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From August 1 through August 12, 2006, a two-week archaeological field school was conducted by Dr. Neill DiPaoli on the site of the Robert Given farmstead at Pemaquid Falls Maine. As in 2005, Southern Maine Community College (South Portland) offered the field school as a two-credit course. The field school students more than made up for what they lacked in numbers with an abundance of enthusiasm, energy, and focus. Dr. De Paoli was ably assisted by the FOCP’s own Carolyn McKeon and former field school student Janet Gertz. Once again, the centerpiece of the Pemaquid Falls field school was the late 18th/early 19th century home of one of early Bristol’s leading families. This season the participants focused their efforts on locating the chimney base and fireplace(s) that heated the heart of the Given dwelling. The large quantity of brick and fieldstone rubble that filled the cellar and covered the chimney base indicated that the fireplaces had collapsed into the cellar after the building’s abandonment in the 1830s. The archaeologists also exposed a surviving segment of the cellar’s northern stonewall roughly ten feet north of the chimney base and unearthed additional remnants of earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, “silverware”, clay smoking pipes, and two complete iron oxen shoes. Two other teams of field school students focused on an area south of the Given dwelling. They were searching for evidence of the late 17th century English farming hamlet, but unfortunately, these test pits came up “dry.” Dr. De Paoli has tentative plans to return to Pemaquid Falls next summer and resume his excavation of the Robert Given dwelling and search for the late 17th century English farming hamlet. |
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FOCP's Don Loprieno donned period attire and the persona of an 18th Century militia man to engage third and fourth graders at the South Bristol School in a living history presentation on April 7. Using a lively question and answer format, Loprieno demonstrated his belief that the role of a living history interpreter is to "create a bridge from what was to what is now, and invites students to cross over and see the similarities between the people of that time and this."
A former classroom teacher and administrator of Stony Point Battlefield on the Hudson River, Loprieno has brought extensive experience in developing interpretive programs to FOCP. With Gus Konitzky, he will be doing living history presentations at Colonial Pemaquid site for visiting school groups during the next several weeks. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons beginning in July, the two will give musket demonstrations and answer questions from the general public. For further information about living history programs available, call Colonial Pemaquid at (207) 677-2423. |
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Don Loprieno and Gus Konitzky added a popular living history dimension to the Colonial Pemaquid site last season. Dressed in authentic period clothing, the two took turns representing a soldier assigned to what was the Fort Frederick garrison during the 1740's and '50's. Either Don or Gus would interact with visiting school groups during May and June, providing musket demonstrations and a participant's perspective on military life in an outpost during the French and Indian wars. Garrison soldiers were also responsible for protecting Pemaquid's colonial settlers. Later in the summer, the two volunteers offered interpretive presentations and musket demonstrations for visitors on weekend afternoons. These activities fit with Park Manager Gary Best's vision of gradually increased living history functions at Colonial Pemaquid, and will likely be enhanced this coming season. The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid celebrated Maine Archaeology Month with an expanded program this past October 19.
Historical archaeologist Tim Dinsmore provided expertise on artifacts dating from earliest colonial times, and gave a presentation on his work at the Bryant-Barker homestead, tavern, and shipbuilding site in Newcastle.
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