SELECTED YouTube VIDEOS and OTHER INTERVIEWS
1. Video taken of State Archeologist Nick Bellantoni while giving a
tour of Valley Falls State Park in Vernon CT, the site of a long-abandoned group of mills, describing both the
mill complex as it can now be discerned as well as other features of the Park. The hike was one of the
2012 Archaeology Awareness Month activities.
2. State Archeologist Nick Bellantoni led a walk on Columbus Day
to the Wolf Den at Masomoquet State Park. He also took us to the Indian chair, and told of the legends and
history of the area. Video was posted on October 19, 2010.
3. Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Ph.D. Connecticut State Archaeologist,
talks about the Archaeology field class at the University of Connecticut on Janaury 19, 2007. Video was posted
by the Norwich Bulletin. NOTE: This video is no longer available.
4. An interview of Nick Bellantoni, on September 2, 2018, by Phil
Kearney of internet radio station iCRV. The subject: "The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry
'Opukaha'ia and Albert Afraid of Hawk" Compare with items 24 and
24a below.
5. Video taken of State Archeologist Nick Bellantoni while giving
a talk on New England Vampire Beliefs at Quinnipiac University in March, 2013. Compare with the later version
given by Nick in October, 2019, at item 23 below.
6. A short video, taken at the CT Archaeology Center, where Nick
Bellantoni discusses the History Channel's "Hitler's Escape" episode.
7. An interview of Nick Bellantoni where he discusses his life,
how he got into archaeology, what his duties entail, and interesting sites he's worked on.
8. A video in 5 parts, from the Litchfield Hills Archaeology
Club, of Nick Bellantoni's efforts on behalf of the family of Lakota Sioux Albert Afraid of Hawk, to locate,
exhume, and repatriate his remains to South Dakota for reburial per Native American rites.
9. An interview of Nick Bellantoni where he discusses his life
and his work with Ann Nyberg of WTNH channel 8.
10. A half-hour video of FOSA members Gary Nolf and Don
Rankin on an episode of Branford Public Television's "Classroom Connections" show. Their subjects
include the geology of Connecticut and how it impacted Native Americans living there, the activities
and methods of the area's hunters and gatherers, and a discussion of the Pequot War.
11. CT State Archaeologist Brian Jones sits down with
Jan Doyle on an episode of Branford Public Television's "Classroom Connections" show, to discuss
the history of Connecticut and Indian artifacts found during his various site excavations.
12 Ryan Gill demonstrates proper technique when throwing an
atlatl.
13. A video taken of the abandoned Nike Missile site in Portland
CT, where FOSA tours are periodically given. The site is steadily being reclaimed by nature.
14. Description of Polynomial Texture Mapping and its use in
analyzing the Antikythera Mechanism.
15. Watch as a 17th-century ivory sundial compass is scanned
using a 3D scanner and then reproduced using a 3D printer. Finally, the reconstructed object finds its way into
the visitor's hands during the archaeological tours of James Fort.
16. The skull of a young female unearthed in Jamestown pit was
rebuilt using 3D scanning and printing. The skull had been extensively damaged, with a number of pieces missing.
However, with the use of 3D scanning of the parts available, followed by use of "mirroring" software to
reconstruct many of the missing pieces, 2 skulls we 3D printed, one of which was used as a base onto which clay
was added to rebuild what the young woman looked like while alive.
16a. This is another Jamestown "Jane" site, which contains a more
complete description of the forensics involved ... including portions by Dr. Douglas Owsley, who was our featured
speaker at the 2015 Annual Meeting. An embedded
video in included in this link.
16b. The icon at left is a QR code pointing to a You Tube
video, "Dig Deeper" episode 65, which discusses work being done by CT archaeological personnel helping out
at the Jamestown site.. The QR code was displayed by Guest Speaker David Givens, Director of
Archaeology for the Jamestown Rediscovery project.
17. In January, 2010, Gary Nolf of FOSA made an appearance on the
David Letterman show. At the time, Gary was the 2-time World Atlatl Association champion; and Gary demonstrates
his throwing technique for Letterman.
18. This is an audio-only podcast by CT State Historian
Walter Woodward, made on the last day of the dig at the John Hollister site in Wethersfield, in August, 2016. It
provides a first hand account of what they're finding at this amazing site, and what it means for understanding
our early history. Hear from State archeologist Brian Jones, Lori Kissel, Scott Brady (shown in
photo), Glenda Rose, Dick Hughes, Fiona Jones, Mandy Ranslow and others about their epic
archeological adventure. For photos associated with this podcast, please click
photos.
19. FOSA member Dr. Don Rankin sits down with Jan Doyle on an
episode of Branford Public Television's "Classroom Connections" show, to discuss Don's ancestor, Rev. John Rankin,
the Underground Railroad, and Rev. Rankin's association with the anti-slavery movement. Rev. Rankin's home was
one of the first stopping points of the Railroad. For related material on this web site, please click
20. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery of the wrecked
Klondike steamboat Evelyn.The imagery includes both external and internal views of the steamboat, using
LIDAR imagery set up outside and, later, inside the ghostly wreck. Reference also this
article article from "Northwest
Coast Archaeology" which goes into more detail into the wrecks and also touches on 3-D sonar
scans which were also taken of a number of vessels there.
21. The Office of State Archaeology's has its own Facebook page;
and within it there are a number of short videos on various subjects that viewers should find very interesting.
22. A TEDx talk by Brian Jones concerning the use of Ground
Penetrating Radar in unearthing 17th century artifacts in recent excavation work at the Mason and Hollister sites.
(Talk lasts about 13 minutes.)
23. This is a talk given by former CT State Archaeologist in
October, 2019, on "Vampire Folk Belief: The Archaeological Evidence". Compare this talk with the one recorded
by Nick in March, 2013, at Quinnipiac University, at item 5 above.
24. This is an audio-only podcast by CT State Historian
Walter Woodward, with former CT State Archaeologist Nicholas F. Bellantoni, concerning a book he wrote in 2018
on the repatriation of the remains of 2 young men, Henry Opukaha'ia, a native of Hawaii, who died in Cornwall,
CT in 1818. Albert Afraid of Hawk, a Lakota Sioux native who died in Danbury in 1900. Nick was involved in both
of these efforts. This interview concerns the story of the remains of Henry Opukaha'ia
. There are a number of other articles on him in this website, which can be found by using the
Google Search and clicking the "FOSA" option.
24a. This is an audio-only podcast by CT State Historian
Walter Woodward, with former CT State Archaeologist Nicholas F. Bellantoni, concerning a book he wrote in 2018
on the repatriation of the remains of 2 young men, Henry Opukaha'ia, a native of Hawaii, who died in Cornwall,
CT in 1818. Albert Afraid of Hawk, a Lakota Sioux native who died in Danbury in 1900. Nick was involved in both
of these efforts. This interview concerns the story of the remains of Albert Afraid of
Hawk. There are a number of other articles on him in this website, which can be found by using
the Google Search and clicking the "FOSA" option.
25. There are more than 800 miles of Blue-Blazed Hiking Trails in
Connecticut, and this is an audio show by CPTV from one of them. Hiking those trails, you can pass an old
Tory hideout from the American revolution and, not terribly far away, the sprawling home owned by Mike Tyson and
50 Cent. There are things out in the woods that might surprise you, and one of the guys walking down the trail
to visit us today is our state archeologist, who's still uncovering the mysteries of Connecticut distant past.
But we're also going to talk about the ecosystem of the trails and woods and about their newest unwelcome
visitor, the emerald ash borer. We also hope to provides lots of good hiking tips and a few warnings about what
to watch out for. So put on some [smack] bug spray and join us out in the woods. (CT State Archaeologist Dr. Nick
Bellantoni included in this.)
From time to time we receive notification of virtual archaeology-oriented lectures being offered by various
groups, in addition to those mentioned elsewhere for iCRV lectures. As we receive these we'll post them
in this section.
26. In June, 2020 the New Canaan Library hosted 3 webinars under
the heading of "Exploring Connecticut Archaeology." Recordings of the first and third these were successfully
made and posted to YouTube; for the second an audio recording is being used as a substitute.
27. Original content (ASC Lectures) no longer available.
28. Living Their Enemies, Dying Their Guests: Four Revolutionary
Soldier Burials
Construction activities working to lower the dirt grade under
a house basement dating to 1790 uncovered human skeletal remains in Ridgefield, CT. Local police reported the
discovery to the Office of the Chief State's Medical Examiner, whose forensic team identified the remains as
being historic and not part of a modern criminal investigation. In turn, in compliance with state statutes, the
state archaeologist was notified to assume the enquiry. Subsequent excavations yielded four skeletons of young,
robust adult males, all of which were hastily buried together in a common shallow grave where the bodies are
commingled with overlapping arms and legs. The discovered burials are located in the area of the Revolutionary
War Battle of Ridgefield (April 27, 1777). Our working hypothesis is that the burials found under the basement
were victims of this historic Revolutionary War battle. Material culture recovered from two individuals includes
37 brass and two pewter buttons. This presentation will discuss the history, discovery and excavation of the
burials and update on the forensic analysis currently underway.
29. A virtual series of lectures, sponsored by a
grant from Farmington Bank Community Foundation and presented by the Avon Public Library, will cover the
archaeology, geology, and anthropology of life along the Farmington River, including the Brian D. Jones
Paleo-Indian discovery in Avon.
To see a listing of the scheduled lectures, as well as to register for one if you wish to "attend" when it's
aired, please click
This series was continued into 2022. To see a listing of the scheduled lectures, as well as to register
for one if you wish to "attend" when it is aired, please click
Events are free to attend. Webinars will be recorded and posted to the
Avon Library's YouTube Channel.
You can access the first "Unearthing History" webinar by clicking
Unearthing.
30. For 2021 the New Hampshire Archeological Society has moved their annual Archeology Month and
Spring Meeting to an all virtual platform. They promise a great line up with 13 original events, drawing on
presenters from all over the country. Select videos from past New Hampshire Archaeology events are available by clicking The New Hampshire Archaeological Society YouTube channel
, or you can contact their webmaster at
100. This is an audio-only podcast by CT State Historian
Walter Woodward. What secrets about the past can an ancient tomb reveal? The answers, as State Archaeologist
emeritus Nick Bellantoni explains, are many, surprising, and incredibly interesting. In this conversation about
Nick's new book, And So the Tomb Remained: Exploring Archaeology and Forensic Science in Connecticut's
Historical Family Mausolea, State Historian Walt Woodward and Bellantoni, who in his 30 plus years as state
archaeologist entered more tombs that any other archeologist, talk about Nick's experiences doing restoration,
recovery work, and crimonal investigations in the tombs of some of Connecticut's oldest and most powerful
families.
101. FOSA member Ryan Hollister has put together a You Tube video
of one of his ancestors, Josiah Hollister, who fought in the American Revolution. Readers who have been
working at the Hollister Site in Glastonbury can appreciate what Ryan has produced.
Josiah was born in Sharon on March 19, 1754 and died July 4, 1832. As you listen to Ryan's video, you'll
appreciate and learn more about him and his interesting family. Interestingly, Josiah after his service in the
Revolution emigrated to New York, settling first in Franklinville, NY in 1811, followed by Great Valley, NY in
1816 and finally Mansfield, NY in 1821, until his passing.
After viewing all of Ryan's chapters, bookmark the site and check it occasionally for the addition of
new chapters to a beautifully done and interesting work.
(Overview extracted from Spring 2021 FOSA Newsletter article by Jim Trocchi.)
102. This is an audio-only podcast by journalist and
broadcaster Brian Scott Smith, who interviews CT State Archaeologist Sarah Sportman about the history and
excavation results thus far on the Hollister farmsite excavations. The interview was done on August 13, 2022.
In addition, you can read to an article on WSHU (NPR) by clicking
WHSU Article.
103. This is an audio-only podcast on"The Many
Shipwrecks Off Connecticut's Shoreline"
Connecticut is home to many architectural sites, but what about the ones that occur just off the coast?
In this talk, Dr. Nicholas Bellantoni takes us through the many shipwrecks along Connecticut's shoreline.
We hear about what happened to these shipwrecks and how they're being preserved so that divers will always
have an opportunity to explore this piece of Connecticut history.
(First up, we hear from Jacqui Rabe Thomas about some questionable practices at Hartford Healthcare and
how home health aides were being impacted by it.)