Notes from the SA - December/January Edition

The December 2012/January 2013 edition of Notes from the SA, our Sustainable Archaeology newsletter is out!

 

Happy Anniversary to Western SA!

Today marks the first year anniversary of Western's SA occupancy permit. Over the course of this past year, we've seen the finishing touches done to the building, had our safety checks and we've purchased our computers, 3D scanners, MicroCT, digital x-ray and an electric work assist vehicle.We've hosted a three month 3D/animation internship and a three week thin-sectioning workshop. Our geophysical equipment has been used at a number of archaeological sites, including at Techumseh Park in Chatham, Ontario (last September), and at Fort Erie this summer. We've welcomed tours of representatives from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the First Nation's Financial Management Board, the Smithsonian Institution, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Mitacs, local Rotary clubs, as well as hosts of individuals from across Ontario and around the world who are interested in Sustainable Archaeology and the philosophy we espouse. We've also begun to establish communication with a variety of other archaeological facilities and institutions, such as the Center for Digital Archaeology at the University of California, Berkley.

Over the course of the next year, we look forward to growing and settling into our space. We have more equipment to purchase (including a 3D prototyper and Virtual Imaging station), more courses and workshops to host, and we're looking forward to having some substantive information to share about our project at a number of local and international conferences. Watch for representatives from SA Western and SA McMaster at the Ontario Archaeological Society meeting in Windsor and the Canadian Association for Physical Anthropology conference in Victoria, BC in November 2012, as well as the Society for American Archaeology conference in Honolulu, Hawaii in April 2013! 

Searching for the War of 1812

Geophysical technicians Ed Eastaugh and Jean-François Millare of Western University have been on site at Fort Erie with Sustainable Archaeology's magnetic gradiometer and resistivity meter, searching for evidence of the War of 1812. The geophysical work is part of the field school excavation at the historic fort site, led by Dr. John Triggs of Wilfrid Laurier University. The excavation, which began May 14th and will conclude this week, has been focusing on the American defensive positions during the battle fought at the site in 1814.

To read more about the excavation, check out the WLU media release or the Toronto Star article featuring work at the site.

Left: Jean-Francois Millare of Western University uses the resistivity meter. Right: Jonathan Haxell of WLU uses the magnetic gradiometer.