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.

dig license

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 Regular MAS Meeting, Wednesday October 9th

The next meeting is on Wednesday, October 9th.

Dr Bill Barse

Dr. Barse will review the chronology and focus on the Late Woodland culture from a household perspective. He will present information about the collision of cultures in the Potomac Valley during the 17th Century that really illustrates why two contact period sites that he has found are located where they are. Come
out to hear Dr. Barse present some of the local prehistory that you have never heard about before.

He is a very experienced researcher in this area and it is a pleasure to have him join us!

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.

As the National Park Service approaches its second century of service and stewardship, the website is one tool to share the program’s connection to the National Park Service mission.

Information about past and present archeology projects at national parks around the nation’s capital is presented through “virtual exhibits” and multimedia presentations. Teachers as well as children and their parents will find information about archeology, fun things to do, and how to get involved. Professionals will find reference materials, links to key laws and policies, and important contact information.

“It is exciting to launch a comprehensive web site for National Park Service archeology here in the National Capital Region,” said Dr. Stephen R. Potter, NCR’s regional archeologist. “We hope that both the public and professionals in the field will find something of interest and we will continue to update and expand the site to serve the needs of the community.”

Additional Events:

Return to a Native Place: Algonquian Peoples of the Chesapeake

Meet the Native peoples of the Chesapeake Bay region–what is now Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware–through photographs, maps, ceremonial and everyday objects, and interactives. This compact exhibition educates visitors on the continued Native presence in the region, and provides an overview of the history and events from the 1600s to the present that have impacted the lives of the Nanticoke, Powhatan, and Piscataway tribes. The exhibition was curated by Gabrielle Tayac, Ph.D. (Piscataway)

http://nmai.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item/30/

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

dig

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. 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.

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

McKee