Document Type
Poster Session
Department
Geography-Anthropology
Faculty Mentor
Nathan Hamilton, PhD
Abstract
In 2020, Maine celebrates the bicentennial of its statehood. While our ‘Vacationland’ is well known for its beautiful lakes, sandy beaches, and abundance of lobster, it is generally not a place that people visit with archaeology in mind. The ultimate goal of this project is to change that. Maine has an incredible history of human occupation that dates back to 12,000 years or 400 human generations. It is the home of the enigmatic Norse penny, the 17th century Cod fishing station at Smuttynose, the mysterious Red Paint People, the failed colony of Popham that predates Jamestown, and has more than one connection to the notorious Salem Witch Trials. These are just a few examples of what Maine’s abundant archaeological record has to offer. By creating an accessible and user-friendly database, I hope to increase public interest in these sites and inspire both residents and tourists to engage with past lifeways, environments, and cultural practices. My project provides an index as an abstract data set of one hundred archaeological sites that are significant to the history of Maine. The sites cover the entirety of the state and date from the paleolithic to the more recent historical past. Each location selected has a locational data set form (National Historic Preservation Commission), written description, and attached photos that can be shared publicly. Once completed, this index will serve as the prototype for an interactive database, such as a phone app, that can be used to help promote secondary and public education, preservation of the archaeological record, and cultural tourism in Maine.
Open Access?
1
Dawnland Archaeology: Cultural Heritage, Public Awareness, and Tourism in the State of Maine
In 2020, Maine celebrates the bicentennial of its statehood. While our ‘Vacationland’ is well known for its beautiful lakes, sandy beaches, and abundance of lobster, it is generally not a place that people visit with archaeology in mind. The ultimate goal of this project is to change that. Maine has an incredible history of human occupation that dates back to 12,000 years or 400 human generations. It is the home of the enigmatic Norse penny, the 17th century Cod fishing station at Smuttynose, the mysterious Red Paint People, the failed colony of Popham that predates Jamestown, and has more than one connection to the notorious Salem Witch Trials. These are just a few examples of what Maine’s abundant archaeological record has to offer. By creating an accessible and user-friendly database, I hope to increase public interest in these sites and inspire both residents and tourists to engage with past lifeways, environments, and cultural practices. My project provides an index as an abstract data set of one hundred archaeological sites that are significant to the history of Maine. The sites cover the entirety of the state and date from the paleolithic to the more recent historical past. Each location selected has a locational data set form (National Historic Preservation Commission), written description, and attached photos that can be shared publicly. Once completed, this index will serve as the prototype for an interactive database, such as a phone app, that can be used to help promote secondary and public education, preservation of the archaeological record, and cultural tourism in Maine.
