Tuesday Sep 30, 2014
September 30, 2014, 6:30pm Historic Indian Agency House FREE. Speaker TBA. Check www.agencyhouse.org for updated information.
Director Destinee Udelhoven (608) 742 - 6362
The final installment of the Historic Indian Agency House 2014 Summer Speaker Series will take place Tuesday, September 30 at 6:30pm. At this time, Dr. Michael O. Hartley will reflect on the significance of archaeology as a research tool, and how it contributes to the understanding of a specific site and its relationship to broader contexts.
Dr. Hartley, a Native of South Carolina, holds both a Masters and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the longtime Director of Archaeology at Old Salem Museums & Gardens, a living history museum and research center complex centered on an 18th century religious community in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For three decades he and his wife Martha, a Preservation Planner, have worked with the archaeology, history and preservation of this Moravian community in Winston-Salem and others in Forsyth County, North Carolina—a research focus that extends from 1753 to the present.
Dr. Hartley's September 30th presentation will discuss how, over the course of his 43 year career as a historical archaeologist, his understanding of archaeology has broadened beyond the Carolinas to an awareness of its applicability to the study of settlement and human occupation throughout North America.
Although his formal training is in anthropology and archaeology, he uses a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding history. This research methodology is the result of substantial thought about archaeology and its application to research. In particular, he is concerned about how the research bears on both the past and the present, and what useful insights it provides for today's world.
The Historic Indian Agency House, situated on the ancestral homelands of the Ho-Chunk people and later occupied by fur traders, military personnel, settlers and homesteaders, has significant potential for rich archaeological research and is honored to host Dr. Hartley. Dr. Hartley is also eager for his visit, noting that he is "excited about the opportunity to visit Portage and to experience and discuss the rich history of the town and the region from the perspective of a historical archaeologist."
The museum and visitor’s center exhibits, always free to the public, will be open 5pm until the lecture begins at 6:30pm. A guided tour of the 1832 Winnebago Indian Agency will be available at 5pm. (Minimal fee applies; free for Supporters members). Complimentary light refreshments will be provided for lecture guests.
This is the fifth annual Summer Speaker Series hosted by the Historic Indian Agency House, with one lecture a month from June to September held on the final Tuesday at 6:30pm. The 2014 series, entitled “Uncovering Wisconsin’s Past: Non-Traditional Research Methods and the Shaping of Our History,” explores the remarkable variety of investigation and study that has molded our understanding of the state we call home—including, of course, archaeology!
In addition, this theme will allow us to highlight the many types of information that the HIAH can use to interpret the multifaceted cultural context of our site and the portage. From historic aerial photographs capturing the changing landscape over time, to Ho-Chunk oral histories about the immediate area, there is a wealth of knowledge available to the discerning researcher that very much exceeds the limitations of the written word.
For the fifth year in a row, this speaker series is free to the public and made largely possible by generous grants from the The Great Circle Foundation Inc. of East Northport and the City of Portage Historic Preservation Commission.
The Historic Indian Agency House hosts a variety of children’s and adult programming throughout the year, including book-your-own Scout workshops! Visit www.agencyhouse.org for a full listing of events, or call 608-742-6362 with any questions.
PICTURE CAPTION: Dr. Michael O. Hartley, Director of Archaeology of North Carolina's 18th century-interpreted Old Salem Museum & Gardens, closes the Historic Indian Agency House 2014 Speaker Series on Tuesday, September 30th at 6:30pm with a discussion of the significance and wide-ranging applicability of archaeology as a tool of historical research.
Date and Time
Location
1490 Agency House Road, Portage, WI
Fees/Admission
Contact Information
Tell a Friend