The SUNY Oswego Archeology Field School returned over this summer, giving 11 SUNY Oswego students the opportunity to research and explore a historical landmark, the Richardson-Bates house.

The Richardson-Bates house is a 19th century house owned by the Oswego County Historical Society, having been donated to them by the house’s family to showcase Oswego history. The Archeology Field School excavated a trash heap on the property, discovering hundreds of artifacts dating back to the 19th century. 

Students and staff members split up into units to explore the home, finding many historical items. Anthropology major Nerissa Conklin said, “In Unit 2, my dig team and I discovered two small ceramic fragments that we later discovered during our analysis fit together, and created a small scene depicting a sailboat on the water!” 

The teams unearthed around 440 pieces of ceramic, as well as around 164 animal-related items.

An important discovery made by the group was found in the form of an outhouse, dating from before the construction of the main house. The Richardson-Bates house finished construction in 1872, but its history dates even further. A large penny, which stopped being manufactured in 1857, was found in the outhouse.

The group will present their findings on Sept. 24, at 3:00 p.m. in the Oswego Public Library. Anthropology faculty member and Field School leader Alanna Ossa will lead the event.

The Archeology Field School gave students a unique look into the Anthropology profession, and important training for their future careers. 

“Until you can physically dig into the ground and learn how to analyze and organize it, you can’t really know what working in this field is like,” Ossa said. “These students are now trained in excavation, analysis, cataloging and other relevant skill sets.”

The students greatly agree with Ossa, praising the hands-on experience the program gave them. “Since this experience required me to be hands-on, I feel like I grasped more information performing the work than I would have in a classroom setting where I am just sitting and listening,” Maxon Ali, an anthropology major said. 

The Archeology Field School was an important showing of Oswego campus and community relations. The project’s equipment was funded by the Oswego based Shineman Foundation, and the project was able to take place due to its partnership with the Oswego County Historical Society. 

“I think college-community partnerships are very important,” said Ossa. “It’s great that the local community is really interested in their own history.”

The Field School fulfills the six-credit field school requirement asked of students by some Anthropology jobs, and allows the students to find internship opportunities with the Historical Society. “I plan to do an internship with the Oswego County Historical Society this fall,” said anthropology major, Amanda Cali, “Which I don’t think I would have thought to do if it wasn’t for the Field School.”

Campus members hope the project will lead to more campus-community interaction, and in turn provide more opportunities for Oswego students to gain experience in their community.

Photo provided by SUNY Oswego Communications and Marketing