Guests to Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC) Cumming Nature Center’s Family Archaeology Weekend will experience scientific discovery in real time through hands-on, guided excavation of an 18th-century farmhouse foundation. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16.
The family oriented event is designed to build cultural awareness and engage visitors by exploring archaeology as a citizen science – participatory scientific exploration through which the public can actively take part in meaningful research. The Hall Homestead dig site on the Nature Center property is located in what was formerly known as Frost Town, a pioneer logging settlement whose roots can be traced back to 1790.
Shuttles will run throughout the day to take visitors from the Nature Center visitor center to the site, where sifting equipment, excavation grids, and guided activities will be waiting. Participants will visit various stations to experientially learn archaeological disciplines, excavation techniques, and artifact dating. The Nature Center team will also interpret items previously found by students working at the site to uncover stories of the past.
Dr. Alexander Smith, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at The College at Brockport, is working with the Nature Center to study the historic Frost Town property. Dr. Smith studies the persistence of indigenous culture in the face of Carthaginian and Roman colonial interactions in the late first century B.C.E. in the Mediterranean, as well as the social and environmental impacts of 19th-century Euro-American expansion in Western New York.
Event admittance is $25 for families and $10 per person. Children must have adult supervision. Preregistration is recommended at RMSC.org. Families are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the more than five miles of CNC nature trails.
The Cumming Nature Center is a dynamic, 900-acre environmental education facility that celebrates the unique landscape and culture of the Finger Lakes region through experiential learning opportunities and thoughtful exhibits. Educational programming at the Nature Center explores the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. These programs are designed to inspire innovative thinking among participants and provide them with the tools, knowledge and confidence to take action in the face of local, regional and global challenges. The preserve includes six miles of trails and countless opportunities to connect with the outdoors. The Cumming Nature Center is located at 6472 Gulick Road, Naples.
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