Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Archaeological field school seeks to uncover Harmonist potter
Dr. Michael Strezewski, associate professor of archeology, conducts a field experiment in New Harmony.
Contact for more information:
Excavations will be conducted under the direction of Dr. Michael Strezewski, assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Southern Indiana, and Bill Wepler, curator of historical archaeology for the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites. Historic New Harmony will include the archaeological digs on their daily tours which begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily at the Atheneum/Visitors Center located at 401 N. Arthur Street. Wepler and Strezewski will provide on-site interpretation when a visitor is taken to either excavation site. Historic New Harmony plans to discuss and show the finding on the tours and in exhibits, in the future. There will also be an open house at one or more of the sites, available to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 6 During the field school, students will be digging at the site of the former Harmonist kiln at the corner of North and West streets. Christoph Weber, the Harmonist potter, lived at this spot from 1815 to 1824 and had his shop and kiln next to his house. Weber made redware pottery (cups, plates, storage jars, pitchers, and colanders) for the entire Harmonist community None of the structures related to pottery manufacture is still standing. Strezewski conducted a magnetometry survey in the dig site area last summer to see if the locations of the structures could be determined. Based on the results of the survey, he and his students will test some of these spots for potential findings. They are particularly interested in finding the kiln. It will provide useful information on how Harmonist redware was made. Excavations initiated in 2008 will continue at Community House No. 2 to document any archaeological resources that might be destroyed or disturbed by ongoing renovations to the building. If time allows, fieldwork will begin at the Fauntleroy Home, located at 411 West Street, where students will try to locate and answer questions about the house's 1840s kitchen. For more information about the archeological dig or to arrange an interview with either on-site director, contact Strezewski at mstrezewsk@usi.edu or 812/464-1931 or Wepler at bwepler@dnr.in.gov or 317/232-8178. |
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