from the museum’s grounds over the last 50 years.
Ethan Allen Homestead: From Flax to Linen (interactive history demonstration)
September 16, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
1 Ethan Allen Homestead Road
Burlington, Vermont, 05408
Fee: Free with museum admission
Join Head Gardener Tom to learn about the history of turning flax into linen and get hands-on in the process.
Points of Interest: Lake Champlain Bridge Guided Walk
September 17, 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.
Lecture: Paleoindian Sites, Site Patterning and Travel Corridors Along the Southern Arm of the Champlain Sea by Jess Robinson, PhD, Vermont State Archaeologist
September 21, 7:00 PM
Fee: Free!
Jess Robinson is presenting a virtual lecture to the Avon (Connecticut) Historical Society and Avon Library and Vermonters are invited to listen in at the link above!
Abstract: The Champlain Sea was an inland arm of the Atlantic Ocean that existed in portions of the St. Lawrence valley, Ontario lowlands, and Champlain Valley from approximately 13,000 – 9,500 years ago. Robinson will first summarize the emergence, tenure, and important aspects of this waterbody. Thereafter, he will discuss the locations of documented Champlain Valley Paleoindian sites relative to the former margins of the Champlain Sea. Finally, he will explore some of the implications of the site patterning for subsistence, settlement, and travel and how the Champlain Sea may have facilitated it.
Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center Open House and Vermont State University 3D Artifact Scanning Demonstration
September 22, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center
60 Washington Street
Barre, VT 05641
Fee: Free!
Join State Archaeologist Jess Robinson, Professor Matt Moriarty, and students from Vermont State University 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. Visitors will also be able to watch demonstrations of students creating high-resolution digital three-dimensional models of Native artifacts.
Atlatl Workshop
September 22, 12:00 – 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 28th Annual Northeastern Open Atlatl Championship
September 23, 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Chimney Point State Historic Site
8149 VT Route 17W
Addison, VT 05491
Fee: COMPETITORS: $10.00 * VISITORS: $5.00 ADULT, 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.
Bee Skep Making with Barry
September 24, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Chimney Point State Historic Site
8149 VT Route 17W
Addison, VT 05491
Fee: $60.00
Create your own bee skep—for decorative purposes only—with Barry Keegan. Materials provided. Enjoy a relaxing time on Lake Champlain as you learn and create. Pre-registration and payment are required, call (802) 759-2412. Museum admission included.
Vermont Archaeological Society Annual Meeting
September 30, 8:45 AM – 5:00 PM
Mount Independence State Historic Site
497 Mount Independence Road
Orwell, Vermont 05760
Fee: $30.00 (includes museum admission). For tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vermont-archaeological-society-annual-meeting-tickets-700389312287?aff=oddtdtcreator
VAS Members receive a 50% discount on annual meeting registration, and student members are free. To redeem your discount: first, become a VAS member, and then enter your email address in the event's promo code when purchasing your tickets. Go to: https://www.vtarchaeology.org/ for more information.
Join us for a day of exploration, discovery, and camaraderie as we gather to celebrate our shared passion for uncovering the past. Returning in person for the first time since the pandemic, our annual meeting will include an exciting lineup of four expert speakers and engaging discussions that will immerse you in the fascinating world of archaeology.
Where better to meet than the nation's best-preserved archaeological site from the Revolutionary War? Attendees will have access to the Mount Independence grounds and exhibits. We'll end the day with a guided afternoon History Hike on the Mount's ADA-accessible trail, led by archaeologist Allen Hathaway. The Baldwin Trail has gentle grades and compacted surfaces, suitable for easy walking, outdoor wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers.
There is limited capacity for the meeting. Pre-registration is required.
Ethan Allen Homestead Archaeology Discovery Table
September 30, 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
1 Ethan Allen Homestead Road
Burlington, Vermont, 05408
Fee: Free!
Vermont Archaeologists will be cataloging the Homestead’s archaeological collections in the museum’s atrium. Visitors can observe, ask questions, and see some of the prehistoric to 20th century artifacts retrieved from the museum’s grounds over the last 50 years.
Ethan Allen Homestead Home and Hearth Reenactment
September 30, 10:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Ethan Allen Homestead Museum
1 Ethan Allen Homestead Road
Burlington, Vermont, 05408
Fee: Free with general admission
Interact with reenactors as they cook over an open fire and work on artisan crafts while reenacting domestic life in late 18th-century Vermont.
10th Annual James B. Petersen Archaeology Lecture
October 4, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
University of Vermont Fleming Museum
Room 101
61 Colchester Ave
Burlington, VT 05405
Fee: Free!
As part of Archaeology Month 2023, The UVM Department of Anthropology Presents the 10th annual James B. Petersen Lecture featuring Dr. Deborah Blom from the University of Vermont. Dr. Blom, a current Fullbright Scholar, will discuss her community-based archaeological research in Bolivia.