2017 Annual Meeting Info
The 2017 Annual Meeting, held on March 25, 2017 at Farmington High School, 10 Montieth Drive, Farmington,
CT, was highlighted by the presence of Dr. Emerson "Tad" Baker, professor of History and former dean of the
Graduate School at Salem State University, as alluded to in the Annual Meeting Flyer which can be viewed by
clicking
Dr. Baker's talk was quite interesting, discussing the history of the Chadbourne Site (ca. 1643-1690) in
South Berwick, Maine, where thirteen seasons of excavations revealed over 40,000 artifacts, including saw mill
hardware, a range of tools, and many luxury items imported by the Chadbournes, the wealthy merchants who owned
the property. As can be seen in a couple of the accompanying images, Dr. Baker was able to relate a number of the
artifacts to the site of their manufacture in England.
For a brief biographical sketch of Dr. Baker, at the bottom of this page , please click
> To access the Program accompanying this meeting, please click
Preceding this was the "business" portion of the meeting. Highlights include:
> Recording Secretary Mike Cahill provided a year-in-review report on FOSA's 2016 activities.
> Dreda Hendsey presented the 2016 Treasurer's Report.
> Brian Jones spoke of his work this past year since his becoming Connecticut's State Archaeologist, with
emphasis on the major excavations undertaken at the Hollister site.
> Nick Bellantoni spoke of the activities of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut this past year. He
also provided eulogies on 3 departed members of the FOSA family, Mayor George B. "Pete" Kinsella, Dr. Henri
"Hank" Coppes and Dr. Fred Warner. To see pictures of these gentlemen as presented by Nick during his talk,
please click
> Scott Brady discussed this year's Nominations to the Board of Directors.
> Cynthia Redman presented this year's dual Certificates Achievement Award to Amelia "Amy" Mariotti and Carol
West, for their work in the OSA Library. Facsimilies of Amy's and Carol's certificates as well as all previous
such awards, by clicking
.
> All this was kept in motion by FOSA President Mandy Ranslow.
Images in this section courtesy of Cynthia Redman, Jim Trocchi, and Bonnie Beatrice.
Emerson "Tad" Baker II (born May 18, 1958) is a historical archaeologist and professor of history at Salem
State College. He is well known in academic circles for his extensive work on witchcraft in Colonial America, as
well as for his work on numerous archaeological sites along the East Coast of the United States.
Baker was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts in 1958 and attended Applewild School and Phillips Academy.
Before attending Bates College in Lewiston, ME, Baker spent a year in the United Kingdom studying at Cranleigh
School. After graduating from Bates with a BA in history in 1980, he received his MA in history (with a
concentration in historical archaeology) from the University of Maine at Orono in 1983. In 1986, he received his
Ph.D. in history (with a dissertation on failed Anglo-Indian relations in early Maine) from the College of
William & Mary under the guidance of James Axtell.
From 1988 to 1994, Baker served as executive director of the York Institute Museum and Dyer Library. He
joined the faculty of Salem State College in September 1994.
A specialist in the history of seventeenth century Maine, Baker has been featured as an expert consultant on
the PBS mini-series Colonial House; he has also provided historical consultation for Parks Canada,
National Geographic, Plimoth Plantation, National Park Service, Historic Salem Inc., Beverly Historical Society
and many historic district commissions. He has also served as an expert witness for archaeological matters in
several court cases in Nova Scotia and Maine.
His published works include:
• The Clarke & Lake Company: The Historical Archaeology of a Seventeenth-Century Maine Settlement (1985)
• American Beginnings: Exploration, Culture and Cartography in the Land of Norumbega (1995)
• The New England Knight: Sir William Phips, 1651-1695 (1998)
• The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England. (2007)
• A Storm of Witchcraft: The Salem Trials and the American Experience (2014)