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Responsibilities of the State Archaeologist
The Office of State Archaeology was established at the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History
(CSMNH) in 1987 to provide technical assistance to municipalities in
the preservation of archaeological sites within their communities that might be threatened by development and vandalism.
The OSA administers the state archaeology office at the
Connecticut Archaeology Center. At this office, it maintains comprehensive site files and maps, has in-state
networks of supportive public, conducts research into the state's archaeological sites, serves as a clearinghouse
of information, coordinates the salvage of archaeological sites, and represents Connecticut on national issues
pertaining to archaeology.
The OSA has state-mandated responsibilities for the preservation or archaeological excavation and reburial
of human remains encountered during construction activities. In this regard, it works closely with the Native
American tribes in our state for projects that affect burials and sacred sites; and the preservation of unmarked
burials.
The OSA museum serves as the repository for all anthropological collections at the university and for artifacts found
on state lands. In this role it has responsibility for the curating of Connecticut's archaeological / anthropological
collections, totaling over 600,000 artifacts.
Finally, it works to create public awareness and support for archaeological preservation, including museum
exhibits and a variety of public presentations and outreach activities. For example, recently (2017) OSA has
begun working on setting up a program with the
In sum, OSA works closely with federal, state and local governments in the preservation of Connecticut's archaeological
and historical heritage.
How the Friends of the Office of State Archaeology Help...
> Provide archaeological educational curricula and experiences to schools.
> Present and sponsor public lectures.
> Secure donations of office equipment, laboratory supplies, and field supplies for OSA.
> Coordinate and participate in volunteer OSA field and office activities.
> Help coordinate, organize and schedule activities for Connecticut's annual Archaeology Awareness Month.
> Assist scouts in earning archaeology merit badges.
> Create archaeological partnerships between local governments, students, and concerned citizens.
> Help increase corporate sponsorship of OSA-sponsored activities.
> Obtain grants and public funding for OSA collections management and office staff.
> Provide for scientific investigation and preservation of materials in OSA collections through the Douglas
Jordan Testing, Dating & Conservation Fund. (For information on the Fund, please click
• Of Note:
There is an article in the July, 2013 issue of Ink Publications Online! describing activities at a dig
site in Windsor, CT, which viewers who are interested in seeing FOSA "in action" might care to look at. If so, please
click INK article
and jump to the article by moving
your cursor over the icons at the bottom of the page to "Page 40-41" and clicking it. This will bring up that
pair of pages which begin the article.
Navigating it:
Click on either page to bring up a full-size image of that page. Hold your left mouse-key down to move the
image around to see all parts of the page. Click on the page to get the pair of them back up and then click on the next
page to continue. You can advance to the next or previous pair of pages by clicking the large ">" or "<" icons at either
side of the page-pair display.
(Navigation in that website is a little tricky until you get used to it. But it's a good article.)
•
And There are numerous articles in our FOSA Newsletters which detail how FOSA helps the
State Archaeologist in doing his job, particular in the "News from the Office of State Archaeology" article on
each issue's front page. The Newsletters can be found by clicking
here.
FOSA Officers and Board of Directors
| President: | Scott Brady |
|---|---|
| Vice President: | Glenda Rose |
| Recording Secretary: | Mike Cahill |
| Corresponding Secretary: | Sandy DiStefano |
| Treasurer: | Jim Trocchi |
| Assistant Treasurer: | (open) |
| Other Board Members: | Tom Burns |
| Dave Colberg | |
| Dreda Hendsey | |
| Dick Hughes | |
| Lucinda McWeeney | |
| Mike Raber | |
| Deanna Rhodes | |
| Kathy Walburn | |
| Ex Officio Members: | Dr. Sarah Sportman, CT State Archaeologist (OSA) |
| Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni, emeritus CT State Archaeologist | |
| Dr. Janine Caira, Director, CSMNH | |
| Lee West, ASC |
FOSA Committees and Committee Members (as of May, 2020)
| Archaeology Awareness Month Committee: | TBD (Chair), Jim Hall, Dick Hughes, Elliot Schawm, Kathy Walburn | ||
| Cooke Scholarship Committee: | Jeremy Pilver (Chair), Scott Brady | ||
| Excavation Committee: | Jeremy Pilver (Chair), Scott Brady, Mike Cahill, Marlo Del Chiaro, Dick Hughes, Elizabeth Mark, Frederick Rivard, Jim Trocchi, Kathy Walburn, Lori Kessel (Dig Supervisor) | ||
| Membership: | Mike Raber (Chair), Sandy DiStefano (Corresponding Secretary) | ||
| Newsletter Committee: | Jerry Tolchin (Chair), Jim Trocchi | ||
| Nominations Committee: | (N/A) | ||
| Outreach Committee: | Kathy Walburn (Chair), Bonnie Beatrice, Ken Beatrice | ||
| Volunteer Coordinator: | Tom Burns (Chair), Glenda Rose | ||
| Website Committee: | Jim Hall (Chair), Lindsay Kiesewetter | ||
| Questions on membership or functions should be directed to the Volunteer Coordinator at fosa.ct@gmail.com. | |||
Connecticut State Archaeologist: Sarah Sportman, PhD
Sarah Sportman holds a B.A. in History from Union College (1999), an M.A. in History/Historical Archaeology
from the University of Massachusetts Boston (2003), and a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of
Connecticut (2011). She has worked as an archaeologist for 20 years, studying the archaeology and history of
Euro-American and pre-colonial Native American groups in New England and New York. Sarah has worked in both
cultural resource management and academia. For the last five-and-half (2020) years she held the position of
Senior Archaeologist for
Sarah's dissertation, Halcyon Days: The Historical Archaeology of Community and Identity at Hammondville,
New York, 1870-1900, focused on daily life in a 19th-century company-owned mining village in the Adirondacks.
Her primary research interests include Historic-period and Pre-contact Native American archaeology of the
northeastern United States, zooarchaeology, ethnohistory, Colonial-period New England history, 19th century
immigration and labor, and foodways.
To view Dr. Sportman's Curriculum Vitae, please click
Sarah Sportman CV.
FOSA and Social Media
Social Media for FOSA encompasses applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, where FOSA has
established a presence for purposes of expanding its visibility, and where people -- both FOSA and non-FOSA -- are able to
post commentary on things they see on our sites.
While FOSA will examine such postings, and reserves the right to remove those containing inappropriate language or
words which are inflammatory, discriminatory, and so forth, other postings will remain unchanged. In cases where the
posting is incorrect, though, FOSA will respond to the posting, explaining its position while leaving the original posting
as-is.
FOSA members who are designated by the Board of Directors as such respondents must conform to a set of guidelines. A
copy of these guidelines can be viewed by clicking: Social Media Guidelines.
Former Connecticut State Archaeologist: Brian D. Jones, PhD
Dr. Brian D. Jones served as the state archaeologist with the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History
and Archaeology Center in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Connecticut (UConn). He
was appointed to the position of CT State Archaeologist on July 18, 2014, following the retirement of Dr.
Nicholas F. Bellantoni from that position. He served in that position until is passing in 2019.
As excerpted from the press release by the CT State Museum of
Natural History announcing his appointment, Dr. Jones has been working in the archaeology field for over 24
years, most recently as Senior Archaeologist with Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. in Storrs,
Connecticut.
He received his undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Oberlin College in 1986. After living and traveling
in Southeast Asia, he studied European prehistory at the University of Cologne, Germany. He returned to the U.S.
in 1992 to complete his Ph.D. at UConn, Storrs. Brian was the Supervisor of Field Archaeology at the Mashantucket
Pequot Reservation between 1998 and 2004, after which he worked at Archaeological and Historical Services. In
2008, he took the position of Associate Director of UMass Archaeological Services in Amherst. Brian has also
taught as an adjunct in the Anthropology Department at UConn since 2004. His primary research focus is the
archaeology of northeastern Native American cultures. His dissertation explored human adaptation to the changing
climate at the end of the last Ice Age. He is also experienced in geoarchaeology (the relationship of archaeology
to landscape and soil formation processes) and stone tool analysis.
As was the case with Dr. Bellantoni, the duties of the State Archaeologist are many, but primarily include
the preservation of archaeological sites in the state. He serves as an Adjunct Associate Research Professor in
the Department of Anthropology at UConn, as well as a State Commissioner for the Commission on Culture and
Tourism and sits on the State Historic Preservation Council.
A list of Brian's papers and talks can be found at
Brian Jones Info.
On July 4, 2019, Dr. Jones passed away unexpectedly. Newspaper articles regarding his passing can be found
int the Newspaper Articles page of this website. His obituary can be
found here.
A message from Scott Brady, FOSA President:
Inquiries have been made about honoring Brian's memory.
The best way to honor Brian is to perform a random act of kindness. Brian was an exceptionally kind and
giving individual and always did for others. In his professional capacity he did this with OSA programming for
underprivileged inner-city youth, his veterans field school and other activities. In his life he did this as
naturally as breathing, in a hundred small gestures.
For those that would like to make a memorial donation, there are two suggested options:
> Brian had identified the American Indian College Fund, at
https://collegefund.org/howtohelp/ as a charity of choice.
> The family has also set up the "Brian Jones Family Educational Fund" c/o Liberty Bank, 64 Oak Street,
Glastonbury, CT 06033 to support educational expenses for his children, Tristan and Fiona. Donations may be
mailed, dropped off at a Liberty Bank branch, or made via Paypal to
jonesokeefe@gmail.com.
Emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist: Nicholas F. Bellantoni, PhD
Dr. Nicholas F. Bellantoni is emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist and an associate research professor
in the Department of Anthropology in the University of Connecticut. He served as the state archaeologist with
the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Archaeology Center in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
at the University of Connecticut. He earned his BA in Anthropology at the Central Connecticut State University
and his MA in Anthropology at University of Connecticut. He received his doctorate in Anthropology from UConn in
1987 and was shortly thereafter appointed state archaeologist. He retired from that position in 2014, being
replaced by Dr. Brian D. Jones.
Nick is the co-author of "In Remembrance: Archaeology and Death" and has also contributed to journals such
as the Journal of Forensic Science, Journal of Archaeological Science and to the American Journal of Physical
Anthropology. He most recently has authored "The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry 'Opukaha'ia and
Albert Afraid of Hawk."
His duties included the preservation of archaeological sites in the state. He served as an Adjunct
Associate Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UConn, as well as a State Commissioner for
the Commission on Culture and Tourism and sat on the State Historic Preservation Council. At his retirement,
he was President of the National Association of State Archeologists. He has also assisted state and local police
departments with investigations involving the discoveries of unmarked graves and homicides. He assisted the New
Haven Police Department when human skeletal remains were found during construction at Yale-New Haven Hospital
and on the New Haven Green when Superstorm Sandy toppled the Lincoln Oak.
In addition, he participated in an extensive series of talks around the state, on subjects ranging from the
archaeological history of Native American tribes for the past several thousand years, forensic archaeology, even
garden archaeology; as well as field trips to various archaeological and geologic sites of interest. An engaging
and popular speaker, he expects to continue to give talks (on a reduced schedule!) for the forseeable future; and
they will be included on this web site's Upcoming Events page.
His research background includes the analysis of skeletal remains from eastern North America. He has been
excavating in Connecticut for over 30 years.
To read an interview given by Dr. Bellantoni for the May, 2012 issue of Connecticut Magazine, which touches on
his personal background, current responsibilities, and items of interest (archaeology vs Indiana Jones, his History Channel
"Hitler's skull" trip and investigation, archaeology and forensic investigations, and "vampire" remains uncovered in Jewett
City, among other items), please click
Connecticut Magazine article.
To view an interview by Ann Nyberg of Channel 8 TV with Dr. Bellantoni in November, 2012, please click:
Ann Nyberg Interview.
Note: A high-speed internet connection is recommended.
Further, to view an interview of Nick in "UConn Today" about some of the highlights of his career, please
click:
UConn Today Interview.
Lastly, to read an interview with Nick by former FOSA President Mandy Ranslow, as a blog post on the Society of
Historical Archaeology website, please click
SHA_Blog_Interview.
Former FOSA President Mandy Ranslow
In late 2018, former FOSA President Mandy Ranslow announced that she had accepted a position at the
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (https://www.achp.gov), covering
transportation projects, which will involve a relocation to Washington, DC. This has required her resignation
from the FOSA Board.
Mandy joined FOSA in 1997, and served the organization in a variety of capacities. She became FOSA President
in 2014 and retained that position until turning the gavel over to Scott Brady in 2018. Mandy was very active in
the archaeological community, as the following sampling will illustrate:
> In 2017, the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation announced that Mandy had been selected to receive
the 2017 Mimi Findlay Award for young preservationists, this while she was also serving as an archaeologist for
the Connecticut Department of Transportation. For additional information on the award ceremony go to
http://cttrust.org/,
or click
here for details from the Trust's Facebook page.
> There is also an article in the November 2013 blog post by the Society for Historical Archaeology's Public
Education and Interpretation Committee by FOSA Board member Mandy Ranslow, on the work FOSA does to help the OSA.
The post has been incorporated into the Reprints section of this website, and can be accessed by clicking
SHA Blog.
> Lastly, Mandy is featured in an episode on the Archaeology Podcast Network, in which she describes FOSA and
the many ways it helps the State Archaeologist do his job, both doing field excavation and lab work, as well as
the types of training available to FOSA members. This podcast can be found by clicking the 
icon in the place where the "Avocational Archaeology -
Episode 15" interview is described to begin the download and playing.
The FOSA Board of Directors and all members of FOSA itself who have been priviliged to know and work with her
wish Mandy well in her new endeavor!
FOSA Membership Demographics
Have you ever wondered how many people are members of FOSA, and how they're distributed across this state?
(Of course you have!) FOSA Board members Jim Hall and Mike Raber have prepared a
state map showing our membership demographics by town.
The result, which is current as of May 27, 2021, can be accessed by clicking the map
icon to the right.
Find A Town
In case you're one of those people who knows the names of many Connecticut's towns but has no idea where
they are on a map of the state (say, for an excavation, presentation or meeting), we suggest you use the
following method to quickly determine where it is...
> Find the Town name on the listing below, and note the 2-character code to its right.
> Scroll down to the map below the listing and use the code as a grid-locator to find the general location
of the town.
| If you're trying to locate a place which isn't on the list (say, Moosup), it's probably a village within a Town. To verify, open a Google session and input selection criteria Which CT town is Moosup in? to quickly find out. (It's in Plainfield.) |
Smiles at the Memories
Over the years, FOSA members have contributed significant amounts of time, energy and money to help the State
Archaeologists do their job in a professional manner. Which doesn't mean that we're an all-work/no play
organization (though some might suspect otherwise). When the subject of "zany photographs" came up, FOSA
President Scott Brady opined that, "I like it we can be a serious organization and still have fun." Click
here to see a sampling of these. Which will certainly be added to
as time goes on.