Monocacy Archeological Society
Frederick, Maryland
Chapter of the Archeological Society of Maryland
Join MAS only $5 per year!
The Monocacy Archeological Society (MAS) promotes and encourages educational programs related to the archeological heritage of Frederick County and the surrounding region.
MAS members volunteer at archeological sites and help to record and preserve archeological information that supports local research and promotes public interest in archeology.
Dues are now payable for 2019 for the Monocacy Chapter, $5.00 per person per year, and for the Archeological Society of Maryland. Membership forms will be available at the meeting and online.
Next: June 12, 2019
Archeology in the City of Frederick
Peter Regan, Senior Archaeologist and Senior Historian with AECOM, will discuss his recent archeological investigation of the Mill Pond House ruins in the Worman's Mill subdivision at the June meeting of the Monocacy Archeological Society. This investigation was carried out on behalf of the City of Frederick as part of a broader initiative to stabilize the ruins and facilitate their public interpretation. The excavations were aimed at characterizing archeological deposits near the ruins, relocating the site of a contemporaneous grist mill, and determining whether the site is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The presentation will be held on Wednesday, June 12, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of the C. Burr Artz Library, 110 East Patrick Street, Frederick.
The Monocacy Archeological Society will not meet in July and August. The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on September 11.
Last month's speaker from the SHA has provided this link to
the MDOT/SHA archaeology story map that I discussed at the end of the presentation:
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=36043104b8e34cc58fec6ec595ceff44
If Frederick County Public Schools are closed or close early because of inclement weather, the presentation will be rescheduled.
For more information, visit our
web site, www.digfrederick.com or call 301-378-0212.
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Have you found unusual objects on your property? Our avocational and professional archeologists will examine them with you at our meetings and discuss their relevance, but keep in mind that often a pointed rock looks like an Indian arrowhead!
The Monocacy Archeological Society does not condone "Treasure Hunting" or looting archeological sites and therefore we do not place monetary value on artifacts.
Please remember that archeological data (and significance) is tied to the spatial (horizontal and vertical) relationships that artifacts and sites hold. Removing artifacts from their provenance irreparably loses key archeological context and may destroy all ability for associated residue or soil testing.
For more information about these events, watch the web sites for
updates and program details. For more information, call
301-378-0212.
Dig Deeper into Maryland Archeology!
Archeological Society of Maryland
Maryland Historical Trust Archeology
Monocacy Battlefield Slave Village at L'Heritage Plantation
Jefferson Patterson Archeological Conservation Lab and Museum
Annapolis 19th Century African American Life Dig
Anne Arundel Lost Towns Project
Port Tobacco Archeological Project Blog
Historic St Mary's City Archeology
Baltimore Historic Lloyd Street Synagogue 1845 Mikveh Discovery
The Middle Woodland Period in Central Maryland
Archeology at Wye House, Talbot County 2006
Charles County, Piscataway Zekiah Fort Find
Upcoming Archeological Events:
April 27 - ASM Spring Symposium - also an all day program at Crownsville. Program will be available in the April ASM newsletter.
May 23- June 4 - Annual ASM field school at the Billingsley site (18PG9) in Prince Georges County. This is the last known home of the Patuxent Indians. Details and scheduled lectures will be in the April ASM newsletter.
Tuesday, May 28
- two seatings at 4:30 or 6:00 p.m. at the
City of Frederick Visitor Center -- a premier showing of a short
documentary on the history of Mill Pond House and the recent
archeology done there. The showing is free, but tickets
must be reserved in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/the-city-of-frederick-8168009617.
Past Chapter Projects:
Rosenstock Site - Late Woodland village site, worked from 1979 to 1992, recently preserved by the Archeological Conservancy. It was discovered in the early twentieth century and collected by locals, it can be called the "first city" of Frederick, as village complexes were used here by Native Americans over hundreds of years and yields important insights into the connections between sites along the Potomac River and known sites further north. More Info Here.
Claggett Retreat Site Field School and Swomley Artifacts Display at C Burr Artz Library, Frederick. Article and Video
Read about local Chapter Member George Evans and his archeological pursuits.
Monocacy National Battlefield, Best Farm Site
A Civil War battlefield and encampment site. A French Caribbean family with perhaps the most slaves in the County. A barn built unlike any other North of Louisiana. Also native American sites.
Antietam Battlefield - Civil War
Metal detecting for artifacts on the battlefield, and the replanting of the 1860's orchard with the heirloom apple varieties that were cut to the ground by bullets during the battle.
The Search for the Lost Monocacy Log Church
Long before the clustered spires, a fabled, simple log structure served as the focal point of religious life in Frederick County. A few clues from the reports of missionary Palantine Ministers hint at its location without any certainty. From the old German diaries we glean a few clues and believe we have a sense of where the church may have been located, and its not where everyone seems to believe from local markers. But ground penetrating radar yields no further proof.
Local avocational archeologist and regionally respected Chapter Member Spencer Geasey donates his archeological library to Frederick.