Monocacy Archeological Society, MAS, Chapter of the Archeological Society of Maryland, Frederick, MD

monocacy archeology

The Monocacy Archeological Society 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.

Public volunteers can learn how to work on local archeological dig sites throughout Maryland, here's what you need to know!

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! However, many odd finds ultimately link us to further investigation and sites of great archeological importance and knowledge.

Questions? Email Us, or call for more information at 301-378-0212

after ain

Next Meeting, Wednesday February 8th

The program for the evening is the showing of the DVD, "Secrets of the Valley, Prehistory of the Kanawha" narrated by Morgan Spurlock. It was produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers reporting on excavation of the Marmet Locks on the river prior to widening the locks. This site includes occupations from the Paleo period through the Fort Ancient culture. It includes narration by Native Americans. Our members may remember the Saint Albans site dug by Bettye Broyles many years ago that provided the timeline for projectile points used throughout the Mid-Atlantic States because of the well preserved site with datable materials found in situ. This site also provides similar stratigraphy.

The meeting will be held in the Community Room of the C. Burr Artz Library, 110 East Patrick Street, Frederick, beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8. Please bring your friends as this will serve as a quick introduction to prehistoric archeology in the region.

If Frederick County Public Schools are closed or close early because of inclement weather, the meeting will be cancelled.

For more information, all 301-378-0212

The program is free and open to the public.

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Other Events of Archeological Interest:

January 28 - CAT Weekend at Jefferson Patterson Park, 10515 Mackall Road, St. Leonard

February 29 - 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. Dennis Sanford and Bruce Bradley on "The First North American Migration - Not a Strait Route". Smithsonian, $18 to $30 fee. For information, call 202-633-3030 or visit residentassociates.org. This is a presentation by the Resident Associates Program and will be held at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive, Washington, D.C.

Best farm

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 suceeding 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. A hocker figure made from deer bone found on the site was used as an element of the Frederick Dreaming artwork.

Claggett Retreat Site Field School and Swomley Artifacts Display at C Burr Artz Library, Frederick

Wise Farm and Fox Gap Sites

The Wise Farmstead and Fox Gap Portion of the South Mountain Battlefield. The Wise Farmstead (ca 1858 to 1879) was the home and farm of Daniel Wise and his family, located in a beautiful ridge top setting on the crest of the Blue Ridge in central Maryland.

May 2003, ASM Field School at the Winslow Site

A late Woodland native American village site. Who were these people, and why did they come here, why did they disappear, and where did they go? Many questions and many eager volunteers seeking the answers.

Monocacy National Battlefield, Best Farm Site

A Civil War battlefield and encampment site. A French Carribbean 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.

Beatty Cramer House Initial Exploration

One of Frederick's earliest remaining historic structures and unique in Maryland for its construction styles. A rare example of Dutch architectural features brought down from New York state by a widowed woman and her large family. Test pits were completed to aid in placing new parking as the site is restored and opened more frequently to the public.

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.

McKee