Archaeology in the Community
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • In the Media
    • Contact Us
  • For Youth
    • Youth Programs
    • Message to an Archaeologist
    • Suggested Reading List
  • For Educators
    • Teacher LEARN Program
    • Lesson Plans and Activities
    • Featured Videos
  • For Communities
    • Upcoming Events
    • DC Day of Archaeology Festival
    • DC Archaeology Month
    • African American Historic Resources Project
    • Digging into Archaeology Blog
  • Professional Development
    • Workshops
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor
    • Partner
  • Shop
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • In the Media
    • Contact Us
  • For Youth
    • Youth Programs
    • Message to an Archaeologist
    • Suggested Reading List
  • For Educators
    • Teacher LEARN Program
    • Lesson Plans and Activities
    • Featured Videos
  • For Communities
    • Upcoming Events
    • DC Day of Archaeology Festival
    • DC Archaeology Month
    • African American Historic Resources Project
    • Digging into Archaeology Blog
  • Professional Development
    • Workshops
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor
    • Partner
  • Shop

Digging into Archaeology Blog

Reflections of a Professional Deaf Archaeologist

6/2/2022

5 Comments

 
PictureAmelia the Archaeologist Logo designed by Amelia Dall from the Procreate app.
​Echoing my previous article posted in November 2017, 
 
Before I begin: there is a range of deafness, from mild hearing loss to profoundly deaf. I am in the “medium” range. I wear hearing aids, have worn them since I was around two or three years old, and attended speech therapy classes throughout my youth. Basically, I am a (what a hearing person would say) “functioning” deaf person: I am able to hear, lip-read well, and use my voice to communicate. However, I do not practice the particular “skill” frequently, which means that my “skill” can be ineffective in a group setting when everyone is talking over each other and I would be unable to read anyone’s lips. I chose to not practice my “skill” “often” because I consider myself deaf. I grew up going to an all-deaf school and graduated from a university that mainly serves the deaf. I am very comfortable using my first language, American Sign Language, to communicate with people. Using an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter to convey my messages to hearing people is the best way for me to communicate because I am able to accurately represent my “voice” by signing and there would not be any misunderstanding from both sides of the conversation between me and a hearing person (or hearing people).


Five years ago, I typed an article for Archaeology In The Community discussing my deafness and the challenges of being in the archaeology profession with my disability. I admitted a mistake of not having an ASL interpreter present while doing a field school in Belize, I provided information regarding accessibility in archaeology, and noted the lack of archaeology outreach opportunities for Deaf participants. 
 
Time has gone by quickly, and the issues have improved a bit. In creating my Amelia the Archaeologist social media accounts in April 2018 (on instagram, facebook, youtube, and tiktok), I am slowly seeing a change in ensuring accessibility within the archaeology profession. 
 
Here are a few examples of improvement in the profession I’ve noticed; the Archaeological Institute of America started providing ASL interpreters for their Archaeology Abridged lecture programs this year, and had provided ASL interpreters for their annual event, ArchaeoCon 2022 as well. The Bureau of Land Management recently secured a contract with Birnbaum Interpreting Services (a deaf-owned and operated interpreting company) for deaf and hard-of-hearing employees to easily reserve interpreting services. Some archaeology-related social media accounts such as SEARCH, Inc. are adding alt-texts, image/video descriptions, and captions/transcriptions to their posts. Teachers at deaf schools are recognizing the need for broadening students’ employment opportunities by having guest lectures from deaf professionals. Museums, for example the Museum of Natural History at University of Colorado Boulder, including ASL-translated videos to their permanent exhibits. Archaeology organizations reaching out for accessibility suggestions and referrals, asking disabled archaeologists to be on panel discussions, and so on. 
 
In my experience thus far within the profession, I held seven archaeology positions and five museum-related positions and I have only encountered one difficult supervisor. All of the co-workers and employers I worked for and/or with have been very understanding and willing to ensure my accessibility needs. It may be sheer luck, or simply because the archaeology profession is shifting in their usual mindset. I sincerely do think it is the latter, however, I also know we still have a long way to go in terms of improving the profession as a whole. 

Through my social media accounts, I was able to connect with other deaf archaeologists working professionally, and those who are also current students in the profession. Never would I have thought I’d have the chance to get to know them, and to be friends, especially being able to work alongside one at one of my previous employment positions. I met deaf youths who are interested in becoming archaeologists. I was also written in a student book project about my endeavors, which to me signifies the desire of learning more about archaeology and of what archaeology can do for the deaf communities. 
 
Unfortunately, there is still a lack of archaeology outreach opportunities or programs for the deaf, youth and/or adults. Programs such as archaeology site tours, volunteer-focused digs, archaeology lectures are not widely available to the deaf communities due to accessibility. Organizations seem to think we should wait for the interest of the deaf communities in order to develop programs but I think otherwise. Despite the possibility of having low participant numbers, we should be rolling up our sleeves and providing opportunities regardless. Over time, I believe there will be an increase in participant numbers from the deaf communities. 
 
Accessibility is a tedious process because not every disabled person has the same needs and this is something to always keep in mind. We must continue to educate each other and we shouldn’t have to ask for accessibility.

5 Comments

A SHINING LIGHT DURING AMERICA’S DARKEST ERA: THE PARKER ACADEMY

10/26/2018

0 Comments

 
Along the banks of the Ohio river, lives a deep history of human occupation. Known famously for its integral and symbolic nature, the river that flows into the Mississippi gave meaning to the dividing ties of the North and South during the Civil War (April 12, 1861-May 13, 1865). The issues of slavery were only resolved over much bloodshed. However, the stories of the people, on either side, show the complexities of a battle within a country fighting to remain intact while its people are screaming for division. Despite the harrowing stories of war and loss of life, there was a beacon of hope for Blacks in the Ohio River Valley – the Clermont Academy of New Richmond, Ohio. Established in 1839, Clermont Academy is believed to be one of the first preparatory schools in the United States devoted to educating males and females, regardless of color. It was a pioneer in the educational advancements of equality by encompassing the progressive thoughts of Northern abolitionists. Bringing these ideals to the forefront of the battle between freed and enslaved individuals in the United States, the Parker family and their commonly referred to “Parker Academy” became a refuge.
Picture
Figure 1: Letter from the archive
The story of the Parker family and their revolutionary academy is one that could have been completely lost over time. After a devastating flood in New Richmond in 1937, the academy school house and men’s dormitory were destroyed beyond repair and subsequently demolished a few years later. Now, the trees and vegetation have taken over the land where these buildings once stood. The Parker’s academy has become a forgotten symbol of a place and time that once struggled with ideas of unity, equality, and freedom for all.
Picture
Figure 2 Letter from the archives
Through the work of historical archaeology and public history, the story of the Parkers and the Clermont Academy is being brought back to life. Faculty and students from Northern Kentucky University (NKU) have taken on the responsibility of telling the story through their current and ongoing research project.  This work is being conducted through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Parker Academy project, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This multidisciplinary collaboration among historians, geographers, and anthropologists engages diverse student participants in research exploring important problems of race, gender equality, and social justice in American History through archaeological excavations and archival research at the Parker Academy site in southern Ohio. The Parker Academy NSF REU is directed by Dr. William J. Landon and Dr. Sharyn Jones. The program provides an exciting and unique educational experience for undergraduates through hands-on research with an opportunity to earn academic credit. By participating in this project students learn about archival research, US History, GIS, and archaeology as they gain practical skill-based knowledge that transcends disciplinary boundaries.
Picture
Figure 3 Postcard of the Clermont Academy Schoolhouse and Men’s Dormitory
​The magic of the words of the Parker family and their students comes alive through historical documents and the photographs that are part of a rich archive. These documents provide stunning vivid images of the people and when combined with the scattered remains of material culture excavated on the former academy’s grounds, the remarkable Parker family story lives on. The story is still unfolding as our work continues and the daily lives of the students and the Parkers is explored in through both the archaeology and the archival documents.
Picture
Figure 4 The Clermont Academy School House
​Sharing the Parker Academy story with the community is an important part of the Parker Academy NSF REU project. A variety of public outreach endeavors are underway. As a research team we are working to create an open space for the public to learn about the Parker’s story through programs, school visits, volunteer excavation days, library exhibits, and other events. In the tri-state area, including the village of New Richmond and beyond, discussion panels and exhibits have been created to provide an opportunity for the local community to hear and see the history that is in their own backyard. Narratives about life at the Academy were gathered to create lesson plans for local schools to help teach about equality through education in the Civil War ear. This past spring, NSF REU Fellows from NKU presented these lessons to Hughes STEM High School of Cincinnati. Multiple social media sites have been created to reach a wider audience as well. These sites provide access to historical documents and their transcriptions, photographs from the archives, an extensive GIS story map, and pictures of artifacts recovered from archaeological excavations.
Picture
Figure 5 Inside the School House
​Community archaeology has also played a major role in sharing the story of the Parker Academy. By engaging with the public, the Parker Academy NSF REU faculty and students are able to share archaeological findings and continue to promote the stewardship that the Parker family began over 150 years ago. Through community archaeology, the public has the opportunity to reconstruct their own perspective on the past. Previous excavations have included undergraduates, graduates, professors, historians, NKU’s president, the president of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and a wide range of volunteers. By conducting such work and providing an open platform, the NSF REU project team has shared the discoveries from both the archaeological field and historical archives. The message of equality is as imperative today as it was when the school was established. Only through community engagement can the story of the Parker Academy and the Parker family be told properly.
Picture
Figure 6 Trowel with ceramic artifact
Picture
Figure 7 Cooper Pfalz, Professor William Landon, and Professor Sharyn Jones backfilling at the site
Written by Andrea Shiverdecker, Liza Vance, William Landon, and Sharyn Jones


​Check out our social media pages and stay up to date with our exciting news and events!
Parker Academy Website

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Youtube
Picture
​Dr. Sharyn Jones is a Professor of Anthropology at Northern Kentucky University. Her areas of focus are ethnoarchaeology, zooarchaeology, food identity, and gender. Dr. Jones has conducted research in Fiji, Polynesia and the Caribbean Islands, North America, Japan, Micronesia, and India. Currently, her work deals with issues of foodways and traditional ecological knowledge. She is also working on developing a model for hands-on science through anthropological field schools such as the Parker Academy project and the NSF REU Fiji program.
Picture
​Dr. William Landon is Professor of History in the Department of History and Geography at Northern Kentucky University. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in History, with an emphasis on the life and works of Niccolò Machiavelli, from the University of Edinburgh. While in Edinburgh, he studied under noted historian of Renaissance Italy Richard Mackenney.
Dr. Landon has published numerous articles, reviews, and he has written two books: Politics, Patriotism and Language: Niccolò Machiavelli’s “Secular Patria” and the Creation of an Italian National Identity, and Lorenzo di Filippo Strozzi and Niccolò Machiavelli: Patron, Client, and the Pistola fatta per la peste/An Epistle Written Concerning the Plague. The latter book was nominated for the Renaissance Society of America’s Phyllis Goodhart Gordan Book Prize in 2013.
Additionally, Dr. Landon has also written and presented a series titled: “Books that Matter: ‘The Prince'” for The Great Courses.  A new series titled “24 Works of Historical Genius is forthcoming.
​Dr. Landon has delivered popular lectures and conference presentations on Renaissance Italy to audiences on three continents.
Picture
​As a non-traditional student, Andrea Shiverdecker began her bachelor’s degree twenty years ago. After a short military career and the general passing of time, she returned to finish her degree in January 2017. Through becoming a part of the Parker Academy NSF REU project, she was able to perform historical archiving, document analysis and transcription, archaeology, artifact analysis, and more. New passions emerged as she began to document and analyze the photographic remains contained within the archives from the Parker family. The role of digital curator for the project was achieved by running and maintaining the program’s social media sites and developing community outreach programs. Other research projects include ethnographic research currently being performing in Belize on the sugar cane industry and its impacts on the villages and 
​communities surrounding the Orange Walk District in Belize which can be seen at www.blue2orange.com or on Instagram @blue_2_orange. Personal longtime research delves into the art and origins of body modifications and personal adornment of humankind across the world and its transitions throughout time. She will graduate in December of 2018 with hopes to attend graduate school in the future.
Picture
​Liza Vance is a graduate student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and History. As an undergraduate, she became interested in the field of archaeology after volunteering at a public archaeology excavation day at the Battery Hooper at the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum. Through the University of Virginia, she completed a six-week field school at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. She continued getting her hands dirty by participating in the inaugural excavation of the Parker Academy site in New Richmond, OH, in 2015, as well as the two following excavations since then. As the Graduate Student Mentor for the Parker Academy NSF REU project, she gained experience in cataloging, transcribing, and analyzing historical documents. In her spare time, her hobbies include traveling, repurposing antiques, visiting museums, and spending time with her family and pets. She is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2019.
0 Comments

A LOST COMMUNITY, A FORGOTTEN HISTORY: REDISCOVERED THROUGH COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY

10/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Would you believe me if I told you that Islam was present in America before the U.S. constitution was written? What about two Muslim brothers from Morocco helped Columbus navigate to the New World? Or, that between 600,000 to 1.2 million enslaved Africans were Muslim?
Three years ago I would not have believed myself. These are three tiny facts that allude to the legacy of African Islam in America. Different from Orthodox Islam, African Islam was brought over by the hundreds of thousands of enslaved persons who were ripped from their homes, their families, their lives. Present in North Africa since the 8th century and firmly established by the rise of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, African Islam is a unique blend of traditional religions and customs with Islamic beliefs and practices. Originally, Islam in West Africa was seen as an elite faith of traders and rulers before it was adopted by agrarian people.

Read More
0 Comments

SUMMER IN NEW YORK’S SOUTHERN TIER: CELEBRATING TWO DECADES OF PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY WITH THE COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM

4/16/2018

0 Comments

 
​It’s always the hottest time of the year and the site has no shade, but that doesn’t stop our participants from spending a week in July excavating at an important local site in New York’s Southern Tier. Every so often you hear someone call out from a screen, “Hey, I found a flake.” That unit’s team gathers round to see and share. Their excitement is why we do public outreach.
​Binghamton University’s Public Archaeology Facility (PAF) has been committed to public outreach since it was established in 1972.  After all, “public” is in our name! Since then, the Community Archaeology Program, or CAP, has educated the public about historic preservation, and shared information about local archaeology projects with the communities where we conduct archaeology.  Throughout the year, PAF staff respond to community requests and present lectures on archaeology and local prehistory to school groups, historical societies, and social groups.  We also invite school groups to our lab facility.  After being repeatedly asked by audience members if they could participate in archaeology projects, rather than just observe, in 1996 we designed and implemented an integrated summer outreach program aimed at multiple audiences. It is our summer program that we will focus on for this post.

Read More
0 Comments

WHY I BELIEVE IN ARCHAEOLOGY

3/5/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
​My name is Craig Stevens. I recently graduated from American University with a degree in anthropology. Since high school I’ve been very interested in American history, specifically colonialism and its lasting effects. I watched a lot of history movies and documentaries and read biographies and historical fiction. I always had a keen awareness of the fact that history is not static; it’s an everlasting force that influences the present. Through curiosity and a bit of skepticism, I became very interested in how we learn history. Who discovered what my teachers have always stated as fact; and how did those researchers figure it all out?

Read More
1 Comment

AITC’S YOUNG ARCHAEOLOGISTS CLUB BECOMES TIME TRAVELERS

2/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
This past November and December I conducted the Young Archaeologist Club through Archaeology in the Community. When sitting down and thinking about what I wanted to teach the students over the course of six weeks, I found that I had too many ideas. While my passion is Egyptian Archaeology, I didn’t want to solely focus on that. Throughout my college career I learned a lot about different ancient cultures from the Prehistoric to the modern African Diaspora located in the Americas. That’s when I came up with the idea of a time traveling archaeologist. Every week we changed subjects, proceeding in chronological order, for the most part, because some cultures were occurring at the same time.

Read More
0 Comments

DISABILITY AND ARCHAEOLOGY

11/9/2017

0 Comments

 
Before I begin: there is a range of deafness, from mild hearing loss to profoundly deaf. I am on the “medium” range. I wear hearing aids, wore them since I was around two or three years old, and attended speech therapy classes throughout my youth. Basically, I am a (what a hearing person would call) “functioning” deaf person: I am able to hear, lip-read well, and use my voice to communicate. However, I do not practice the particular “skill” frequently, which means that my “skill” can be ineffective in a group setting when everyone is talking over each other and I would be unable to read anyone’s lips. I chose to not practice my “skill” “often” because I consider myself deaf. I grew up going to an all-deaf school and an university that mainly serve the deaf. I am very comfortable using my first language, American Sign Language, to communicate with people. Using an interpreter to convey my messages to hearing people is the best way for me to communicate because I am able to accurately represent my “voice” by signing and there would not be any misunderstanding from both sides of the conversation between me and a hearing person (or hearing people).
​ Growing up, I knew I was one of those Deaf people who were fortunate enough to attend an all deaf school and an all deaf university. Also, growing up, I was cultured. I was aware of the world. I was addicted to the field of museum studies and archaeology, practically from my mother’s womb. I did not know any difference nor was I barricaded from pursuing my goal: to get a degree within the field.

Read More
0 Comments

AUCKLAND CASTLE: SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH HERITAGE

9/15/2017

0 Comments

 
​One of the many highlights of my year abroad in England was the time I spent at Auckland Castle, in the northeast town of Bishop Auckland. As an intern, student, and volunteer, I was witness to the early stages of a truly remarkable regeneration project that focuses on cultural heritage to revitalize the economically-deprived, surrounding town. Whether I was assisting with a school visit in the Throne Room or excavating in the Walled Garden, I relished the chance to be part of such an ambitious project that preserves the heritage and archaeology of the Castle, using them as a catalyst for social change.
With over 900 years of history, Auckland Castle is the country home of the Prince Bishops of Durham. A title that, from its inception in 995 to when it was dissolved in 1832, carried with it the religious powers of a bishop and the secular powers of an earl. This combination of secular and religious power can be seen in the crest of the Bishop of Durham, which features a bishop’s mitre and a ducal coronet.

Read More
0 Comments

THE KIDS’ PLACE IN ARCHAEOLOGY

7/5/2017

1 Comment

 
​At the beginning of archaeology club season, the glaring question in my mind whilst writing and constructing the lessons was: how do you make archaeology fun?? How do you clothe it with a light-hearted and kid-friendly tone, while also staying true to its scientific and academic core? Now that my 6 month stint as an intern for Archaeology in the Community’s education department is coming to a close, this question unexpectedly changed—it is, in fact, not at all challenging to make archaeology fun. Archaeology is one of the few fields of study 
Picture

Read More
1 Comment

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ROANOKE: THE LOST COLONY

6/14/2017

4 Comments

 
The details of the stories and histories of the first American colonies may or may not be familiar depending on how much American history you have consumed since high school. It is well known that the Pilgrims settled Plymouth Colony after arriving on the Mayflower and that the Puritans came to Massachusetts for religious freedom. The real intrigue of Colonial America lies in the mysterious fate of the settlers of Roanoke Colony who disappeared in 1590. How much do we know from historical accounts? In history and in archaeology, how do you begin to search for something that is lost? What evidence do we need to determine the fate of those that disappeared over 400 years ago?
Picture
An artist’s depiction of John White discovering the word “Croatoan” carved at Roanoke’s fort palisade.

Read More
4 Comments
<<Previous
​2231 14th St. NE
Washington, DC 20018
​EIN: 30-0538831
​[email protected]
© Archaeology in the Community. All rights reserved.
Newsletter Sign-Up
Donate
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • In the Media
    • Contact Us
  • For Youth
    • Youth Programs
    • Message to an Archaeologist
    • Suggested Reading List
  • For Educators
    • Teacher LEARN Program
    • Lesson Plans and Activities
    • Featured Videos
  • For Communities
    • Upcoming Events
    • DC Day of Archaeology Festival
    • DC Archaeology Month
    • African American Historic Resources Project
    • Digging into Archaeology Blog
  • Professional Development
    • Workshops
    • Volunteering
    • Internships
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Sponsor
    • Partner
  • Shop