Michelle Rathgaber will discuss how archeologists use artifacts, soil stains, and other evidence in the ground to help to draw conclusions about how people lived in the past. She will talk about making links between the artifacts and evidence that is found at archeological sites and how those things might have been used by people in the past. In addition to Dr. Mel Zabecki’s program “What’s in an Archeologist’s Bag?” from Day 1, this program will help to introduce some of the concepts and terms that many of the archeologists presenting on Day 2 may use during their programs.

Dr. Michelle Rathgaber (PhD-University of Arkansas 2019, MSc-Bournemouth University 2011, BS-University of Wisconsin 2006) is the Educational Outreach Coordinator at the Arkansas Archeological Survey. She has worked as an archeologist since 2007 and has conducted extensive research on the Mississippian time period in eastern Arkansas, looking at how people responded to large-scale earthquakes through time. She has also taught classes about archeology to elementary, middle, and high school students as well as college classes and classes for the general public. Most recently, she co-directed an archeological curation field school for college students interested in working in archeology and archeological museums.

This presentation will cover the forced removal of Indigenous people from the American Southeast, a process which began immediately after the founding of the United States in the 1780s and which was virtually achieved with the signing into law of the Indian Removal Act by President Andrew Jackson in the 1830s. Rooney will show geographical visual data of treaties signed between the American government and several Indigenous tribes, including the Caddos, Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, Osages, Quapaws, and Seminoles.

Matthew Rooney received a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Florida in 2021 and is one of ten research station archeologists working for the Arkansas Archeological Survey. He has conducted fieldwork in Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas. His research projects tell the stories of Indigenous people and African Americans who lived in the American South, combining archeology with history and cultural anthropology by collaborating with descendant populations. Dr. Rooney is currently the Vice President of Education and President-Elect for Preserve Arkansas, a member of the Board of Trustees for the Arkansas Historical Association, and Associate Editor for the Southeastern Archaeological Conference.

This presentation introduces students to the exciting intersection of archeology and technology. Students will learn how the Arkansas Archeological Survey uses 3D scanning and printing to preserve, study, and share artifacts from sites. The process allows researchers to create detailed replicas of fragile or hard-to-access objects, making archeology more interactive and accessible. This demonstration will explore how these technologies are changing the way we study and understand the past.

Madelyn graduated with her Bachelor’s in Art History and Cultural Anthropology from the University of Arkansas in 2018. She started working at the University of Arkansas Museum as an undergraduate in 2014, where she then transferred to work at the Arkansas Archeological Survey in 2015. Since then, she has worked in various capacities at the Survey, from lab technician to lab lead to Assistant Registrar, where she runs the 3D Technology Lab. She is currently working towards her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences through University of Oklahoma Online, where she is set to graduate Spring 2025.

Curriculum Ties/Objectives

1. Introduce the basics of 3D scanning and printing – Explain how 3D scanning captures detailed images of artifacts and how 3D printing creates replicas from those scans.
2. Demonstrate the application of 3D technology in archeology – Show how archeologists at the Survey use these tools to preserve artifacts and conduct research.
3. Engage students in the technological process – Show students the process in action, with examples of scanned artifacts and printed replicas.
4. Highlight the importance of preserving cultural heritage – Discuss the significance of using technology to document and share artifacts that may otherwise be inaccessible to the public.

Ben Swadley’s presentation will answer these questions: What is flint knapping? Who performed flint knapping and when? What are some of the ancient tools and weapons American Indians made by flint knapping? He will also discuss the basic methods of flint knapping.

Swadley has been a flint knapper since 1980 and has presented flint knapping demonstrations at numerous locations in Arkansas, including Parkin Archeological State Park, Plum Bayou Mounds State Park, the Old State House Museum, and dozens of festivals and guest presenter oportunities. He studies both historic and prehistoric flint knapping methods and artifacts.

Through a historical and archeological perspective, this presentation will compare and contrast the histories and practices of pre-Contact Native American groups. Paige Ford will emphasize cultural relativity, providing basic understanding that though these communities are defined under the umbrella term as “Native American,” they are incredibly diverse with different beliefs and practices, which should be understood in their own contexts. Dr. Ford will use archeological data (i.e., artifacts, features, and more) from cultures like Mississippian peoples, some Plains groups, and Plum Bayou peoples to show how diverse the perspectives and practices of these groups were prior to European contact.

Dr. Paige A. Ford is the Station Archeologist at the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s research station at Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park. Her research focuses around reconstructing the relationships past peoples forged and maintained with one another by looking at how they made and decorated their ceramic vessels. She is passionate about public education, outreach, and advocacy, creating programs that teach the importance of archeology, cultural heritage, and collaboration with descendant communities. At Plum Bayou Mounds, she conducts new research as well as consults and advises state parks onsite preservation and management.

Archeological excavations at Carden Bottoms, an Early Contact period (1600-1700s) farmstead site in the Arkansas River Valley, reveal important information about cultural interaction at a briefly occupied site affected by European contact. In this presentation, students will explore numerous locations, including three house structures and associated trash pits at the Carden Bottoms site. Based on this case study, including pottery and stone tool analysis, students will explore how native groups responded on a multi-level scale to European-made chaos and the resulting forced relocation of native people.

Gillian Steeno works with the Arkansas Archeological Society in the role of Survey Research Assistant and Society/Survey Liaison. Throughout the year, she helps coordinate and plan the Society’s major outreach events, including the Training Program, the Annual Meeting, and Archeology Month. This role allows her to participate in public outreach and communicate archeological information and its significance to Arkansans. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi (B.A., 2021) and the University of Arkansas, receiving her master’s degree in Anthropology in Summer 2023. Her graduate level research focused on Contact period archeology in Arkansas, specifically in the Arkansas River Valley. She looked at domestic, or household assemblages, to gain a better understanding of ancestral ceramic traditions, reciprocity, and shared architectural knowledge within the context of Spanish colonial occupation.

Plants have always been an important part of all aspects of daily life. This talk will discuss the plants native to Arkansas that Indigenous people gathered and gardened, ate and used. We will also discuss how archeologists know about these plants.

Emily Beahm is the Station Archeologist at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute Research Station. She is a native of Tennessee and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. At her station on beautiful Petit Jean Mountain, she cultivates the WRI Teaching Garden, hosts the Project Dig program for 5th and 6th graders, documents rock art sites using a variety of methods including photogrammetry and LIDAR, and carries out other research projects. She co-authored the Survey’s Gathering, Gardening, & Agriculture: Plant-based Foodways in the Southeastern United States, A Fifth Grade Social Science Curriculum, and designed the associated website.

The Parkin site is a large, well-preserved Late Mississippian and Early Contact period (AD 1300-1600/1650) site on the east bank of the St. Francis River in Cross County, Arkansas. It is a 17-acre village area surrounded on three sides by a wide moat or ditch. A platform mound is located on the west edge of the village immediately adjacent to the St. Francis River. The site is believed to be the Indian village of Casqui visited by the military expedition of Hernando de Soto in 1541. It is the only site in Arkansas where Spanish expeditionary period artifacts have been recovered through controlled scientific excavations by archeologists. Because of its importance for understanding Native American history and prehistory in northeast Arkansas, the “Parkin Indian Mound Site” was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. Today, the Parkin site is located entirely with the boundaries of Parkin Archeological State Park (PASP).

This presentation will consist of a 15 minute pre-recorded walking tour of the Parkin archeological site. Dr. Scott will show students where archeologists have dug within the site, explain why they chose to dig in those locations, and summarize what was found and learned from those excavations.

Robert J. Scott is the research station archeologist at the Parkin Archeological State Park research station of the Arkansas Archeological Survey. Robert (Bob) received his B.A. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2000), his M.A. from the University of Alabama (2004), and his PhD from
Southern Illinois University Carbondale (2018). He worked previously for the Illinois State Museum, the Center for Archaeological Investigations at SIUC, and Panamerican Consultants, Inc (Tuscaloosa). Between 2004 and 2007, he worked as the station assistant at the Survey’s UAM research
station, and served in the same capacity at the ASU research station from 2010 to 2013 and at UAPB from 2010 to 2023. He has conducted archeological excavations in Illinois, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas and has extensive experience in the laboratory analysis of Native American ceramics, lithics, and faunal remains from sites across east Arkansas. His research interests include the Late Prehistoric and Early Contact periods in the Lower Mississippi Valley, the archeology of colonial era Native Americans, the Late Woodland to Mississippian transition in northeast Arkansas, diaspora and Cahokia’s influence on regional communities in eastern and southeastern Arkansas, and applied zooarchaeology (mollusks).

Hunting has always been a crucial part of human survival, and understanding the techniques and tools used provides fascinating insights into the past. This talk will delve into the various hunting methods and technologies employed by indigenous peoples in Arkansas, showcasing how these practices were adapted to the local environment and the available game.

This presentation will explore a range of hunting tools, from simple spears and bows to innovative nets and snares, in this discussion about how these inventions reflect the ingenuity of past communities. By examining archaeological findings from Arkansas, evidence can be unconvered of how early inhabitants interacted with their surroundings and developed strategies for food acquisition.

In addition, this presentation will complement talks on on native plants and flint knapping, creating a comprehensive view of how ancient people gathered food in Arkansas. Attendees will learn about the social aspects of hunting, including the teamwork involved in these activities and the passing down of skills and knowledge through generations.

By sharing these insights, this presentation aims to foster a deeper appreciation for the rich history of hunting in Arkansas and its significance in shaping the lifestyles of early inhabitants. Join in for an engaging discussion that highlights the connections between the past and present, revealing how the practices of hunting continue to influence our understanding of food and community today.

Joshua J. Lynch, Ph.D. received his doctorate from the Center for the Study of the First Americans, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University in December 2020. His research represents a decade of experimental, use-wear, and field-based investigations of Late Pleistocene projectile technology across North America. Prior to his current academic role, he gained extensive field experience in cultural resource management with the Center for the Environmental Management of Military Lands at Colorado State University, where he worked in the subarctic environment of Fairbanks, Alaska for several years.

Presently, he is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Heritage and Culture at Arkansas Tech University. He mentors students in both practical and analytical skills essential for archaeology and cultural resource management, with a focus on microscopic use-wear analysis, 3D scanning, lithic analysis, and archeology on public lands. He has served as a Board Member for the Alaska Anthropological Association and contributes to multiple regional and professional initiatives that advance public archaeology, cultural preservation, and the integration of geospatial technologies in archeological research.

Nathan Odom will present on the Hernando de Soto expedition, its goals and impacts, and its technology.

Odom is the Superintendent of Parkin Archeological State Park, with a Bachelors in History and a Masters of Teaching from Southern Arkansas University. He has worked with Arkansas State Parks for five years.

Cherokees are not typically the first tribe that comes to mind when referring to tribes historically in Arkansas. They, however, began moving into Arkansas in the 1700s. We will look at the reasons Cherokees moved to Arkansas before removal, what prompted their move to other areas of Arkansas, and the issues that led to the Trail of Tears; their removal through Arkansas.

Sasha is a Park Interpreter II for the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville. Lake Dardanelle State Park is a registered Trail of Tears site. Sasha is a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the Past President of the Arkansas Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association. She spends much of her time sharing Cherokee history as well as the history of the area with local schools, civic groups, and park visitors.

Students will discover how the creation of the initial point at Louisiana Purchase State Park was a watershed moment in Arkansas history and had roots going back in the 1700s. Its creation carved the landscape into lines and squares that formed the basis for property ownership that exists today and displaced American Indians that previously lived on these lands, permanently changing the relationship they had with European nations and the United States.

Ryan is a park interpreter at Delta Heritage Trail State Park and Louisiana Purchase State Park. His education background is in forestry from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He has been with Arkansas State Parks for over 10 years, first at Parkin Archeological State Park and later Delta Heritage Trail State Park and Louisiana Purchase State Park.