Presented by: Dr. Zachary Singer & Dr. Robert Wall
PaleoDigger and Archaeological Investigations of the Deeply Buried Clovis Occupation at the Barton Site
About the lecture
Since the late eighties, Dr. Robert Wall of Towson University has investigated the stratified archaeological deposits of the Herman Barton Village Site (18AG3) in Allegany County, Maryland. The site spans over thirty acres and is managed by The Archaeological Conservancy. Dr. Wall’s excavations have revealed stratified site occupations ranging from the protohistoric to the Paleoindian periods.
In the summer of 2024, grants from ArchaeologyX and the Archeological Society of Maryland facilitated a one-week field session where ground penetrating radar, terrestrial vibracoring, and the PaleoDigger, an innovative mechanized system designed to excavate test pits up to seven meters in depth, were used to further investigate the stratified deposits at Barton. The 2024 project resulted in the collection of six GPR transects, seven vibracores, and the excavation of ten test pits that reached depths over ten feet below ground surface. The geoarchaeological investigations provide further information regarding the intact stratified archaeological deposits. The limited PaleoDigger test pitting resulted in the discovery of a deeply buried 13,000 year old Clovis activity area around six feet below the current ground surface.
This presentation provides an overview of investigations of the deeply buried Clovis occupation at Barton.
About the presenters
Zachary Singer
Maryland State Terrestrial Archaeologist
Zachary is State Terrestrial Archaeologist at the Maryland Historical Trust. Zac received his BA from the University of Maryland and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Zac’s research interests include archaeological geophysics, 3D photogrammetry, lithic technologies, and Fluted Point sites in Eastern North America.
Robert Wall
Lecturer at Towson University
Robert received his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Maryland and is presently a lecturer in Anthropology at Towson University. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. at Catholic University. His research interests include Paleoindian and Archaic sites, Lithic and Ceramics technology, and Potomac Valley prehistory.
Related Virtual Lecture
Digging Deeper: Advancing First American Studies with Mechanized Archaeology
Presented October 2024 by Brian Fritz
Free For Everyone
Our virtual lectures are a part of our Outreach and Education efforts. They are free to our Members and the General Public. Recorded lectures are posted on YouTube and on the event page after the event occurs.
For questions about the event or how to register, please contact Susan Bowdoin (susan@thearchcons.org) or Sarah Webber (sarah@thearchcons.org).
