Join the NLAS  for  a free public lecture by Dr. Shannon Lewis-Simpson of Memorial University. The title of her lecture is: How Many Spindle Whorls do You Need to Spin a Yarn? Viking Studies in Newfoundland and Labrador

This event will be November 10, 2016 at 7 PM in room UC-3018, The Landing, Smallwood University Centre, Memorial University, St. John’s. The NLAS Annual General Meeting will follow the lecture.

Volunteer Opportunities!
Come Meet us October 26th

International Archaeology Day is held each year on the third Saturday of October.

International Archaeology Day is a celebration of archaeology and the thrill of discovery. Every October archaeological organizations across Canada, the United States, and abroad present archaeological programs and activities for people of all ages and interests. Whether it is a family-friendly archaeology fair, a guided tour of a local archaeological site, a simulated dig, a lecture or a classroom visit from an archaeologist, the interactive, hands-on International Archaeology Day programs provide the chance to indulge your inner Indiana Jones.

As part of International Archaeology Day the NLAS is releasing a new Community Collections Archaeological Research Project (CCARP) based on a collection donated by Bill Melbourne from Burgeo.  We want to thank Bill for sharing this collection with the NLAS; in so doing, he provided us with new information on archaeological sites in the Burgeo area.

Please keep in mind that our aim is not to encourage private collection of artifacts, but rather to record these undocumented sites, as well as educate and inform people about what to do if you find an archaeological site.

Click on the cover image below to view and download a complete, free copy of the CCARP report on the Bill Melbourne Archaeology Collection.

How did you get interested in Archaeology?

• I grew up going to the Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre a lot. I remember really liking the discovery gallery the ROM had in the basement for kids that had all these edukits you could take down and open up. There were animal skeletons, Egyptian hieroglyphics puzzles and other museum behind-the-scenes sort of things.When I went to the University of Toronto I took anthropology and archaeology courses, but it was when I took the archaeology field school that my career path was solidified. I found that I really enjoyed the lab part of archaeology work – cleaning the artifacts, labeling them, organizing them, and I’ve stayed involved with that sort of work ever since.
  

  Standing in front of the replica of the Fleur de Lys soapstone pot wall at the Rooms.

What sort of things do you do as the chair/member of the Finance Committee?

• As Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee I am in charge of the books and more of the legal side of running the NLAS. The Finance Committee as a whole supports the work of the Treasurer, as well as helps the NLAS with budget planning and overall financial operations.It includes tracking the money, memberships, reporting on the finances,  filing  papers for the Canadian Revenue Agency and the Provincial Government to ensure all our legal requirements have been taken care of.

Do you have a favourite site or artifact from the Province? (send a photo)

• I’m partial to the small wooden scoop that was found at the Dorset soapstone quarry in Fleur de Lys. In many ways I’ve followed this artifact’s post excavation life the whole way. I was there when it was discovered and helped stabilize it for its return to St. John’s. After further examination, and recognizing the importance and rarity of the find, the principal investigator, John Erwin, along with the Provincial archaeology staff and conservator were able to arrange for further treatment and stabilization at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa. I had a chance to see it in treatment there, and once it returned to the province and was transferred to The Rooms Archaeology’s collections, I was able to be a part of the team that saw it installed in the gallery “Connections: This Place and Its Early Peoples”.
  

  Fleur de Lys wooden scoop on display at the Rooms.

  

  Fleur de Lys wooden scoop on display at the Rooms.

See more about the scoop here:|
http://elfshotgallery.blogspot.ca/2010/08/fleur-de-lys-scoop-in-rooms.html

And see it on display at The Rooms:
https://www.therooms.ca/exhibits/always/connections-this-place-and-its-early-peoples

When I think about the future of the NLAS, I hope…

• We’ll continue to bring together a wide variety of people with an interest in the archaeology of the Province. I’ve been excited looking at the membership of the NLAS to-date to see so many people join who are from the general public and who are from outside of the Province.I also hope we continue to see a variety of people be involved in the operation of the NLAS as new ideas and energies always help organizations like ours grow. In particular I’d like to see more undergraduate and graduate students in archaeology on the NLAS board and committees as organizations like ours certainly can help new archaeologists establish relationships and a broader knowledge base that can be very beneficial to their chosen career paths.

Want to learn how to illustrate archaeological artifacts like a pro? Sign up for our next NLAS workshop. We’ll provide the materials and teach you what to do… no previous experience necessary. Cost: $10 for members, and $35 for members. Email us to reserve your spot!