Darrin Lowery | Smithsonian Institution (original) (raw)

Papers by Darrin Lowery

The Sharps Collectors Report, 2023

The article highlights the corporate rivalry between the Remington Arms Company and the Sharps Ri... more The article highlights the corporate rivalry between the Remington Arms Company and the Sharps Rifle Company during the era of the Great Buffalo Hunt (circa 1870 to 1880). Remington's generalized appeal to a diverse consumer market resulted in the survival of the company. Whereas Sharps' specialized focus on a limited and fading buffalo hunter market resulted in its demise.

Quaternary Research, 2018

Loess is common in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States south of the Late Wisconsinan gla... more Loess is common in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States south of the Late Wisconsinan glacial border particularly along rivers draining the glaciated areas of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The broadest deposits occur on the flat landscapes of the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland where two episodes of deposition have been identified. The earlier Miles Point Loess has a limited distribution and is buried by the more widespread Paw Paw Loess. OSL and 14C dates place deposition of the Miles Point Loess during MIS 3. The well developed paleosol formed in the Miles Point Loess acts as a stratigraphic marker. The Paw Paw Loess buries Clovis age cultural materials which date deposition to the end of the Pleistocene. Loess deposits and paleosols are critical in understanding regional landscape evolution, Late Pleistocene environments, and early North American cultural history. Mapping the extent of loess in the Mid-Atlantic using the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s g...

Geoarchaeology, 2017

The frequency and distribution of plowzone artifacts are compared with the timing and duration of... more The frequency and distribution of plowzone artifacts are compared with the timing and duration of two plow modes at two study locales on the Delmarva Peninsula, United States. Our results indicate that historic moldboard plowing created a maximum plowzone of ca. 0.30 m, in which artifacts were retained over time. Later, soil‐conservative chisel plowing mixed the top ca. 0.15 m of soil, creating a shallow, minimum plowzone. With time and repeated plowing, our data suggest that the number of artifacts at the surface diminished via a combination of vertical mixing and/or degradation, physical and chemical weathering, and avocational collecting. When moldboard plowing is reapplied to fields after decades of chisel plowing, the historic maximum plowzone is inverted and the surface is re‐saturated with artifacts. This inverted maximum plowzone retains an inherent pattern of artifact transport from moldboard plowing, which supports other studies that have measured such displacements over time. Our results suggest that the frequency of artifacts observed at the surface of agricultural fields, or lack thereof, is a likely outcome of natural and mechanical processes, and removal within the minimum plowzone. This inevitable depletion of artifacts may have negative repercussions for many research designs that systematically sample the plowzone.

Journal of Ethnobiology, 2016

North American Archaeologist, 2015

The archaeological record of the Middle Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay spans some 13,000 years and p... more The archaeological record of the Middle Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay spans some 13,000 years and provides insight into a variety of cultural and environmental issues in eastern North America. In this article, we present an analysis of a diverse assemblage of stone, ceramic, and bone artifacts recovered from a series of radiocarbon (14C) dated Middle and Late Woodland shell middens on Fishing Bay, Maryland. Our analysis documents the technologies Native Americans used at Chesapeake Bay shell middens, illustrates congruence between 14C dates on eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica) shell and associated artifacts technologies, and highlights the challenges posed by marine transgression for documenting and interpreting prehistory. Our work demonstrates the ways in which artifact analysis and 14C dating can improve archaeological interpretation of the antiquity, diversity, and evolution of human occupation of coastal archaeological sites.

Abstract. Thesis (M. A.)--Temple University, 2001. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 2... more Abstract. Thesis (M. A.)--Temple University, 2001. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 205-229).

Dozens of earthen forts, constructed of intricately shaped mounds of local soil, provided a key e... more Dozens of earthen forts, constructed of intricately shaped mounds of local soil, provided a key element of our national defense during the War of 1812. Although their constructors were not concerned with their long-term existence, topographic evidence of many of these unique geometric features remains on the landscape today. Given land-cover and land-use changes of the last two centuries, combined with natural erosion processes along nearby waterways, most face uncertain futures in terms of mitigation and preservation. Over the last year, we have produced detailed topographic surveys of three sites in Maryland (Fort Stokes near Easton, Fort Point near Centreville, and Fort Nonsense near Annapolis) using data from terrestrial laser-scanner and structure-from-motion aerial imagery. These surface models, along with traditional stratigraphic and radiometric techniques, are now being used to identify the rates and spatial patterns of degradation since their construction. Our study sites ...

Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf, 2014

ABSTRACT Mastodon remains dated to 22,760 RCYBP were recovered with a bifacial laurel leaf knife ... more ABSTRACT Mastodon remains dated to 22,760 RCYBP were recovered with a bifacial laurel leaf knife from 250 ft below sea level on the outer continental shelf of Virginia. This chapter reports the results of our research concerning this find and an on-going survey of the extensive archaeological collections of the Smithsonian and other repositories including large private collections that are representative of the Chesapeake Bay drainage system. We located additional laurel leaf specimens recovered by watermen working on the continental shelf. The study indicates that these bifaces are not part of the post last glacial maximum (LGM) technologies and, therefore, support an LGM occupation of the continental shelf of North America.

American Antiquity, 2013

Ceramics typologies have long been used to build artifact, site, and regional chronologies. Direc... more Ceramics typologies have long been used to build artifact, site, and regional chronologies. Direct accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)14C dating of shell-tempered ceramics offers a promising tool for updating and improving these chronologies. Few studies have14C dated shell fragments from shell-tempered pottery, however, and questions remain about potential biases from “old shell,” the reservoir effect, and other variables. Forty-five direct AMS14C assays on shell-tempered pottery and associated shell, charcoal, and bone from nine archaeological sites in Virginia and Maryland provide a framework to test this method. AMS14C assays from one site may have problems with old shell, but most of the calibrated direct and associated age estimates overlap. One of our samples is the oldest securely dated shell-tempered pottery in North America at ~1000 cal B.C. Our study demonstrates the promise of AMS14C dating shell-tempered pottery for refining ceramic and regional chronologies in coastal ...

Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, 2018

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2022

The James Marks collection, which was amassed in the early to mid-20th century, and field work co... more The James Marks collection, which was amassed in the early to mid-20th century, and field work conducted in the 1990s are used to reconstruct Native American prehistoric use of the Love Point area of Kent Island, Maryland. After completing the 1992 archaeological survey of Kent Island, an additional eleven middens or former midden locations (see Lowery 1992 and 1993) were added to the inventory of prehistoric sites (i.e., 18QU315, 18QU318, 18QU343 to 18QU348, 18QU352, 18QU354, and 18QU358) located at Love Point. Like Stearns did in 1943, follow-up testing and limited excavations (Ibid) were conducted at two previously documented middens (i.e., 18QU29 and 18QU54). Of the original fifteen prehistoric shell middens recorded near Love Point, only three remain unmolested. Twelve of the middens have been heavily altered, graded, and/or disturbed over the past 30 years as a result of recent residential development. Based on archival data, the disturbance to these midden sites did not initiate mandated archaeological testing or Section 106 follow-up archaeological investigations.

Sharps Collector Report, 2022

The article highlights the similarity between the archaeological record of prehistoric bison hunt... more The article highlights the similarity between the archaeological record of prehistoric bison hunting and the archaeological record of historic bison hunting, which occurred during the late 19th century. Considering that ~30 million bison were hunted, killed, and skinned between 1866 and 1884, it is surprising that very little evidence has survived in the archaeological record for this short interval of mass mammal extirpation. The historic bison hunting archaeological analogy offers support for the limited archaeological evidence of late Pleistocene megafauna human-related mass extinctions.

Sharps Collector Report 29-2, 2022

The following short article discusses a rarely seen antique round that was produced by the Sharps... more The following short article discusses a rarely seen antique round that was produced by the Sharps Rifle Company between 1872 and 1876. The article also researchers the frequency of two-inch chambers in various antique arms. Finally, the authors hypothesize about why this round was ever produced.

Sharps Collectors Report, 2022

Antique arms collectors have noticed over the decades that some Model 1878 Sharps Borchardt rifle... more Antique arms collectors have noticed over the decades that some Model 1878 Sharps Borchardt rifles are stamped on the buttstock with a scrolled LB mark surrounded by a circle. Many have speculated on the origin and meaning of this distinct marking. The following article briefly outlines these theories and cites published data that resolves the origin of the LB inscription. A database on some extant examples have been compiled.

The Sharps Collectors Report, 2023

Quaternary Research, 2018

Geoarchaeology, 2017

Journal of Ethnobiology, 2016

North American Archaeologist, 2015

Prehistoric Archaeology on the Continental Shelf, 2014

American Antiquity, 2013

Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, 2018

Archaeology of Eastern North America, 2022

Sharps Collector Report, 2022

Sharps Collector Report 29-2, 2022

Sharps Collectors Report, 2022

Chesapeake Watershed Archaeological Research Erosion and Archaeological Research Series Monograph #4, 2021

The monograph synthesizes the data generated from a seven-year investigation at Parsons Island, M... more The monograph synthesizes the data generated from a seven-year investigation at Parsons Island, Maryland. The attached updated version includes an additional appendix. Appendix V portrays Dr. Linda Scott Cummings charcoal identification and AMS dating results on samples collected during the 2017 Smithsonian excavations at Parsons Island. These charcoal samples were within the 4Ab1 archaeological stratum and the underlying non-cultural 4Ab2 stratum. The updated version also includes (see Figure 4.19A) an AMS-date on vitrified charcoal collected at the base of the Younger Dryas-age Paw Paw loess at Parsons Island. This "new" age-estimate is the first refined date since Foss et al.'s (1978) publication. The two-sigma calibration for the onset of Younger Dryas upland loess deposition is 12,781 ± 28 cal. yrs. BP (D-AMS 043965: 10,753 ± 37 rcybp). With these new data, Clovis-age artifacts on the western margins of the Delmarva Peninsula would be found at the unconformity boundary situated beneath the Paw Paw loess. These results are consistent with the excavation data noted at several eastern shore Paleo-Indian age archaeological sites.

This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted within the Fishing Bay S... more This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted within the Fishing Bay State Wildlife Management Area of Dorchester County, Maryland and the Fairmount State Wildlife Management Area of Somerset County, Maryland. Both wildlife management areas fall under the control of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and represent two large tracts of inundated upland in the western section of the Delmarva Peninsula. The study area encompasses a portion of the coast associated with the Tangier Sound macro-watershed. A shoreline survey was conducted along the coastline to document any evidence of archaeological resources and to gauge the erosion threat to these archaeological resources. Archaeological sites along shorelines are subjected to numerous natural processes that can affect the degree of coastal erosion. In an attempt to help cultural resource managers who need to evaluate and assess shoreline erosion on a site-by-site basis, summaries of these natural processes are presented in this report. Based on these natural processes and factors, a formal shoreline erosion methodology has been developed as a result of this research and it is also presented in this report.

This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted along the shorelines of ... more This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted along the shorelines of Mathews County, Virginia. A shoreline survey was conducted along the coastline to document any evidence of archaeological resources and to gauge the erosion threat to these archaeological resources. Archaeological sites along shorelines are subjected to numerous natural processes that can affect the degree of coastal erosion. In an attempt to help cultural resource managers who need to evaluate and assess shoreline erosion on a site-by-site basis, summaries of these natural processes are presented in this report. Based on these natural processes and factors, a formal shoreline erosion methodology has been developed as a result of this research and it is also presented in this report.

The primary goal of the project was to locate, identify, and record any archaeological sites or cultural remains along exposed or eroded shorelines in the county. The project also served to test and expand upon a prehistoric site predictive/settlement model that has been utilized conducting other archaeological surveys along the Chesapeake Bay shorelines and the Atlantic Coast sections of the Delmarva Peninsula (see Lowery 2001 and 2003a). Given the primary goal of site location and the transformational effects that erosion can have on these sites, this report and the accompanying site data forms do not always suggest prehistoric site function, which would require more extensive field testing and excavation.

The present survey located and documented forty-three archaeological sites, which span 13,000 years of the region’s prehistory and history. Thirty-six of archaeological sites discovered in Mathews County had not previously been recorded. Five of the sites discovered during this survey had been previous recorded and updated site data forms were completed for each of these sites. Though not directly related to the survey area, two previously unrecorded archaeological sites were discovered in Gloucester County, Virginia and site data forms were completed for each of these sites, as well. The current survey increased the known archaeological data for Mathews County by almost fifty percent. Given the significant expansion of the recorded sites in in the county, the project illustrates the value of comprehensive archaeological surveys within the region and more importantly within the active and dynamic coastal areas of the Middle Atlantic. Several significant archaeological sites were located, as a result of this project. With respect to coastal erosion threat to archaeological resources, a simple method has been proposed to provide future cultural resource managers with a way to gauge urgency and potentially provide others with a way to allocate research efforts in areas with numerous actively eroding archaeological sites. The report expands upon and builds on the knowledge gleaned from previous surveys conducted in the region by Lowery (2001 and 2003a). Unlike these earlier surveys, the degree of erosional threat for individual archaeological sites can now be accurately evaluated. However, the archaeological significance of individual sites can only be determined after archaeological testing has been conducted. The report concludes with suggestions for future research.

This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted along the Chesapeake Bay... more This report summarizes the results of an archaeological survey conducted along the Chesapeake Bay shorelines of both Accomack County and Northampton County, Virginia. Accomack and Northampton counties represent the southernmost extension of the Delmarva Peninsula. The study area encompasses the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. A shoreline survey was conducted along the Chesapeake Bay to gauge the erosion threat to the archaeological resources situated along the shoreline. Archaeological sites along shorelines are subjected to numerous natural processes. Aside from erosion, some of the natural processes influencing shoreline related cultural resources include coastal inundation, prehistoric aeolian processes, bioturbation, recent coastal dune formations, chemical processes within tidal marshes, redeposition, and surface “sheet-erosion” or deflation. These natural processes greatly influence the success of an archaeological survey and what data are collected, noted, and observed while conducting a survey. Summaries associated with these natural processes are presented in this report. The report also offers examples, using Delmarva Peninsula archaeological data, which illustrate how these natural processes influence and limit the interpretive value of single analysis or one-time archaeological survey surface data.
As a “double-blind” test, the actual locations and cultural chronologies associated with previously recognized and recorded sites were not collected prior to the completion of the survey. By not knowing the previous site data, the present shoreline survey would help assess and gauge the accuracy of the previous single “one-time” archaeological survey data. The survey methodology would also gauge and assess the dynamics associated with archaeological sites in coastal settings and how coastal environments influence archaeological survey data. The previous archaeological site data associated with the shoreline study area are presented in the report. The previous site information is compared with the data from the eleven sites relocated during the present study. The results suggest coastal environments and the natural processes associated with these environments greatly influence the data gleaned from single “one-time” archaeological shoreline surveys. Suggestions to alleviate the interpretive limitation problems associated with archaeological resources in coastal settings are also presented.
The present survey located and documented 108 archaeological sites, which span 13,000 years of the region’s prehistory and history. Of these, 97 archaeological sites had not been previously recorded. Recognizing the interpretive limitations associated with sites in coastal settings, a cultural synthesis of the site data cannot be constructed at this time. Limited site data are presented in respect to the presence of non-local lithic materials and marine subsistence information noted at some of the prehistoric archaeological sites. Limited comparisons are made between the prehistoric marine subsistence data from the upper, middle, and lower Chesapeake Bay sections of the Delmarva Peninsula. Suggestions are presented as a means to alleviate the limitations associated with future interpretive cultural synthesis summaries.
The Virginia Eastern Shore shoreline survey has functioned mainly as a guide to cultural resource managers and future researchers. The project suggests that natural processes, not cultural processes, are a major influence in coastal environments. Unfortunately, the degree of site significance and erosional threat cannot be accurately evaluated at this time. With all of the sites documented and degree of erosion reflected along each shoreline, the researcher does not know if one is “at the beginning of the race or at the end”. Obviously, significance and threat are greatly dependent on such unknown data. As a final summary, suggestions are presented as a means to gauge and assess the significance and threat at each site. The report concludes that significance and threat must be evaluated on a site-by-site basis.

The following lecture was presented to the Talbot County Historical Society and focused on the lo... more The following lecture was presented to the Talbot County Historical Society and focused on the loss of islands in the Chesapeake Bay region. The lecture highlighted the fact that coastal island erosion is not unique to the 20th and 21st centuries. Early land records show that many islands once existed, which had largely eroded away well before the 20th century. Each of these islands had an historical and archaeological record that has vanished. The lecture emphasized a few of the variables influencing coastal erosion. Notably, erosion is not evidence of "sea level rise" and is more indicative of "sea level". Not all islands in the bay region are disappearing. Some islands are actually getting larger. The accreting islands, like Fisherman's Island, are not evidence of falling sea levels and the eroding islands are not evidence of rising sea levels. Most importantly, archaeological resources are vanishing at an alarming rate! Certain states, like Maryland, own and manage the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland also regulates by law any disturbance ~300 feet inland of the current shoreline. State archaeological agencies within the region have not attempted to address the marked loss of our region's archaeological resources even though these agencies jurisdictionally have legal responsibility.

Penn State Anthropology and Artifacts (ANT 202), 2019

The attached is a presentation that I prepared for a class entitled Anthropology and Artifacts th... more The attached is a presentation that I prepared for a class entitled Anthropology and Artifacts that I taught at Penn State. The goal of this lecture was to illustrate to the students the similarities/differences in bison hunting over time, the tools (i.e., artifacts) used over time, and how historical contexts provide a "richer" understanding of the extermination of the American buffalo/bison. In sum, it integrates history, specialized tools kits, and "big game" hunting methodologies. Needless to say, the lecture overlaps with one of hobbies....(i.e., the specialized use and modifications to post-Civil War single-shot buffalo rifles).

LECTURE, 2021

As an invited speaker, the following presentation was given to the Heritage Area Board members on... more As an invited speaker, the following presentation was given to the Heritage Area Board members on May 27th, 2021. The presentation biriefly summarizes my investigation into recent sea level rise and coastal erosion issues in Dorchester County.

Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference 2020 Program, 2020

In 2018 and 2019, the Maryland Historical Trust funded two coastal archaeological surveys; one al... more In 2018 and 2019, the Maryland Historical Trust funded two coastal archaeological surveys; one along the Honga River and one in Fishing Bay. The objectives for both surveys were to evaluate the impact of recent erosion and late Holocene sea level rise on nearshore archaeological resources. Differences in tidal marsh and upland between both watersheds have played a role in the magnitude of observed erosion and site loss over the past 166 or more years. Both watersheds also provide very detailed chronological datasets
suggesting that the rate of sea level rise over the past 1000 years, which includes the past century, has been ~10-centimeters per century. In summation, the research within these two neighboring watersheds
illustrates how natural coastal processes influence archaeological interpretations; such as settlement pattern studies, human population densities, and estuarine resource use. The two surveys evaluated 107
coastal archaeological sites and documented 38 previously unrecognized sites.

The following short 15-minute lecture was presented at the meetings associated with two local int... more The following short 15-minute lecture was presented at the meetings associated with two local interest groups during the month of October 2019. The lecture is a brief synopsis showing only a few archaeological site examples that provide tangible data to evaluate and test modeled sea level change in the Chesapeake Bay over the past century or more. Because of the limited time constraints, I only highlighted a few site locations. There are numerous locations and areas around the bay, which offer comparable data. If anyone would like to discuss the results presented in this short-lecture, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The following is a link to a website with several papers that I have published and a .pdf version... more The following is a link to a website with several papers that I have published and a .pdf version of a powerpoint presentation outlining some of my research on differentiating shoreline erosion, sea level rise, and changes in tidal amplitude in the Chesapeake Bay region during the late Holocene.

BOEM Draft Report on Middle Atlantic Continental Shelf Exploration, 2010

An assessment of the parameters for understanding the archaeological potential of the Middle Atla... more An assessment of the parameters for understanding the archaeological potential of the Middle Atlantic continental shelf is presented. The variables associated with slow rates and rapid rates of sea level rise summarized. The eustatic sea level data are used to define broad zones on the continental shelf that were drowned during the various pulses of meltwater during the most recent deglaciation. Intervals with slow rates of sea level rise may have provided estuarine and coastal ecological development. Because prehistoric human populations were attracted to coastal resources, the time intervals with slow rates of sea level rise and the associated bathymetric sea level depths may be represent important areas for uncovering drowned archaeological sites. Finally, a staged approach for surveying the continental shelf is also presented.