News Articles

E2014.24 "Strawberry Moon" by Tammy Tarbell-Boehning (Mohawk) Raised glass beadwork on clay

Today's artwork from NYSM Ethnology collections recognizes Indigenous medicinal knowledge

Published May 13, 2020 | Ethnography

One sub-discipline within cultural anthropology is the medical anthropology, or the focus on how humans think of medicine, illness and practice health and well-being. Today's artwork from NYSM Ethnology collections recognizes Indigenous medicinal knowledge!

In 1536, French navigator...

Magnetic susceptibility results overlaid with surface artifact locations show a strong correlation between finds and MS "hot spots"

Controlled surface artifact collection combined with magnetic susceptibility yields tantalizing results

Published April 6, 2020 | Historical Archaeology

The New York State Museum, in collaboration with the Open Space Institute and Stockbridge Munsee Mohican Tribal Preservation Office, recently completed a controlled surface artifact collection and a magnetic susceptibility survey (MS) at the location of a tenant house owned by former Albany...

Volunteers Sue S. and Neil W. pause during block excavations at the OPS Site, July 10, 2019

NYSM Archaeologists Return for Fifth Field Season at OPS Paleoindian Site

Published April 6, 2020 | Native American Archaeology

In July and September 2019, NYSM archaeologists and volunteers conducted their fifth season of excavations at the OPS Paleoindian site in Madison County. Discovered in 2015, the OPS site has yielded stone fluted points of the Crowfield "style," indicating an early Native American encampment...

Spoil heap (also known as a backdirt pile) as it was seen in May 2019 at the Lake George Courtland Street Burial Ground

Bioarchaeology at the Courtland Street Burying Ground

Published December 19, 2019 | Bioarchaeology

When a historic unmarked cemetery was found during construction in Lake George, New York last winter, it was presumed to date to the mid-18th century French and Indian War. The discovery of a regimental button from the First Pennsylvania Battalion however placed the cemetery at the time of the...

Several shell buttons were also recovered from the Ten Broeck Mansion outer kitchen excavation; this one shown has two holes

Collaborative field schools completed at Ten Broeck Mansion in Albany's Arbor Hill neighborhood

Published December 19, 2019 | Historical Archaeology

Archaeologists from the New York State Museum and the University of Albany completed two collaborative field schools in Historical Archaeology at the Ten Broeck Mansion, located in Albany, NY's Arbor Hill neighborhood during the summers of 2017 and 2018. These excavations concentrated on...

Examples of Paleoindian artifacts from the OPS site. A: fluted point with impact fracture; B: Endscraper, hafted tool likely used for hide working for skin clothing manufacture; C: Hafted perforator for working bone or wood; D: Graver, delicate hand-held

Owlville Pine South (OPS) Archaeological Site Owners Donate Paleoindian Artifacts to NYSM

Published December 19, 2019 | Native American Archaeology

In June 2015, avocational archaeologists Mike Beardsley and Mark Clymer were surveying for Native American archaeological sites on farm property owned by Tom and Joyce Bush in central New York. Walking across their fields, Mike spied a large scraping tool of chert. Days later, he discovered a...

New York State History Month Logo

November 2019 Newsletter - It's New York State History Month

Published November 1, 2019 | na

 

Read the November 2019 newsletter and learn about upcoming programs at the Museum, including our New York State History Month programs: https://conta.cc/2Ns2RAA

NYSM Logo

New York State Museum Scientists Conduct Fieldwork in Tompkins County this Fall

Published October 18, 2019 | Geology

This fall State Museum scientists will join staff from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Cornell University to conduct fieldwork into the Ice Age landscape of the Ithaca, NY area.

The scientists will core as deep as 700 feet underground and...

Dr. Michael Lucas, Curator of Historical Archaeology (left) and Marty Pickands, retired museum archaeologist (right) overlooking excavation by SUNY Albany field school students -- photo by Derek J. Healey

Curator's research at Albany, NY archaeological sites featured in latest issue of national magazine

Published December 21, 2018 | Historical Archaeology

The museum's curator of historical archaeology, Michael Lucas, and project manager of The Archaeology of Slavery in the Hudson Valley, is featured in the Winter 2018-19 issue of...

Lafayette Plate

Political engagement, social class and patriotic symbols in early 19th-century New York

Published December 20, 2018 | Historical Archaeology

Historical archaeology is a multidisciplinary field combining written historical records with archaeological data to study places, objects and issues of the past. In North America, historical archaeology begins with European colonization. One of the issues -- highly relevant to present day North...

View of the exhibit, "Community and Continuity: Native American Art of New York" at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, SUNY New Paltz

Collaborative exhibit, “Community and Continuity: Native American Art of New York,” receives critical recognition

Published November 9, 2018 | Ethnography

 “Community and Continuity: Native American Art of New York,” an exhibition at The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at SUNY New Paltz, featuring selections from the New York State Museum’s collections of contemporary...

OPS excavation crew, September 20, 2018

NYSM Archaeologists Return for Fourth Field Season at OPS Paleoindian Site

Published October 25, 2018 | Native American Archaeology

In September, NYSM archaeologists completed the 2018 excavations at the OPS Paleoindian site in Madison County, New York. The OPS site has yielded fluted points of the Crowfield "style," indicating an early Native American encampment dating to the late Ice Age, circa 12,000-11,600 years ago....

Detail of Suffern Rockshelter pot

NYSM Receives Donation of James Vieth Artifact Collection

Published October 25, 2018 | Native American Archaeology

From the 1930s through the early 1960s, avid avocational archaeologist Dr. James Vieth collected and conducted test excavations on Native American archaeological sites, most often in Rockland County, southeastern New York. His son, James Vieth Jr., accompanied his father on many of these field...

Dreaming of Wild Foods

Innovative new works added to the Contemporary Native American Art Collection

Published April 6, 2017 | Ethnography

In FY 2016-2017, NYSM acquired eight stunning new artworks by artists previously not represented in the Contemporary Native American Art Collection (part of the Ethnology Collections). The selections, from artists with nascent and well-established careers include: Noel Chrisjohn Benson (Oneida...

“Ageswe’gaiyo” (oil on panel), with the women of the NYSM Anthropology Collections

Bold changes in Contemporary Native American Art collections mark International Women's Day 2017

Published March 8, 2017 | Ethnography

“Ageswe’gaiyo” (oil on panel), one of the 2016 purchases for the NYSM Contemporary Native American Art Collection arrived today at the museum, which is also International Women's Day 2017 (March 8). This exquisite painting features the artist, Luanne Redeye (Seneca), offering a glimpse of her...

John Hart Photo

Director of Research and Collections Receives Award for Collections-Based Research

Published March 1, 2017 | Research & Collections

Dr. John Hart, Director of Research and Collections at the New York State Museum, has received the Society for American Archaeology’s 2017 Award for Excellence in Curation, Collections Management, and Collections-based Research and Education.

The award is made only once every 4 years in...

rock collections

New Acquisition to the Mineralogy Collection

Published November 30, 2016 | Mineralogy

The Museum's mineralogy collection constitutes the world's largest and most complete array of New York State minerals. However, the collection also contains thousands of non-New York specimens, including minerals from Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America. 

A recent...

Native American Baskets

New Acquisition: Mahican and Mohawk Baskets

Published September 14, 2016 | Ethnography

The Museum recently acquired a collection of 19th and 20th century Mahican and Mohawk baskets. The baskets range in size and decoration, from miniature baskets to large gathering baskets, fancy baskets with curlicues, and baskets with stamped and dyed splints in indigo and yellow colors.

...

1947 Tavern Television

New Acquisition: 1947 Tavern Television

Published August 4, 2016 | Social History

The State Museum recently acquired a fully-restored 1947 Tavern Television made by the United States Television Manufacturing Corporation (USTMC). Made in New York City, this unit is believed to be one of only five known sets left in the United States and the only one that is in operating...

Archaeology Open House 2016

Archaeology Exposed: NYSM Open House at Schuyler Flatts a Success

Published July 6, 2016 | Archaeology

Archaeologists with the New York State Museum are working at Schuyler Flatts in Albany County to learn more about life along the Hudson River hundreds of years ago and how Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans left their marks in the form of artifacts and building foundations. On Saturday,...

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