This year commemorates 100 years of the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show. According to the Farm Show web site it is the “largest indoor
agricultural exposition in the nation, with nearly 6,000 animals, 10,000
competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibits.” Of course, the Section of Archaeology at The
State Museum of Pennsylvania is one of those exhibits, complete with an
authentic replica of a 20 foot dugout canoe. Our exhibit features the origins
of farming and is entitled Foragers to Farmers, the development of Agriculture
in Pennsylvania.
Farming
is more labor intensive than hunting and gathering and there is a debate in
archaeology as to why early Indian populations in Pennsylvania gradually began
focusing on seed plants such as goosefoot, lambs quarter and maygrass for food;
eventually growing these plants in gardens and finally adding maize to their
diet. The dependence on maize in the diet by about A.D. 1200 corresponded to
the development of large villages and significant changes in social
organization. During the 1700s, European
farms began to dominate the region and farming change to include livestock and
grains. By the late 19th and early 20th century, farming
became more mechanized and fed huge numbers of people. The artifacts on display
document this change over the past 5000 years.
An addition to this year’s exhibit is a stone mortar and
pestle which are being used to demonstrate corn grinding. Corn quickly becomes a food staple after A.D.
1200 spurring dramatic social changes.
Small egalitarian groups of people grew tribal societies.
This is an excellent opportunity for us to connect with the
community. We talk to an average of
40-50,000 visitors each year at the Farm Show and are able to share our
knowledge with interested citizens of the Commonwealth. One of our goals in reaching out to the
community is to share the significance of archaeology and the importance of
recording archaeological sites. The
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the State Agency for
preserving our historical and archaeological heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office
(SHIPO) records and maintains the files to all known sites across the
commonwealth. This database of
information enables state agencies such as PENNDOT to plan for highway projects
that will have the least amount of impact on archaeological resources. Archaeology is an expensive undertaking and
avoiding those sites reduces the expense of building a road or bridge.
As a result of our interactions this year, we received
information on the discovery of a Paleoindian projectile point from Berks
County and another individual shared a grooved axe with our
archaeologists. Both of these
individuals were able to provide site discovery location which is crucial to
our understanding of past human behavior and settlement patterns. We hope you
will continue to share these finds with our staff either at the Farm Show or at
our offices in the museum.
The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) is also
participating in our exhibit as they have in past years. Representatives are on hand to answer
questions about the Society and membership which includes the biannual journal,
Pennsylvania Archaeologist,
newsletters and meeting announcements. As
an additional benefit of joining at the Farm Show you will receive three past
issues of the SPA journal.
As you may have noticed, our location has changed from past
years. Although still in the Main
exhibit hall we are no longer near the entrance to the Small Arena but next to
the Maclay Street Lobby across from the carousal. Many people have commented on the change as
an improvement so hopefully you will all be able to find us. The Farm Show runs
through 5:00 p.m. Saturday, January 16th. So there is still plenty of time for your
annual “ride” in the dugout.
For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .
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