In response to David's posts, I must speak to support his observation. The 
social and economic improvements that (presumably) will follow from these 
"redevelopment" projects are probably commendable, but the bottom line is 
about profits to the developer's pockets. Oh yes, they take a "big risk" to 
go in where other capitalists fear to tread, but when it comes to real 
historical values vs. corporate profits, they stack the deck against 
actually preserving or retrieving historical knowledge, while draping 
themselves in the phony banner of "preservation" this has been going on in 
downtown Richmond, Virginia for a very long time.

They will pass the costs -- even the ones they don't actually incur -- on to 
consumers, anyway. This is just a scam to increase their profits so they can 
retire to the Bahamas, where, with any luck, they will be drowned by 
sea-level rise before they die.

Tim T.




>
>Date:    Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:33:46 -0500
>From:    Ryan Austin <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Canal "Archaeology" in Buffalo
>
>I know this may be a dead discussion thread, but as an archaeologist who 
>wor=
>ks in western New York, the "big dig" vexes me, and I felt the need to 
>vent.=
>    The project was organized by Tim Tielman, a prominent local historic 
>pres=
>ervationist who has long fought for the re-development of the Commercial 
>Sli=
>p and Erie Canal terminus into a heritage tourism site.   While his 
>efforts=20=
>to bring businesses and tourist dollars to Buffalo is admirable, I am 
>concer=
>ned with some of the information presented by Allen Olbert's recent 
>newspape=
>r article, and the possible impression that it gives about local 
>archaeology=
>.
>=20
>First, the article alludes to the oversight of the whole project by 
>trained=20=
>archaeologists. In one passage, Olmert writes" Such marks were telltales 
>=20
>signs to the practiced eyes of artifact screeners who kept watch on =20
>the proceedings". I'm not sure any professional archaeologists were 
>actually=
>  involved in the "Big Dig", though I could be mistaken.  If anybody out 
>ther=
>e participated in this event, please let me know. =20
>=20
>Second, regarding the 200 truckloads of debris removed from the site, 
>Olmert=
>  suggests that "Although its removal was a necessary part of the 
>restoration=
>  of the slip, it was originally hoped that the debris could have a proper 
>go=
>ing through on site. But that was denied by the state overseers of the 
>Inner=
>  Harbor project, and for a time it appeared that this historic material 
>was=20=
>doomed to vanish in oblivion in a Tonawanda landfill". =20
>=20
>According to this statement, it would appear that no archaeological 
>mitigati=
>on had ever taken place; A travesty indeed!  However, the Empire State 
>Devel=
>opment Corporation has published the SEQRA Statement of Findings, 
>Supplement=
>al Final Environment Impact Statement, as well as a copy of the Phase II / 
>I=
>II cultural resources site examination and data recovery project that 
>includ=
>es information on archaeological work conducted at the site from as early 
>as=
>  2000.  PDFs can be found online at:
>=20
>http://www.nylovesbiz.com/popup/features.asp?id=3D15
>=20
>=20
>During the previous mitigation projects, a percentage of the overall site 
>ar=
>ea was excavated and the results of that excavation were published not 
>only=20=
>in the realm of the "grey literature", but also on a public web site. 
>Theref=
>ore, I am not exactly sure what is meant by a "proper going through", 
>though=
>  I'm inclined to think that this means a 100% site sample of the entire 
>comm=
>ercial slip.  For anybody who knows the business of contract archaeology, 
>th=
>e sampling of, say, a 3% overall sample would be rather expensive.  Though 
>T=
>ielman may not be aware of the real costs of a professional archaeological 
>i=
>nvestigation, I am pretty sure that he knows about the archaeological 
>projec=
>t himself; A 2005 Buffalo News article written by Mark Sommer reports that 
>T=
>ielman was aware of the archaeological project, though disagreed with the 
>te=
>sting strategy.=20
>=20
>http://www.cirelec.com/Tools/BroadCaster/Upload/Buffalo%20News%20Article(1).=
>pdf
>
>=20
>The Sommer article states that Tielman's offer of hiring somebody to go 
>thro=
>ugh the commercial slip fill was rejected by the Empire State Development 
>Co=
>rporation citing "safety, liability, and logistical concerns in denying 
>the=20=
>request".  Thus, the "Big Dig" was concocted in order to retrive artifacts 
>f=
>rom the Commercial slip fill soil.  Interested members of the public paid 
>$=20=
>5 -10 dollars to =E2=80=9Cvolunteer=E2=80=9D to sift through the 
>unprovenien=
>ced back-dirt, from which they were permitted to keep one (1) artifact.   
>Th=
>ough Tielman may have achieved his goal of collecting pretty artifacts for 
>h=
>is museum, and making a few bucks on the side, I think that this whole 
>thing=
>, Olmert article included, casts local archaeology in a poor light. =20
>=20
>First, the premise behind the =E2=80=9CBig Dig=E2=80=9D ignores fact that 
>an=
>  actual paid mitigation investigation actually took place at the site. 
>Secon=
>d, a fee was charged for all =E2=80=9Cvolunteers=E2=80=9D. Third, people 
>wer=
>e allowed to keep artifacts, potentially encouraging looting of other 
>sites;=
>  and finally, although I do not have specific evidence for this, as a CRM 
>ar=
>chaeologist working in western New York, I have come to expect that soils 
>bu=
>ried on sites previously used for industrial and/or transportation 
>purposes=20=
>(e.g. railroad) are more likely to contain undocumented hazardous 
>materials.=
>    Therefore, exposing members of the public (as opposed to field techs) 
>to=20=
>potentially contaminated soils without proper protection, or at least 
>withou=
>t the knowledge that one should thoroughly wash one's hands after sifting 
>th=
>e dirt and before eating, is simply negligence.  That being said, I am not 
>s=
>ure if there is anything that could or should be done about such 
>=E2=80=9Cev=
>ents=E2=80=9D, besides having local firms offer more visible public 
>outreach=
>  programs.=20
>=20
>If anybody is still paying attention to this thread, was involved in the 
>pro=
>ject, or has any additional information on what is going to be done with 
>the=
>  recovered artifacts, please post it to the list.=20
>=20
>Sincerely,=20
>=20
>Ryan F. Austin, M.A., RPA
>Project Director
>University at Buffalo Archaeological Survey
>=20
>________________________________________________________________________
>Check out the new AOL.  Most comprehensive set of free safety and security 
>t=
>ools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, 
>fr=
>ee AOL Mail and more.
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:43:20 -0500
>From:    David Babson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Harper's Ferry; Old Postings
>
>This is the response to my 26 October e-mail to Secretary Kempthorne.
>While it is something of a form letter, it does mention that Interior is
>investigating the matter in concert with the Department of Justice.
>Encouraging, and we'll see.
>
>D. Babson.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>[log in to unmask]
>Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 11:07 AM
>To: David Babson
>Cc: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Destruction of Part of the Harper's Ferry National Historical
>Park
>
>Dear Mr. Babson:
>
>    Thank you for your email dated October 26, 2006, to the Department of
>    the Interior.  The Department has forwarded your email to me for a
>    personal response.  The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is
>within
>    the National Capital Region.
>
>    The National Park Service is extremely concerned about the
>excavations
>    and related actions that occurred over the August 19 weekend at Perry
>    Orchard, a part of the School House Ridge battlefield area of Harpers
>    Ferry National Historical Park.  While the National Park Service
>    respects the property rights of the easement holders, the courts have
>    recognized that the National Park Service must protect the cultural
>and
>    natural resources owned by all Americans, as well as the safety of
>park
>    visitors.  The National Park Service is actively reviewing the matter
>    with the Department of Justice and considering options for an
>    appropriate response.
>
>    Sincerely,
>    (Embedded image moved to file: pic27830.jpg)
>    Regional Director, National Capital Region
>
>Forwarded by EXSEC/OES/OS/DOI on 10/31/2006 01:44 PM -----
>=20
>
>                       "David Babson"
>
>                       <[log in to unmask]        To:
>EXSEC/OES/OS/DOI@DOI
>
>                       syr.edu>                 cc:       "HISTARCH List
>Server" <[log in to unmask]>                                    =20
>                                                Subject:  Destruction of
>Part of the Harper's Ferry National Historical Park           =20
>                       10/26/2006 10:30
>
>                       PM
>
>=20
>
>=20
>
>
>
>
>Mr. Dirk Kempthorne
>Secretary of the Interior
>United States Department of the Interior
>Washington, D.C.
>
>
>25 October 2006
>
>
>Secretary Kempthorne:
>
>
>I was shocked and dismayed to read of the destruction of a corridor
>running
>through part of the Harper's Ferry National Historical Park.  This act
>of
>national vandalism was perpetrated on August 19th and 20th of this year
>(2006) by Mr. Herb Jonkers, Mr. Gene Capriotti and Mr. Lee Snyder.
>Based
>upon press coverage of the incident, I understand that these individuals
>conspired to violate federal historic preservation law, in particular
>(but
>not limited to) Section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as
>amended).  Mr. Jonkers, Mr. Capriotti and Mr. Snyder were, again based
>upon
>press reports, attempting to construct sewer and utility lines to
>increase
>the value of property they owned adjacent to the federal (National Park
>Service) property destroyed by their activities.  They proceeded with
>their
>acts in advance of a permit due to an easement they had purchased from a
>previous owner.  In that the property they destroyed was, at the time of
>their actions, federal property, they violated federal law by failing to
>complete review under Section 106 of NHPA 1966 before proceeding.
>
>
>The excavations conducted by Mr. Jonkers, Mr. Capriotti and Mr. Snyder
>have
>destroyed previously-intact archaeological resources related to several
>of
>the battles fought for the town of Harper's Ferry during the U.S. Civil
>War.  These excavations have also altered the historic landscape in the
>area where they were perpetrated, damaging the historic quality of the
>Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.  As such, the excavations
>perpetrated by Mr. Jonkers, Mr. Capriotti and Mr. Snyder have damaged
>our
>nation's history, degraded our national heritage, interfered with the
>ability of our citizens to appreciate, enjoy and learn from our
>heritage,
>and shown gross disrespect for our ancestors.  As a professional
>archaeologist, I urge you to prosecute Mr. Jonkers, Mr. Capriotti and
>Mr.
>Snyder for this crime to the fullest extent of the law.
>
>
>David W. Babson
>PhD Candidate,
>Archaeology
>Syracuse University
>Syracuse, New York.
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of HISTARCH Digest - 10 Nov 2006 to 11 Nov 2006 (#2006-269)
>***************************************************************