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SPEAKERS BUREAU
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Alan Leveillee
Ancient Indian Peoples of New England: An Archaeological Perspective
Archaeologists have found evidence of Indian peoples spanning 11,000 years occupying what we now call New England. What do human remains and artifacts tell us about these early residents of North America? What is their relation to present-day Native American tribal groups? Learn about what archaeological sites reveal about life in this region several millennia before the arrival of European colonists.
How do Archaeologists Know How Old Something Is?
What distinguishes one rusty old nail or pottery fragment from the next? How accurate are museum placards identifying ancient objects? This presentation offers an overview of techniques archaeologists use, including radiocarbon dating, to determine the age of artifacts. Audience members are invited to bring items they have found or collected for identification and approximate dating.
Fantastic Archaeology: Stories of Frauds, Fakes, and Facts in New England
Have UFOs, Celts, and Vikings all left their marks on New England? How should we interpret claims that crop circles, mysterious letters on stones, and strange rock arrangements are evidence of such visitations? Hear about how the suspicions and speculations of some New Englanders have entered into local folklore and learn about the tools archaeology and anthropology provide for sorting out fact from fiction.
Alan Leveillee is an anthropologist and archaeologist dedicated to sharing archaeological research with non-specialist audiences. Having worked in cultural resource management for more than 20 years, he currently serves as a principal investigator and Director of Educational Programs at the Public Archaeology Lab, a non-profit consulting firm, and as the Rhode Island statewide network coordinator for the Education Committee of the Society of American Archaeology. He presents papers and publishes regularly and serves on advisory boards of four area museums: the Sydney Wright Museum, the Robbins Museum, the Museum of Primitive Art and Culture, and the Nathum Fisher House.