Unearthing History: The discovery of a 12,500 year old Paleo-Indian site along the Farmington River in Avon. Join us for a virtual series of lectures, sponsored by a grant from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild and Scenic Committee that will cover the many aspects of archaeology, with a focus on the Brian D. Jones Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon, Connecticut. All events begin at 7:00pm EST on Zoom.
This 2023 VIRTUAL HISTORY SERIES is sponsored by Avon Historical Society, Avon Free Public Library and Avon Senior Center, in partnership with the Avon Land Trust, Farmington River Watershed Association, and the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington, CT.
Times are EST: Eastern Standard Time. Events are free to attend. Webinars will be recorded; links appear at the end of this post and are available on the Avon Library’s YouTube Channel.
View the full 2023 series flyer here
Completed 2023 webinars:
March 23 – The LIDAR Revolution in Earth Surface Mapping, presented by Will Ouimet, Assoc. Professor, Departments of Geosciences and Geography, Univ. of Connecticut. Prof. Ouimet participated in the discovery of the Brian D. Jones (BDJ) site and has since produced LIDAR images of the dig site and extending out farther to show where the potential whole site is located. He also will explain the techniques used by LIDAR for locating historic human settlements and land use patterns. LIDAR = Light Detection and Ranging using lasers for 3D scanning. View the recording here Two handouts are available: CT LiDAR and Geology ArcGIS Online Web Viewer Instructions
CT LIDAR Point Clouds in ArcGIS – WebApp Instructions
April 20 – Hunting Techniques of the Paleoindian, presented by Richard Boisvert, retired New Hampshire state archeologist, who is very familiar with the discovery and analysis of the BDJ site and other Paleoindian sites in northern New England. View the recording here.
May 11 – The Big Importance of Small Things: Microscopic and Blood Residue Analysis of Ancient Stone Tools, presented by Heather M. Rockwell, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Cultural and Historic Preservation, Noreen Stonor Drexel Cultural and Historic Preservation Program, Salve Regina University. This presentation will examine the process and limitations of blood residue and use-wear analysis, and how they have contributed to our understanding of ancient people. View the recording here.
September 21 –– Paleoindian Sites, Site Patterning and Travel Corridors along the Southern Arm of the Champlain Sea, presented by Jess Robinson, Vermont State Archaeologist, Vermont Archaeology Heritage Center, Barre, VT. 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. View the recording here
October 12 – Update on the Brian D. Jones site in Avon, CT since discovery in 2019 presented by Eric Heffter, Senior Prehistoric Archaeologist, Archaeological and Historical Services, Storrs, CT. October is Archaeology Month in Connecticut, so his presentation will be 90 minutes with time after for Q&A. View the recording here.
Questions? Email Terri Wilson, President Avon Historical Society, president@avonhistoricalsociety.org