Friends of the Office of State Archaeology

10/12/2026

The Arkhaios Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Film Festival kicks off this week. You can view the festival films online for FREE by registering on their website.

They have a diverse range of films covering a range of archaeological subjects.

The link to the registration is in the first comment below!

10/09/2026

FOSA Archaeological Display at the Mark Twain Library.

Claudia Gruss of FOSA has coordinated an outreach display at the Mark Twain Library in Redding, CT. This display opened October 9th and will continue through the end of November.

Claudia has coordinated with June Myles (Mark Twain Library), Ellery Leary (Putnam Encampment State Park & Greenwich Historical Society), Earnest Wiegand (Connecticut State Community College Norwalk), and Tom Ford (FOSA) to provide displays of Fort Griswold; Gallows Hill Site; the Putnam Western Encampment; 18th-century Ceramics; and the FOSA Revolutionary Connecticut Historical Archaeology Poster Series.

This is a great opportunity for FOSA’s members living in western Connecticut to view materials of regional interest!

09/29/2026

Despite the wet and windy weather, FOSA’s outreach booth at the Durham Fair Discovery Center was a success!

Glenda Rose (past FOSA President) and Tom Ford (FOSA President) staffed the booth, which featured the Kids’ Archaeological Dig Box and our Revolutionary Connecticut Exhibit.

On Friday afternoon, Tom also presented a slide show featuring 18th-century historic artifacts from the state. Participating in an agricultural fair allowed FOSA to reach a broader audience than it typically encounters at historical societies and similar venues.

Over the four-day fair, more than 25 people expressed interest in FOSA membership. We greatly appreciate the planning and support provided by Discovery Center coordinators Jennifer and CaSondra.

09/28/2026

Join us on Saturday, October 3rd from 11am to 3pm at the Lebanon Historical Society to celebrate "Archaeology Awareness Month".

There will be tables, displays, games, and talks about the great archaeology that is taking place in our state!

FREE and open to the public.

We hope to see you there!

09/24/2026

The Friends of the Office of State Archaeology will have a booth at the Durham Fair this weekend. Please stop by the Discovery Center and chat us up if you have the chance!

09/19/2026

Come and visit FOSA today, 9/19/26

09/19/2026

FREE Event

09/14/2026

On Thursday, September 17th, Dr. Sarah Sportman, Office of State Archaeology, Connecticut, will be giving a presentation in Bolton at the Bentley Memorial Library. She will highlight artifacts found in 2023 during the "Digging into History" dig at Rochambeau Camp #5 in Bolton.

The event takes place from 6:30 - 7:30pm and is open to the public!

09/01/2026

Dr. Nicholas F. Bellantoni, emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist, will be giving a free presentation on Wednesday, October 21st (6:30pm - 7:45pm), at the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in Newington. His talk is "The New England Vampire Folk Belief: The Archaeological Record".

He will present on the archaeological excavations, research into American literature, folklore, and forensic studies that lead to an understanding of "vampire" folk belief in Connecticut.

Registration is required. Visit the link below for more details.

Nick Bellantoni, the former state archaeologist, will present on the archaeological excavations, research into American literature, folklore, and forensic studies that lead to an...

08/20/2026

This week, FOSA volunteers returned to South Windsor to assist FOSA Cooke Grant awardee Elizabeth Glaviano. She continued her investigation of a multicomponent site with a high potential for protohistoric, contact-period Indigenous, and early historic Dutch deposits.