Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Vol. 25, No. 3 ...

52 MASSACHUSETIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
offered as additional service. In this way, a novice
digger readily comes to understand the basic
principals to be followed. He finds they are not as
complex as he had imagined, but are easily understood.
So he enters enthusiastically into the work;
he has accepted a challenge for controlled independent
action. This is in no way intended to
minimize the regular and accepted site excavations
carried on by Society Chapters, which are described
further along. As a matter of fact, these digs, conducted
under the best methods of scientific control,
have set a good example over the years for smaller
private excavations.
Not only as explained does the Bulletin attempt
to raise the general standard of participating
members, but also through publication of artifact
classifications, which emphasize culture relations
whenever known of various types of artifacts. With
the advantage, today, of Carbon-14 datings, culture
chronology becomes better known with less left
for speculation than in the past. It is with such
information being placed before them that members,
who formerly were only surface hunters and
pothole diggers, are developing a new scientific
point of view. They are now not just satisfied with
adding new artifacts to their collections. They
want to know more about them: how old they are,
who made them, and where the stone materials
used in their manufacture came from. An increasing
number of these collectors have aspired to even
more advanced study, and have opened private
digs with editorial assistance as previously outlined.
This new amateur attack in uncovering buried
secrets of the past is most commendable, but only
when the participants present their discoveries in
written reports for publication. The Society Bulletin
offers the medium, and the continued supplying
of site reports by members is aiding materially the
advance of New England archaeology.
LINGUISTIC RESEARCH INTO THE INDIAN
LANGUAGE
While this subject is one not commonly undertaken
by most, the Society has been fortunate in
having one Charter Member, Laurence K. Gahan,
who has made a long study of it. He has spent
hours, days and weeks perusing early colonial deeds
and writings, which dealt in any way with the local
Algonkian language. Through comparative analysis
and good common sense he has perfected his
technique, so that his translation of Indian words
is thought to be most authentic. His several articles
on the subject published in the Society Bulletin are
enlightening, and not without humor. Delightful
interludes are interspersed, and break up what
might otherwise be considered a dry subject.
SITE EXCAVATIONS
All through the years the Society has stood for
scientifically controlled site excavations, but has not
supported the dogma of insisting that the work be
done only by professionally sponsored groups. It
has felt that through Bulletin dissemination of
knowledge and good sound advice from Society
trained officials, anyone with determination to
learn more about the primitive past through excavation
that might be obtained only through the
recovery of artifacts, could be guided toward that
end. At first, through the good example of those
qualified to lead, and later by detailed reports of
site excavations and supplementary written digging
instructions, many members have been inspired into
action. Through such concerted effort a great
many more diggers have worked in the field gathering
archaeological evidence than otherwise would
have been possible. More sites have been located
and dug, and an ever increasing number of manuscripts
containing reports of the work have been
received for publication. As a result, much more
valuable evidence has been recorded than could
have been expected had the work been professionally
restricted. Furthermore, a much wider range
of operations has been made possible, with a larger
number of sites investigated before they became
destroyed by the encroachment of civilization.
At the start, a site excavation was undertaken
on the Island of Nantucket as a Society project, and
after a number of years was reported in the Bulletin.
Since then, with the formation of Society
Chapters in various sections of Massachusetts,
Chapter digs have been successfully engineered,
with written reports following for publication. In
each case, some qualified amateur was appointed
research director, who supervised recording of data
and the writing of the final report. This activity is
still going on, but in addition of late, certain enterprising
members not affiliated with Chapters have
excavated sites under their own supervision with
laudable results. In general, this work has been
carried on in areas not represented by Chapters, or
in sections where Chapters have become inactive in
the field. Were it not for this independent effort,
much valuable information concerning the past
would still be missing.
PRIVATE DIGS. It may be well at this point to
mention a few private digs and some of the evidence
they have produced in order to emphasize
their importance in furthering the Society's scientific
advance. Of course it should be remembered
that as a result of this effort and that of Chapter
digs, knowledge has developed over the years in