Learn about local history and other engaging topics at the Lucketts Community Center First Friday Lecture Series. The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation, Inc. and Dr. David T. Clark will be participating in the in the Lucketts Community Centers, First Friday Lecture Series, on Friday the fourth of September at 7:30pm. Dr. David T. Clark will be lecturing on Archeology and Historic Documents.

For more information please contact the Lucketts Community Center at:
42361 Lucketts Road. 
Leesburg, VA. 20176
703-771-5281.

When I founded the Loudoun Archaeological Foundation, Inc. (LAF) in January of 2007, I had a number of specific goals in mind, among which were:

1.      Conducting year round archaeological research/investigations as a means of educating the public regarding local cultural resources.

2.      Expanding the current list/inventory of . . . archaeological sites in Loudoun County.  

3.      Tailoring [our] archaeological education programs to the “whole community” (all ages, sectors in the community): from the public/private school systems to senior groups.

4.      Acquiring, if appropriate, various certain endangered historic/prehistoric structures/properties in Loudoun County for archaeological education/preservation purposes.

5.      Working cooperatively with Virginia state and local government historic preservation agencies and local business and preservation groups.

These goals were based on my concerns over the negative impact of current fast-paced urban development on heritage resources and a rapidly growing community’s unfamiliarity with its rich, diverse culture history. I believed then, as I do now, that community-service (free) archaeological research/educational programs were the key to the LAF’s mission and that its primary purpose was to first promote the community’s appreciation and understanding of its historic/prehistoric heritage while raising awareness of its endangerment. Needless to say, I am pleased that we have already achieved most of these goals in just over two years.

However, there was another unstated goal that I also hoped to achieve:  that through LAF’s public education efforts, we could encourage (and assist) some students participating in our programs to pursue archaeology and preservation as a career choice.

The recent decision by Katy Catlin to pursue graduate work in archaeology after nearly three years of participating in LAF’s archaeological public education programs and the associated academic programs at the Loudoun Campus of the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), represents the fruition of that previously unstated, but important, goal. And I am so pleased that we were able to assist her with a small, but helpful, stipend as our first LAF Scholarship Award. I hope that other LAF and NVCC students will make similar choices and LAF might provide future financial assistance.

                                                                                                            David T. Clark, PhD.

                                                                                                        Executive Director, LAF

The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation, Inc. (LAF) had the pleasure of participating in the 37^th Annual Lucketts Fair in Lucketts, Virginia on August 22 -23, 2009 (Saturday and Sunday). Although Saturday was marred by mud and humidity left from Friday rainfalls and another rainfall on Saturday afternoon, 1,102 individuals visited our exhibit booth and participated in a number of interactive and passive exhibits. Approximately two-thirds of our visitors were pre-school and elementary school-aged children.

We were particularly honored by the presence of one entirely unexpected but most welcome visitor: William “Jack” Hranicky. Jack Hranicky is nationally-renowned for his work on the typology and nomenclature of North American Eastern-Woodland Indian projectile points and author of numerous books on this interesting subject (all students of Dr. Clarks class in “Northern Virginia Prehistoric Archaeology” are intimately familiar with Jack Hranicky books as they are major resources for student-projects identifying prehistoric artifacts from local collections).

Thanks also to Larry Baker who took some time off from celebrating his 16^th wedding anniversary on Saturday and Sunday to assist in presenting our exhibits and special thanks to Larrys lovely wife for sharing her special occasion with us.

The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation will conduct a public archaeology program at the annual Lucketts Fair celebration on August 22-23. It will be a fun, exciting, and educational event for all ages. This program will introduce ancient technology of Native Americans and how archaeologists discover secrets about ancient people. There will be artifacts that archaeologists have found at Prehistoric and Civil War sites. There will be several hands on activities for children and adults. Please check The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation’s website and The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation’s Facebook page for future activities for children this summer. Thank you.

News Release

July 6, 2009

Ashburn’s Katy Catlin Receives Loudoun Archaeological Foundation/Dominion Foundation 2009 Graduate Study Stipend

Dr. David T. Clark, Executive Director of the Loudoun Archaeological Foundation, Inc., (LAF) today announced that Kathryn “Katy” Catlin of Ashburn, Virginia has been awarded the LAF’s first ever graduate study stipend in the amount of $1,000 to aid her in pursuing graduate level work in the fields of anthropology/archaeology. This award was made possible through the generous support of the Dominion Foundation of Richmond, Virginia, which also has provided funding support for the historic preservation activities of the LAF in 2009.

Ms. Catlin has been an active volunteer with the Loudoun Archaeological Foundation since its founding in 2007 and recently completed the Historic Preservation Certificate Program at the Loudoun Campus of the Northern Virginia Community College. Katie will be attending the University of Massachusetts at Boston, Massachusetts this coming fall; this summer, she is participating in the University of Massachusetts’ archaeological study program in Iceland.

The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation is a non-profit, charitable foundation which promotes the protection, conservation and preservation of Loudoun County’s historic and cultural resources through the use of ethical and professional archaeological research, documentation, reporting, and public education activities.

For additional information please contact:  Dr. David T. Clark at 703-431-1737

 Or Joy Stanton at jestanton1330@yahoo.com

Northern Virginia Community College, Loudoun Campus

Fall 2009 / History 180.

WHAT DO THESE EXCITING HEADLINES HAVE IN COMMON?

• WRITTEN IN BONE: Buried Lives of Jamestown & Colonial Maryland.
• The Civil War 150^th Just Around the Corner: Archaeology and History!
• Korean War Remains returned to USA.
• Americas First Composter: George Washingtons Mount Vernon Dung House.

All these interesting subjects are related to the field of Historical Archaeology: the scientific study of the recent human past using historic records/documents. This class investigates all facets of historical archaeology including research design, fieldwork, artifact analysis, interpretation, use of historic documents and oral history, public education, conservation/preservation and contemporary political issues of archaeological. Students will apply course ideas through interpretive readings, internet research, several interactive projects and field visits. Students will use class information to conduct an archive research project and write pieces of history!

NVCC and the Loudoun Archaeological Foundation

Apply on-line at www.nvcc.edu.(log-on: Admissions)

Classes Start on Aug 24^th

Instructor: David T. Clark, PhD.

Class number: History 180, Room: LW 0116

Time: Thursdays 7:00 -9:45 pm.

The Loudoun Archaeological Foundation and the Claude Moore Historic Park joined forces to present The Archaeology Field Camp Program, July 27-31. The program was all hands-on with artifacts and walks around the park to look at how people used the land in the past. The children worked with historic and prehistoric archaeology in a fun way with all kinds of artifacts, hands-on activities, and games. They kept an Archaeology Journal of all activities. The children had fun drawing what they had seen, and writing creative artifact stories. They investigated stone tool making with an archaeologist. The children had fun with the Atlatl, they made pottery, and played Archaeology games; gameboards, activity sheets, pottery, puzzles. The children took daily archaeology discovery walks, studied skeletons to learn about people; Foodways. They washed artifacts and classify seeds, food, charcoal. Everyone had a lot of fun, children and adults.