The Oswego County Historical Society will host a presentation by Alanna Ossa, anthropology professor with SUNY Oswego, on Saturday, Sept. 24. The program, “Digging History: What We Unearthed at The Richardson-Bates House Museum,” begins at 3 p.m. in the community room of the Oswego Public Library, 120 E. Second St., Oswego. The event is free and open to the public. 

Earlier this summer, a group of SUNY Oswego students joined Ossa to conduct an archaeology dig at the Richardson-Bates House Museum in Oswego.

The dig site was chosen because a 1920s plan for a garden on the south lawn of Florence Bates’ house identified an area between the garage and octagonal shed, as the “rubbish area.” Hoping to discover the ‘midden’ (the kitchen refuse area) for either the 1872-era current house or the earlier 1850s home on the site, the group started digging there. 

Ossa explained the site was rich in artifacts that provided clues to the family’s lifestyle, cooking and eating habits, and Maxwell Richardson’s hunting hobby. 

“We found great items on the very first day,” she said. “Blue and white pottery sherds, NY Stoneware, shells and a variety of bones. We spread out over eight separate excavation units, each approximately 3 feet by 3 feet. As we got to deeper layers, indicating earlier discards, the objects and site architecture got more interesting.”

What was discovered? The results will be shown at this special lecture program on Saturday, Sept. 24. For program details, call the Richardson-Bates House Museum at 315-343-1342.

SUNY Oswego’s Archaeology Field School focuses on both historic preservation and professional training in archaeological survey, excavation, artifact analysis and curation.

Alanna Ossa has a doctorate in anthropology from Arizona State University. Prior to joining SUNY Oswego, she was a senior project manager for an environmental firm specializing in cultural resource management and historic preservation. She has extensive field experience in Mexico, Arizona, and lately, the Northeast U.S. She has managed field projects in archaeological survey and excavation since 2000.

 DIGGING UP THE PAST – The Oswego County Historical Society welcomes SUNY Oswego Professor Alanna Ossa to present “Digging History: What We Unearthed at the Richardson-Bates House Museum” on Saturday, Sept. 24. The program begins at 3 p.m. in the Community Room at the Oswego Public Library, 120 E. Second St., Oswego. Pictured is Professor Ossa supervising students from SUNY Oswego’s Archaeological Field School in a site near the museum’s garage. Photo courtesy of the Richardson-Bates House Museum.