Field Trip Recap
On a lovely fall day, a dozen ASCO members headed west, over the Cascades, to the University of Oregon in Eugene. 
There was a time for a mammoth rub after a short walk from the parking lot to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
We were divided into two groups with each having a tour of the museum and then the collections. Our allotted half hour in the museum was great; but just enough to wet our appetite for more time. Visiting the collections was a real treat – especially seeing the collection of Fort Rock sandals.
After a tailgate lunch, it was time for a stroll across campus to Condon Hall to meet Katelyn McDonough and Richie Rosencrance. We again split into two groups; one group headed inside to the Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab (EAP) with Katelyn and the other to the Great Basin Archaeology Lab (GBA) with Richie. In the EAP lab, Katelyn spoke to some of the paleoethnobotany work and hearth analyses from the Connley Caves that are currently underway. More specifically very detailed work under the microscope identifying very tiny seeds and pollen grains to understand past environments. At the GBA lab, Richie explained the process to clean samples in preparation for radiocarbon age dating, how the amount of material required for the analysis has decreased substantially over the years, and the factors that influence radiocarbon dates. Both spoke to their appreciation of the support ASCO has provided over the years to various student research projects.Following a group photo, we couldn’t begin to express how appreciative we were with the hospitality of the staff of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History and to Katelyn and Richie. A return visit to spend more time in the museum is a must!
Following a group photo, we couldn’t begin to express how appreciative we were with the hospitality of the staff of the Museum of Natural and Cultural History and to Katelyn and Richie. A return visit to spend more time is a must!
Thursday October 1st
Museum of Natural & Cultural History and Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab at University of Oregon
Registration opens Friday September 18th at 8:00AM
Participants limited to 16
Dear ASCO members,
We have a special opportunity, on Thursday October 1st, to visit the Museum of Natural & Cultural History and the Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab, both at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
This will be a full day, driving from Bend to Eugene and back. We will meet at Cascade Village Shopping Center, between Ashley and PetSmart, at 7:30am and depart Bend by 7:45am on Thursday October 1st. We expect to arrive at the Museum of Natural & Cultural History on the University of Oregon campus at 10:45am. The drive to the museum is 2 3/4 hours.
The museum is located 1680 East 15th Avenue, between the Knight Law Center and Global Scholars Hall, on the University of Oregon campus. Being in the middle of the vibrant campus, drivers should expect to pay for street parking at a meter or buy a day pass for the nearest parking lot (B East; select Zone B Daily) for $5. Parking passes become available online six days in advance. Lots can fill quickly, so reserving passes as soon as they become available is recommended.
We will have guided tours of both the Exhibit Hall and the Collections, starting at 11:00AM. Because of limited space in the Collections area and Lab, we will be limited to 16 participants. Our group will split in half and one half will do a collections tour while the other does the exhibit hall tour and then they will switch. The guided tours should finish at about noon, leaving time for additional time in the exhibits, visiting the museum gift store, enjoying a sack lunch on the campus grounds and then getting to Condon Hall by 1:15PM.
Condon Hall is about a 15-minute walk from the museum. Or, Parking Lot B-West is directly across from Condon Hall (see above information about parking passes). We will gather at the front of the building at 1:15 and then enter and go to the Environmental Archaeology and Paleoecology Lab to meet Katelyn McDonough. We may need to split into two groups for the lab tour.
We should be heading home by 3PM, however for those wanting more time in the museum, it will be open until 8PM.
The tour leader is Bob TImmer
Questions? E-mail Bob (bobtimmer@yahoo.com)
