Nebraska Archaeology Month has a new home!

The Nebraska Association of Professional Archeologists has created a new website devoted to all things Nebraska Archaeology - nebraskaarchaeology.org! This site will include Nebraska Archaeology Month details and an updated event calendar! While the website is still under construction, there is plenty to start checking out, including confirmed 2015 Archaeology Month events. Please bookmark our new page, and check it regularly for updates on Nebraska Archaeology Month, in addition to all the great Nebraska Archaeology happenings! And be sure to share with your friends so everyone can stay involved!

Planning for 2015 Begins!

On January 28 planning for the 2015 Nebraska Archaeology Month began with a meeting at the Bennett Martin Library in Lincoln. Representatives from the NSHS State Historic Preservation Office, Nebraska National Forest, Nebraska Archaeological Society, Midwest Archeological Center, NSHS Highway Archeology Division, and students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Anthropology Department met to establish priorities for this year.

Much of the meeting was spent reviewing lessons from last year for the new members of the group and brainstorming ideas for ways to build on our successes while correcting our missteps. Members of the Nebraska Association of Professional Archeologists Board let the group know that no new poster would be forthcoming this year. Approximately 700 copies remain of the poster that was unveiled last year. Copies of the poster will continue to be distributed through the 2015 Nebraska Archaeology Month.

 In addition, the committee decided to continue the general theme of Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology! This allows us to continue using the logo designed as part of the poster and allows free rein for events to be scheduled throughout the state without them fitting into a specialized set of topics. The mission statement and goals for the year will be reviewed and addressed at the upcoming meeting, in addition to status updates from committee members on potential events.

Several events for 2015 are already scheduled and we are working on updating the event list. We will once again be applying to the Governor’s Office for an official proclamation of September as Nebraska Archaeology Month. We will also have a table at the annual Nebraska Artifact Show in Seward on August 22. “Nebraska Archaeology” will be the theme of the September “Sunday with a Scientist” program at Nebraska Hall on September 20 and local NSHS archaeologists will be presenting the monthly Brown Bag Lunch lecture on September 17.

The committee is always looking for more members and assistance with planning and presenting events. If you’d like to attend a meeting, our next one will be held on Wednesday, February 18 at 1pm. We will be meeting at the NSHS Highway Archaeology Division’s office at 4851 S. 16th St in Lincoln. 

Remember to check back here or on our Facebook page for the latest on how to Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology Month in 2015!

Nebraska Archaeology Month 2015!!

While this year's Nebraska Archaeology Month won't take place for another eight months or so (but who's counting?), planning is already underway and the Nebraska Archaeology Month 2015 Committee is looking for members! We need interested people who have the time, energy, and enthusiasm to help us match last year's success and exceed it. We need people willing to present on archaeology, people with organizational skills, and people with media/communication skills to tackle various tasks of planning and promoting the events. We are hoping to involve the archaeological community, including professionals, amateurs, and armchair enthusiasts from across the state.

Interested individuals should plan to attend a meeting at the Bennett Martin Public Library Auditorium on Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 1pm CST in Lincoln.

Unable to attend the meeting? If you or your organization would like to get involved with Nebraska Archaeology Month 2015, if you have an idea for an Archaeology Month event, or if you would simply enjoy having an event come to your area, let us know! You can email us at NebraskaArchaeologyMonth@gmail.com or leave us a message on Facebook!

If you are unable to help plan Nebraska Archaeology Month 2015, but would like to stay up to date on archaeology events in your area throughout the year, be sure to "Like" the Nebraska Association of Professional Archeologists and Nebraska Archaeology Month on Facebook!

2014 Nebraska Archaeology Month a Success!

Thanks to everyone who participated in Nebraska Archaeology Month 2014, whether by attending or helping to plan/coordinate events, displaying a Nebraska Archaeology Month poster, or simply by ‘catching the fever’ and following us on Facebook and/or here on our blog! We will be back soon with a new theme, a new poster, and a new set of events for Nebraska Archaeology Month in September 2015! Until then, we’d love to hear from you with your thoughts on any of this year’s events, posters, social media posts, etc! To give us your input, please email us at NebraskaArchaeologyMonth@gmail.com or leave us a message on Facebook!

In the meantime, see below for a recap of this year’s events in photos!

Fossil & Artifact Identification Day - Ashfall Fossil Beds	Fossil & Artifact Identification Day - Ashfall Fossil Beds	Nebraska Archaeological Society's Artifact Show in Seward, NE
Poster Reveal at the NAS Artifact Show in Seward, NE	Presentation at the NAS Artifact Show in Seward, NE	Archaeology Walking Tour at Ft. Atkinson Historic State Park
Archaeology Walking Tour at Fort Atkinson	Archaeology Month Banner at the NSHS	Archaeology Happy Hour
Drawing Winners at Archaeology Happy Hour	Sunday with a Scientist at Morrill Hall in Lincoln	Sunday with a Scientist at Morrill Hall in Lincoln
Sunday with a Scientist at Morrill Hall in Lincoln	Sunday with a Scientist at Morrill Hall in Lincoln	Nebraska Archaeology Month Display at South Sioux City Library

More events at Hudson-Meng!

It's Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology month and we're celebrating all across the state!  Check out this exciting event that's happening tomorrow at the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center.

Tommorow night (Saturday at 5pm) join the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center Rangers for a guided excursion to experience the famous Battle of Warbonnet. Also known as the “First Scalp for Custer,” the Battle of Warbonnet took place after Custer’s defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Buffalo Bill Cody, scout for the Fort Robinson 5th Cavalry, took part in the skirmish, dueling a Cheyenne warrior. This duel later became the basis for Cody’s famous Wild West Show.

Alex Miller, Park Ranger, describes the battle as, “The end of the beginning for the Great Sioux Wars. The Battle of Warbonnet tells of a time of uncertainty. No one knew what was going to happen with the Wars. Everyone was just doing their best to come out on top.”

Hudson-Meng Park Rangers will show the site, recount its history, and will discuss how it was rediscovered after being lost from living memory.

This special two hour multi-media program is free and participants can meet at the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center. The program will begin with a 20-minute introduction to the Battle of Warbonnet at the facility. Visitors will then follow a USDA Forest Service vehicle from the Hudson-Meng Center to Montrose, NE – site of the Battle of Warbonnet. Participants should be comfortable driving on gravel roads for periods of half an hour. Please wear appropriate foot wear and clothing, as walking through tall grass will occur. Call ahead in case of inclement weather.

If you’re interested in learning about the Battle of Warbonnet, the Great Sioux Wars, and Buffalo Bill Cody, please join us Saturday, September 13th at 5:00 pm.

Ploughshare Brewing Co. Archaeology Happy Hour!

Hello archaeology fans!  

Here are some pictures from the archaeology Happy Hour at Ploughshare Brewing Company in Lincoln last Friday!  If you took any pictures, we'd love to see them!  Email us at nebraskaarchaeologymonth@gmail.com  OR post the pictures to facebook and tag us!

Two of our t-shirt drawing winners! Michael Schumacher and Peter Bleed.

Magda Mahoney won the water bottle donated by the Midwest Archeological Center!

Nolan Johnson won the final t-shirt in our drawing! 

Crowds enjoyed great food and drinks while celebrating archaeology together.

Soon there weren't enough chairs for everyone... 

Great time to catch up with colleagues and meet new folks.

Thank you to Ploughshare Brewing Co. for allowing us to invade! 

A great time was had by all and we hope to see everyone at other vents throughout the month of September!

Another Successful Artifact Show!

Last Saturday, August 16, marked the 10th annual Nebraska Artifact Show in Seward and we would like to give a big thank you to everyone who heard about the event from us and came out to support the exhibitors!  For those of you who weren't able to attend, here are some pictures of the Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology poster unveiling and the talk by Jeffrey J. Richner.
All photos courtesy of Dick Eckles, Nebraska Archaeological Society.

 Th official unveiling of the poster for Celebrate Nebraska Archaeology Month!

We have the Nebraska Association of Professional Archaeologists (NAPA) to thank for our wonderful poster!  And here it is!

Keep your eye on this page for more exciting news regarding Celebrating Nebraska Archaeology! 

Until next time, safe travels and happy troweling!