Local groups explore space and local history

Astronomy and archaeology groups planning public events

Celebrate the 10th annual Earth Hour Saturday with the Peterborough Astronomical Association at the top of Armour Hill, located at the end of Museum Dr., 300 Hunter St. E.

This free, public, all ages event will potentially offer telescopic views of the moon, the Winter Hexagon star clusters, Nebulae and galaxies from dusk to midnight.Use the parking lot at Peterborough Museum and Archives and walk up the hill. Dress for the weather. This is a weather dependent event; if the skies are cloudy and precipitating, the event will be cancelled. Check social media links or peterboroughastronomy.com the day of the event for the status.

Archaeology

The Peterborough Chapter, Ontario Archaeological Society presents The Richardson Site Project, by Dr. Robert Pearce Tuesday, March 27 at 7 p.m. in the DNA Building B104, at Trent University.

The subject of this talk is the 1976 archaeological excavation of the Richardson site, a small Early Ontario Iroquoian village occupied circa 900-1000 A.D. and located southeast of Hastings, northeast of Roseneath.

Participating in the May-June 1976 excavation were 78 grade seven and eight Roseneath Centennial School students, several of whom were members of Alderville First Nation.

The talk will summarize Pearce’s research at the site which formed the basis of his Master of Arts thesis from Trent’s Department of Anthropology and the contributions it made to an understanding of the archaeological history of the Rice Lake/ middle Trent River area. Pearce will also look at further research on the site and artifacts which has been completed or is currently on-going by archaeology students and faculty of Trent University.

“The talk will also place ‘the dig’ in historical perspective to explain how an archaeological excavation involving elementary school students was part of a specific Indigenous studies curriculum developed by Roseneath Centennial School Principal Mac Hall in the early 1970s, with significant input from First Nations educators.

This was concurrent with both provincial and federal efforts to design and implement broader scale, province-wide Native Studies programs in elementary and secondary schools in the 1970,” states a release for the talk.

Robert Pearce, who has a PHD from McGill University, is a retired archaeologist, and research fellow of the Trent University Archaeological Research Centre. He has held the positions of executive director and museum curator at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology in London, Ontario, adjunct professor in Western’s Department of Anthropology and regional archaeologist for the Ontario Ministry of Trans- portation.

“Pearce recently moved to the Roseneath area and has had a chance to re-connect with Roseneath Centennial School, former Principal Mac Hall, some of the students who took part in the

1976 ‘dig’, and members of Alderville First Nation. This is now providing a truly unique perspective on what ‘the dig’ meant to all those involved some 42 years ago,” states the release.

This free presentation is part of the Peterborough Chapter’s Monthly Speakers Series, conducted with the support of the City of Peterborough and the Trent University Archaeological Centre. Members of the public are invited. Light refreshments will be served. For further information contact chapter secretary, Dirk Verhulst at dverhulst@cogeco.ca.