No. 2 – October 1990

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96 BULLETIN OF THE MASSACHUSETTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
IN MEMORIAM: ARTHUR C. STAPLES, 1900-1990
Maurice Robbins
Once again it is my lot as a senior member of the Massachusetts Archaeological
Society to pen a few lines in memory of an old friend and valued co-worker.
Arthur C. Staples was born in East Taunton in 1900 and passed away in February of
1990. Arthur became a member of our society and of the Warren King Moorehead Chapter
in the early days of the society. In 1951 he became a member of the Cohannet Chapter. I
was fortunate to have Arthur Staples at a number of archaeological sites, among which were
the Titicut Site in Bridgewater and the Wapanucket Site in Middleborough. He directed the
work at the Sweet's Knoll Site, the Back Porch Site and the Bear Swamp Sites #1 and #2. He
also worked with the late Roy Athearn and Dr. Carol Barnes at the Peace Haven Site. In
addition to his work in the field, Arthur devoted many hours to the Bronson Museum,
building cases and preparing exhibits. He also served the society as its treasurer from 1956
to 1971.
Arthur was also very active in affairs in his home town of Dighton, serving for
fifteen years as a Commissioner in the Water Department and also in the Municipal Electric
Light Department. He was an active member of the Dighton Historical Society and served on
the local Historical Commission.
His publications include:
1955 Sweet's Knoll (with Maurice Robbins and Arnold Staples). BMAS 16(4):61-78.
1969 The Bear Swamp Site: A Preliminary Report (with Roy Athearn). BMAS 30(3,4):1-9.
1980 Peace Haven 2: M39-74. In Widening Horizons, edited by C. Hoffman, pp. 135-184.
Massachusetts Archaeological Society, Attleboro.
1981 A Middle/Late Woodland Shell Midden at Peace Haven 2 (with Roy Athearn and Carol
Barnes). BMAS 42:11-15.
1981 The Segreganset River Site: M39-SE102. BMAS 42:27-29.
1983 The Back Porch Site: M39-SE50. BMAS 44:16-20.
Copyright 1990 Maurice Robbins
IN MEMORIAM: BARKER DAY KEITH, 1908-1990
John P. Pretola
Students of New England's archaeological past lost a venerable ally on March 23
with the passing of Barker Day Keith of Brookfield, Massachusetts. Barker was best known
for his salvage of Tobin Beach, an important Middlesex Complex site on the shores of his
beloved Quaboag Pond. In 1965, his findings were published as "An Adena-Connected Burial
Site" in the Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society (27:1-5). Barker also