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.

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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

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Next Regular MAS Meeting, Wednesday April 9th - Try Your Hand at Archeology

Dr. Charles Hall, Maryland's Terrestrial Archeologist, will talk on April 9, 2014 about an excavation held last year in Frederick County and tell us what to expect when we return to the site near Walkersville from May 23-June 2, 2014. This is an opportunity to participate in archeology under the direction of professionals without leaving the county. Since the Archeological Society of Maryland's field session will have been held in Frederick County for two years in a row, 2013 and 2014, it is highly unlikely that there will be another field session in Frederick County for a while. The meeting will be held in the Community Room of the C. Burr Artz Library, 110 East Patrick Street, Frederick, at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is free and open to everyone.
To participate in the field session, preregistration is required and there is a fee. However, you do not need to have any experience in archeology to participate. Information and the registration form is available on the web site for the Archeological Society of Maryland at www.Marylandarcheology.org and at the web site for the Monocacy Chapter at www.digfrederick.com. For more information about the April 9 program, you may call 301-378-0212.

For more information, call 301-378-0212

Special Notice!

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION - Regional Archeology Program Web Site Launched

The regional archeology program for National Capital Region has launched a new web site that highlights archeology around Washington, D.C., and is geared towards the general public, kids, teachers and the historic preservation professional.

Additional Events:

April - Archeology Month in Maryland - see the interactive poster with artifacts from the Zekiah Fort on the ASM website. Note that this is the area where the Piscataway lived prior to Heater's Island.
April 5, 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. - ASM Spring Symposium, Maryland Historical Trust, 100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland - Fee - Program available at ASM website.
April 12 - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Indigenous Landscapes - Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and the E. H. Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture at Salisbury University
April 19 - Discovering Archaeology Day at Jefferson-Patterson Park and Museum
May 14 - Monocacy Archeological Society, Monthly Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Tech Center, C. Burr Artz Library, Frederick - speaker to be announced.
May 23 - June 2 - Annual ASM Field Session, Biggs Ford Site, Frederick County.
October 30 - November 2 - ESAF Annual Meeting, Solomons Island, Maryland

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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. Article and Video

Read about local Chapter Member George Evans and his archeological pursuits.

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.Â Who were these people, and why did they come here, why did they disappear, and where did they go?Â Many questions and many eager volunteers seeking the answers.

Monocacy National Battlefield, Best Farm Site

A Civil War battlefield and encampment site.Â A French Carribbean family with perhaps the most slaves in the County.Â A barn built unlike any other North of Louisiana.Â 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.Â A rare example of Dutch architectural features brought down from New York state by a widowed woman and her large family.Â 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.Â A few clues from the reports of missionary Palantine Ministers hint at its location without any certainty.Â 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.Â But ground penetrating radar yields no further proof.

Local avocational archeologist and regionally respected Chapter Member Spencer Geasey donates his archeological library to Frederick.

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