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- Fort San Juan-Joara receives DAR award
- Wall Center Opens
- 2009 Field School
- Fort San Juan & Berry Site Recognized with Historical Marker
Exploring Joara Foundation Welcomes Caroline Ketron, Executive Archaeologist
The Exploring Joara Foundation welcomes Caroline Ketron BA, MA as Executive Archeologist.
Caroline was a student in the 2001 Berry site field school. Ironically, she was too late to register for the ASU field school that spring and her professor recommended that she sign up for the Warren Wilson field school. Following her stellar performance that summer, Dave Moore hired Caroline as a field school crew member for 2002 and 2003.
Later, after working all over Alaska and the western United States as well as the Topper site in South Carolina, Caroline re-joined the Berry site crew for the NSF-funded excavation of the burned Fort San Juan buildings in 2007 and 2008.
“Rob, Chris, and I are excited and proud to have Caroline become the EJF Executive Archaeologist. I know that many more folks will enjoy working with Caroline through new volunteer opportunities with EJF. The EJF volunteer program will become an important new component of our project,“ said Senior Archaeologist, David Moore.
Fort San Juan-Joara project receives NationalHistory Award
We are pleased to announce that the Fort San Juan / Joara project has been recognized with a National History Award from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), for “significantly advancing the understanding of America’s past and offering unique insights into the beginnings of European colonialism and Spain’s early presence in America.” We also wish to acknowledge the enthusiasm and effort put forth by Marcia S. Copper, Regent of the John Hoyle Chapter of the DAR in Hickory, who nominated the project. David Moore will accept the award on behalf of Robin Beck and Chris Rodning on April 10, 2010, at the Annual Meeting of the North Carolina Society, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Wall Center Opens
By Rachel Ammons
In 2009, the Exploring Joara Foundation took a gigantic stride towards our goal of creating one of the nations best public archaeology programs. We opened the Carl and Linda Wall Center for Archaeological Research in Morganton, North Carolina to provide a permanent base for archaeology operations including artifact displays, laboratories, students, and dormitory space for volunteers.
After many months of anticipation and hard work, the Open House for the Wall Center for Archaeological Research was held in Morganton, NC on Saturday, September 12, 2009.
In the spring of 2008, I attended a gathering there to kick off the establishment of Exploring Joara Foundation and to showcase the building that had been purchased with funds donated by Carl and Linda Wall. After that visit, meeting the board members, and hearing their plans and dreams, I knew I wanted to be involved. I watched the work to transform the Wall Center from an out-of-date office building to a home for a regional archaeology center. It became an office, a laboratory, and a dormitory for visiting archaeologists and summer students. The community embraced our work, and most of the furnishings were donated.
The Open House was well attended by Joara Foundation members and many interested citizens and community leaders. Dr. Alfred Hamer, Mayor Pro tem, Dr. David Moore, Sr. Archaeologist, Linda Wall, Board Member and Ron Martin, Board Chairperson participated in the ribbon cutting.
Exploring Joara would like to thank each person who attended the Open House, who helped with renovations, and who contributed funds or materials for the Wall Center. Each of you has made the dream a reality.
2009 FIELD SCHOOL
After two summers of major excavations at the Berry site (Joara and Fort San Juan), and field schools supported by the National Science Foundation, we expected the 2009 summer field school to be relatively low-key. Indeed, instead of a crew of more than 20 archaeologists and over 60 field school participants (2007 and 2008), the 2009 field school was smaller – a crew of 6 and about 35 field school participants. So – smaller – yes; low-key – absolutely not.
Field School participants included Warren Wilson College and Western Piedmont Community College students as well as other folks from around North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Illinois. In addition, 8 students from Morganton Day School took part in an experimental program to develop a regular field school opportunity for younger students. The Exploring Joara Foundation will continue to develop this program for 2010 and the future.
Following the completion of the regular field school schedule, the field school hosted another unique program; the Duke University Talent Identification Program in a course entitled: Anthropology and Archaeology: Peru and North Carolina. Sixteen gifted 11th grade students from North Carolina and around the country spent one week learning about archaeology at the Berry site before being led by David Moore and Emma Richardson to Peru for 8 days of immersion in Inca culture and history.
Finally, members of the field school crew began important new research on Henry and Penina Ramseur’s farm on Bost Road and continued work at the Catawba Meadows Recreation Center. Details of this work will appear in the future.
Fort San Juan recognized with highway historical marker
Fort San Juan and the Berry site are now recognized by a new North Carolina Highway Historical Marker located at the intersection of Hwy 181 and Bost Road in Morganton, NC.
The marker was presented to the Exploring Joara Foundation at a reception at the McDowell House on August 15 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. NDDOT installed the sign.
Help the Exploring Joara Foundation Unearth the Forgotten Past.