CNEHA Annual Meeting 2024
October 17-20, 2024
New Haven, Connecticut
Contested Landscapes
New Haven, Connecticut
The Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology 2024 annual meeting will be hosted by the Connecticut Chapter on October 17-20, at the Omni hotel in New Haven, Connecticut. This year's theme Contested Landscapes reflects the historical processes that have shaped the modern city of New Haven.
Ancestral homelands of the Quinnipiac, New Haven was settled as a Puritan colony in the 17th-century and became one of the first planned cities in America. As a colonial settlement, New Haven developed into a vital New England port city and center of education, invention, and industry, but remained a contested landscape. The city was occupied by British troops during the Revolutionary War, enmeshed in the anti-slavery movement with the 1839 Amistad trial, and was home to 19th- and 20th -century immigration and labor struggles. In more recent times, New Haven has been a battleground for new and competing visions of urban space and identity, as the city's different communities grapple with New Haven’s history to create and shape new places.
Call for Papers
In this spirit, The CNEHA 2024 Conference invites sessions, papers, and posters that explore notions of landscape across the Northeast, and which address the myriad perspectives and innovative methods that archaeologists employ to understand the complexities of landscapes as active physical and cultural spaces. Topics could include:
- The ways people shape landscapes and are shaped by them.
- The intersection of landscape and memory, or landscape and identity.
- The ways contemporary landscapes embody or obscure histories.
- Environmental agency – ecological responses to cultural change and vice versa.
- Innovative use of archaeological methods to study landscapes – remote sensing (GPR, magnetometry, LiDAR, etc.); environmental archaeology – faunal, botanical, pollen, phytoliths, DNA, isotopes, etc.
- Landscapes of inequality (i.e., highways, redlining, reservations, company towns, plantations, colonial settlements, etc.).
Organized paper sessions, panel discussions, individual papers, and posters on these themes and subjects, as well as all other aspects of historical archaeology in the Northeast, are welcome. Organized session or panel discussion proposals of no more than 250 words should describe the theme of the session and the anticipated number of paper/panelists. Paper abstracts should be no more than 150 words and clearly describe the purpose of the research, the significance of the work, and a summary of the results. Papers are limited to 20 minutes and will be followed by a short Q&A period at the conclusion of each session. All organized session/panel discussion must be submitted by July 19, 2024 and all paper/poster abstracts must be submitted by August 23rd, 2024.
Submit Session, Paper, or Poster Proposals to: Sarah.sportman@uconn.edu
All lead authors(s) must be current members of CNEHA and must register for the conference (conference registration will open in May of 2024). Session/panel abstracts and paper/poster abstracts can be emailed to Sarah Sportman at sarah.sportman@uconn.edu.
a. Student Paper Competion
- Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to participate in the student paper competition. Simply check the box to participate on your abstract submission form.
- The winner of the competition will receive a certificate, a cash prize, and be encouraged to publish their research in Northeast Historical Archaeology.
- Participants must be registered members of CNEHA and must be presenting a single-authored paper at the conference in-person. Student papers must be written and submitted by September 27th to njbrighton@yahoo.com.
- Papers should be 8-10 pages, double-spaced, excluding tables, illustrations, or references. References should be included separately. The text submitted must be the same as what is presented at the conference.
- Students will be judged on the quality of their research, lucidity of their writing, confidence in presentation, and on visual aids like an accompanying powerpoint.
- All student papers will be presented on Saturday. Student papers may or may not be submitted as part of organized sessions. Students who have previously won first-prize in the competition are not allowed to compete again. Those who did not win or received an honorable mention may compete again.
- Students presenting posters are not eligible to participate.
b. Student Travel Awards
- New this year! CNEHA is providing up to 8 student travel awards of $250 to help offset the costs of attendance for undergraduate and graduate students. Simply check the box to participate on your abstract submission form.
- Any student who is traveling to the conference and presenting a paper or poster is eligible to apply. Students do not need to be single-authors or first-authors. Your abstract will serve as the application.
- The awards will be competitive if more than 8 students apply. You will be contacted in September with whether or not you have been awarded a student travel award.
Travel Information
Traveling Via Air: The closest major airport to New Haven is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT. The airport is approximately one hour's drive from New Haven, and those flying to the conference would need to rent a vehicle and drive from the airport to the Omni (see the information on traveling by car below).
There is a regional airport in New Haven that has flights from a relatively wide range of places on the East Coast. It would require a taxi or uber ride to get to the conference venue.
Traveling Via Train: New Haven is along Amtrak’s railroad line through Connecticut. For those traveling to the conference by passenger train, the closest Amtrak station to the Omni is the State Street Station, which is approximately a five-minute ride or ten-minute walk away.
Traveling Via Car: Interstate 91 and Interstate 95 converge at New Haven and provide the best paths to the conference for those traveling by car. Those traveling from Hartford, CT, and points north (including from Bradley International Airport) should take Interstate 91 south to Exit 3 for Trumbull Street. From the exit, it is an approximately five-minute drive to the Omni. Those traveling from the east/northeast and from the west should take Interstate 95 to Exit 47 for MLK Boulevard/Downtown New Haven. This exit is also approximately five minutes away from the Omni.
Hotel Reservation Link
Make Reservations at the Omni Hotel, New Haven
SOCIAL EVENTS
All events except Professional Speed Dating are on Friday, October 18th
Friday Evening Reception
Join us at the New Haven Museum for a cocktail reception and hors’ d'oeuvres on Friday, October 18th - 5:00 - 8:00 pm. Ticket price includes food, two drink tickets (plus a cash bar for additional drinks), and access to the galleries of the New Haven Museum! Located at 114 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06510 (~15 minute walk from the Omni, limited on-site parking, street parking available).
Saturday Evening Dinner
Join us at legendary New Haven institution Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana for dinner and drinks on Saturday, October 19th - 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The reception will be held at “The Spot,” home to the original Pepe’s pizza oven, now 99 years old! Ticket price includes pizza, salad, drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and pastries provided by Lucibello’s. Max event capacity: 75 participants. Located at 157 Wooster Street, New Haven, CT, 06511 (~15 minute walk from the Omni, street parking available).
Sunday Morning Breakfast, Raffle, and Business Meeting
Join us Sunday for a free catered breakfast at the Omni Hotel. The breakfast will include the annual CNEHA business meeting and the world-famous conference raffle. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase throughout the conference.
Book Room
The CNEHA book room will be open Friday through Sunday at the Omni. Stop by to pick up back issues of the journal, purchase posters from the Telling Time series, or to peruse the book sales. If you are interested in renting a table space at the conference, please contact us at cneha2024ct@gmail.com.
TOUR, WORKSHOP, AND EVENT DESCRIPTIONS
Bones of New Haven
Led by: Dr. Nick Bellantoni (Connecticut Office of State Archaeology)
Join Dr. Nick Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archaeologist Emeritus, as he discusses his work on funerary archaeology and osteological analysis in New Haven. Topics include (among others) the excavation and analyses of sets of remains uncovered on New Haven Green during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the historic significance of the Grove Street Cemetery, and how interpretations of funerary practice shed light on Connecticut’s history. The morning session will take place at Grove Street Cemetery and an afternoon session will take place on the New Haven Green and at Center Church. All locations are within walking distance of the Omni. Attendees may attend one session or both.
Tour of Long Wharf
Led by: Dr. Bruce Clouette (Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc.)
Join historian, architectural historian, and industrial archaeologist Dr. Bruce Clouette in a walk along New Haven’s historic (and very, very modern!) harbor. Topics of discussion will include the development of industrial New Haven’s shoreline, with a particular eye to the contributions of William Lanson, a free black engineer and pillar of New Haven’s 19th century black community, who spearheaded the 1810-1812 extension of Long Wharf as well as the construction of the southern stretches of the Farmington Canal. The morning session will begin at the Omni Hotel with a group walk to Long Wharf.
Practical Applications of Macrobotanical Analysis for Beginners
Led by: Katharine Reinhart (Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc.) Linda Seminario (Heritage Consultants, LLC.)
Macrobotanical assemblages offer a wealth of archaeological information. Seeds, nuts, and other plant remains help researchers to determine when a site was occupied, how our past peoples interacted with their environment, and even inform us on how they related to others on the landscape or identified themselves. This workshop is meant for students and professionals who are interested in gaining a better understanding of how to apply macrobotanical analysis at historic sites.
This workshop will cover practical sampling strategies, macrobotanical analysis and data manipulation methodologies, and applications of primary document research during the interpretation of macrobotanical assemblages. Attendees of this workshop will also be offered the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the identification of plant taxa commonly recovered in the northeast, sample sorting, the utilization of seed identification resources, and basic assemblage interpretation. Participants will be given an informational packet including information on methodology, data interpretation, macrobotanical identification resources, and botanically-focused primary document research. There will be two sessions, please select only one or select no preference.
Yale Peabody Museum Tours
The Yale Peabody Museum, one of America’s oldest and most storied natural history museums, recently completed a four-year renovation project, with the result of a 50% increase in gallery space, updated interpretations and exhibitions on topics ranging from regional ecology to Assyriology, and a renewed commitment to/focus on community engagement and public access. Join Yale Peabody staff and/or Yale Anthropology students/faculty for a tour of the new “digs” and a discussion of the changing museum landscape. The tour begins at the Yale Peabody within walking distance of the Omni, though the exhibits are open all day long.
Tour of the Henry Whitfield State Museum
Led by: Dr. William Farley (Southern Connecticut State University)
The Henry Whitfield State Museum consists of the Henry Whitfield House and surrounding grounds, located in Guilford, Connecticut. The earliest sections of the Whitfield House date back to 1639, making it the oldest extant Euro-American house in Connecticut. Purchased by the state in 1900 and formally opened as a museum in 1904, the past 120 years of the site’s development shed light on evolving practices in museum curation and interpretation. Archaeology has been conducted on the property since at least the 1960s, with excavations performed by avocationals, museum staff, Connecticut College, Yale University, and, since 2018, Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU).
The results of these excavations, particularly those conducted by SCSU, have been incorporated into current museum interpretations and exhibitions which shed light on occupations as recent as the 20th century and as distant as 4000 BP. Furthermore, the archaeological field school has proved a welcome model for public archaeology in a museum setting and placed many students into careers within the world of archaeology. The HWSM is an approximately 20 minute drive from the Omni or is accessible by train. Dr. Farley will reach out to attendees before the conference to help facilitate carpools.
Ground Penetrating Radar Workshop
Led by: Dr. David Leslie (TerraSearch Geophysical, LLC; Heritage Consultants, LLC)
This workshop will provide archaeologists with a hands-on experience of collecting and processing ground penetrating radar data. The workshop is intended for individuals who are interested in GPR applications to archaeological sites. We will survey the New Haven Green (weather permitting), portions of which preserve early historical period burials, 17th to 18th century, and later 18th and 19th century building foundations. The GPR survey will be conducted using several 350 MHz GSSI "Utility Scan" antennas, and an emphasis will be placed on survey parameters (i.e. transect spacing, direction of data collection, algorithmic techniques for data display), so that participants understand the choices faced by a GPR analyst when surveying a site.
Following the GPR data collection on the Green, we will travel back to the Omni Hotel, where lunch will be provided. After lunch, we will process and analyze the datasets collected, as well as several other GPR datasets, to provide participants with a wide view of the capabilities of GPR when combined with archaeological projects. Participants will be required to bring a fully charged laptop with a demo copy of RADAN software, and pre-download several data sets for the analysis portion of the workshop. Software and data will be provided one week before the workshop. The workshop runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM - 2.5 hours of fieldwork, 1/2 hour travel time between hotel and site, and back, 1/2 hour for lunch (12:30 to 1:00 PM), and 2.5 hours of data processing
Professional “Speed-Dating” (Saturday, October 19th)
Led by: A group of professional archaeologists in academia, cultural resource management, museum, and government positions.
For any students or early career professionals looking to explore career paths in the field of archaeology, this workshop will put you in contact with established archaeologists from a range of different sectors to get a variety of perspectives on what a career in archaeology can look like. It will also provide you a great opportunity to practice networking and get any of your questions answered about life as an archaeologist! The event is free to all. If you are a professional working in any archaeology industry and would like to volunteer to mentor, please sign up.
LENGTH: 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM - hosted at the Omni.
DONATE
The fundraising committee for the 2024 annual conference for the Council for Northeastern Historical Archaeology (CNEHA) is aiming to raise funds to support this year's conference as well as to continue to support the various outreach and scholarship conducted by the organization. We aim to encourage and advance the collection, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge derived from the practice of archaeology on historic sites within the Northeastern region. This year we aim to reach a target of 8,000 to 10,000 dollars.
Donations will be used to offset conference costs by providing funding needed to host networking events, professional workshops, reduced entrance fees for student attendees, as well as scholarship funds and other forms of community outreach and engagement. Any contribution would be an invaluable benefit to our organization and would help us achieve our goal.
Depending on the donation amount, donors will receive all or a combination of the following: free raffle tickets, listing in the conference business directory, ad space in the conference program, special edition T-Shirts, the option to have a table in the book room, and tickets to the Friday evening event. Please see/click on the link below to see the donation tiers, though a donation of any amount is appreciated. Donations can be made on PayPal through the link below or via check payable to CNEHA.
We thank you in advance for your contribution.
Make a donation via PayPal on the CNEHA conference sponsor link: Donate to Support CNEHA
Or return form and mail check payable to “CNEHA” to:
Southern Connecticut State University
℅ William Farley, Department of Anthropology, Engleman C027
501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515