BLUEMONT, VA -- An 11-year-old Boy Scout found a fossilizing horse tooth around the triangle formation at the Paleo-Indian site here this week. Carter Tarbet was one of seven Boy Scouts from Troop 743 Round Hill, Virginia in Loudoun County who helped clear land to help with an upcoming 3D-scanning when he discovered the tooth.
     Describing the boys, Dave Tarbet 743 Troop Leader said, "They don't think about thousands of years ago. People lived here and left things behind."
     Dave is also Carter's father, and sounded proud that his son found the old horse tooth. 
     "It is eye opening for the boys to find something right here in their back yard," Dave added.
     This is the second horse tooth found here. Chris White, property owner, found the first fossilizing horse-tooth near the concentric rings last year. Evidence across America indicates the horse was here well before Columbus. The horse became extinct after the last Ice Age, some 9,000 years ago
     "We have not date tested the teeth, but it looks and feels very old," Chris said.
     Other artifacts excavated here over the past five years show this site was last use 10,470 years ago.
   "The boys helped a great deal and earned their archaeology merit badge and Indian lore merit badge for helping us," said Chris who has been working to preserve the site, since he discovered it over five years ago.
    "The boys had a great time and enjoyed seeing all the different parts of the property and understanding the uses," Dave added.

Sanctuary on the Trail -- Turns out catching mayflies is equivalent to panning for gold and we are swarming with Mayflies at the Sanctuary this Spring.
   Mayflies are very sensitive to pollution, and as such are usually only found at high quality, minimally polluted sites. Their presence in the Sanctuary aquatic ecosystem is a strong indicator of a very healthy creek and natural springs around the Paleo-Indian site.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA - Three archaeologists from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) office and a hydrogeologist from Maryland visited the Paleo-Indian site here today.
     Tom Klatka, archaeologist from DHR’s community services division regional offices Western Regional Preservation Office (Roanoke College, Salem) provided sound advice and recommendations to site owners into the importance of preservation. Tom advocates for local communities and helps get their voices heard. He has 26 years’ experience as an archaeologist.
     DHR’s division of Preservation Incentives Easements Joanna Wilson Green, archaeologist and Michael Clem, archaeologist and easement program stewardship coordinator, helped confirm the rarity of finding jasper which is not indigenous to this portion of Northern Virginia.      DHR is the State Historic Preservation Office in Virginia responsible for fostering, encouraging and supporting the stewardship of Virginia's significant historic architectural, archaeological and cultural resources.
     Dennis Cumbie, CPG groundwater hydro-geologist, from Rockledge LLC., Sharpsburg Maryland, shed light on the natural occurrences of stone formations as they developed millions of years ago. He also suggested the site owners get opinions from quaternary geomorphology experts. Dennis is a senior level hydrogeologist with 18+ years experience in water supply investigation, ground- and surface-water monitoring, water quality and watershed management.
     Site owners Chris and René White gave the 4-member team a tour of key features to include the concentric rings, stacked rock linage, alter, triangle formation and day clock.

     Discussions included the possibility of conducting future soil samples and additional Thermoluminescence (TL) dating. The team shared numerous suggestions for further research and analysis to include consulting with specialists from Virginia Tech University, James Madison University and University of Georgia.
     “We welcomed the team to observe and analyze our findings,” said Chris who discovered the above-ground Paleo-Indian site on his property in Northern Virginia. “The highlight of our conversation for me was how these ancient findings impact humanity at large and how we find relevance in our current world view.”

    Paleo-Indian site guardians Chris and René White with the Native American Church of Virginia, presented scientific data collected over five years of research to 26 people at historic Bears Den hosted by the Bluemont Civic Organization Tuesday, Oct. 14.
    Chris and René also showed hands on samples of artifacts and offered heritage t-shirts featuring local artist Abigail Beavin.

     A partnership between the State Arboretum of Virginia at Blandy and the Native American Church of Virginia seems like a natural fit, thanks to the Foundation of the State Arboretum (FOSA) Volunteer and Events Coordinator Koy Mislowsky.
     Koy invited a small group of Native American elders to Blandy for an initial meeting on Thursday Oct.16. Notes following the two and half hour meeting revealed new possibilities for increasing understanding of the natural environment through education and culture for all people.
     "What a wonderful gathering," Koy said describing the conversations. "I am sitting at my desk reviewing all that we spoke of and I am amazed at your knowledge and expertise. So happy we have found each other!"
     Koy initiated contact with Chris and Rene' White of the Native American Church of Virginia following a local Winchester Star article. 
     While more talks and planning is needed, 

_initial impressions look positive for new ways to share Native American heritage while bringing all people, students, visitors and the community into one hoop at Blandy.
     The Arboretum occupies 172 acres of Blandy Experimental Farm and contains over 5000 woody trees and shrubs from around the world.
     Click here for FOSA membership information.

FOSA 30th Anniversary

This year is the 30th Anniversary for the Foundation of the State Arboretum of Virginia (FOSA), the official fund-raising, membership, and gift receiving organization for the State Arboretum of Virginia and Blandy Experimental Farm.

     FOSA is a 501(c)(3), University of Virginia (UVA) -related foundation. FOSA has about 700 member units and in 2013,100 active volunteers amassed nearly 4,800 volunteer hours by helping in the gardens, at events, and in our gift shop under the arch.
     Partnering with the Native American Church of Virginia could mean increased education of Native American culture, lands and way of life.

    Paleo-Indian site guardians, Chris and René White with the Native American Church of Virginia, gave six hours of various presentations to close to 100 people during the Clermont Farm Day event Sat., Oct. 11.
     Hosted by the Clermont Foundation and Clarke County Parks and Recreation, a reported 200+ people braved the cold and wet weather to attend the one-day festival and to celebrate the county's rich farm cultural and historical heritage.
     With October being Virginia Archeology Month, Clermont Farm Foundation CEO Bob Stieg invited the couple to be the featured archaeology speakers.
     Chris and René showed hands on samples of artifacts, presented scientific data collected over five years of research and offered heritage t-shirts featuring local artist Abigail Beavin, while Native American flutist Alan Stanz, of the local Native American flute circle, performed.
     The Clermont Farm Foundation funds and manages Clermont Farm, a 360-acre research and training site in history, historic preservation, and agriculture, owned by the Department of Historic Resources of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Bluemont, VA -- The Native American Church of Virginia offers ways to encourage and support the identification, stewardship, and use of Virginia's significant archaeological resources for educational and cultural benefits with preservation, protection and restoration of Paleo-Indian and Native American Indian sites and culture.
     Join us in October as we share evidence of an advanced, but different, intelligence left by a people more than 10,000 years ago here.
     Thanks to the Clermont Foundation, Blue Ridge Mountain Civic Association, Bears Den, Friends of Bluemont and Art in the Foothills for hosting us. Currently, we are participating in two presentations and one Art Show, all open to the public:

Clermont Farm Day
Sat., Oct. 11 Presentations and Exhibits
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
801 East Main Street
Berryville, VA 22611

Bears Den
Fri., Oct. 17 Presentations
7:00 - 8:00 pm
18393 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd
Bluemont, VA 20135

International Archaeology Day

Art in the Foothills
Oct. 24-26 Art Show
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness
18370 Bluemont Village Lane
Bluemont, VA 20135

For information about Virginia Archaeology Month can be found at the Department of Historical Resources.

Release of New T-Shirt on Oct. 11

Bluemont VA - This week, Northern Virginia Paleo-Indian site guardians flew to California, not knowing they would end up at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
     During the couple’s already scheduled trip to receive volunteer awards in Riverside CA, PBS Religions & Ethics Newsweekly aired an interview of them, along with an interview of a Dr. Ed Krupp.
     It turns out that Dr. Krupp is the director and curator of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, less than an hour away from the ceremony.
     “Astronomer Krupp is considered an expert in ‘Archaeo-astronomy,’” according to Lucky Severson with PBS R&E.
     So the couple drove out to the Griffith Observatory in hopes to introduce themselves to Dr. Krupp.

Having the Courage to Ask Forbidden Questions
     Chris (Comeswithclouds) White said, "It is not about knowing all the answers right now. We pray for the courage to ask the forbidden questions, then seek the answers."
     "With the best questions, then we can develop a better plan and assemble a team of experts to help find answers that lead us to a truer understanding of the beginnings of humanity," he added. "If we don't understand the beginning and don't know the end, how can we have confidence in the direction we are going?"
     “As we develop a long-term strategy for the Paleo-Indian site we need the questions,” said Chris.
     Chris discovered the Paleo site in 2010 and has been investigating it with experts for five years.
     “We are hoping to begin a conversation with Dr. Krupp about what types of questions we should be asking. We need questions before we can find the answers.”
     The couple's airline flights to California were free, courtesy of Southwest Airlines.

Southwest Airlines gifted the couple four round-trip airline tickets because they gave up their 2013 flights to a family in need.

Dr. Krupp Griffith Observatory Curator
     Dr. Krupp has served as the Griffith Observatory director since 1974 and has visited over two thousand ancient and prehistoric sites worldwide, according to PBS R&E. 
     Dr. Krupp is responsible for helping develop a long-term strategy for the renovation and renewal of the Griffith Observatory.
     Speaking about the Paleo-Indian site in Virginia, Dr. Krupp said to PBS R&E, “Am I surprised that some kind of structured monument is that old in North America? I would say, ‘yeah, I am,’ because I don’t know anything else that is that old.”
     Dr. Krupp ended the PBS R&E interview by saying, “We’re actually beholden to all of these ancestors, all around the planet. They are the people that helped make our world the way it is for us today, whether we’re in China, North America, Europe or whatever.”
     "I don’t think you’re ever going to have a confident sense of certainty about the prehistoric past, and prehistoric monuments for the obvious

reason, we don’t have the owner’s manual," he added.
     Chris and René welcome Dr. Krupp and other professionals to see the site in Virginia. The couple is seeking professionals who can help them find questions and answers to help with preservation, protection and restoration.

The Griffith Observatory
     “The Griffith Observatory is perched atop a prominent hilltop in Griffith Park in Mt. Hollywood above Los Angeles,” said René White (Feather), who accompanied her husband to the Observatory.
     “We saw soaring hawks and wild coyotes. It was my first time seeing the Hollywood sign. The views of Los Angeles are magnificent and you can see all the way to Santa Monica from the Griffith Observatory."
     “In front of the Observatory is a day clock. Much different from the day clock my husband found in Virginia. I enjoy taking photos of him as he studies and discovers,” she added.
    The Griffith Observatory is one of the most famous and visited landmarks in southern California, according to the Observatory’s web site. “Tens of millions have come to walk the inside of the building, view the live planetarium shows, or simply gaze out towards the coast and the heavens.”