(Located on the ground floor of the Acton Memorial Library)
Pinehawk Artifacts Display
PDF of Display (top half of Display only)
There is a wonderful exhibit on the ground floor of the library, past the circulation desk. A number of artifacts are displayed, along with contextual information.
Most of the thousands of artifacts, however, are kept at the Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) in Rhode Island. PAL excavated the site and has the state contract to protect and care for these items. There are strict storage and safety requirements for those that are displayed locally in Acton. The Massachusetts Historical Commission by law owns the actual artifacts. The Native Americans themselves also have significant legal rights and interests. These legal strictures do not apply to the use of the case of Pine Hawk replicas.
The Friends of Pine Hawk are grateful to the Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council, Woodard & Curran, and the Friends of the Acton Libraries for their support.
If you have additional questions, please email Bob Ferrara of the Friends of Pine Hawk at: friends.of.pinehawk (at) gmail.com
Pinehawk Portable Displays
The Acton Memorial Library has three large, portable displays highlighting the Pine Hawk Dig, the Artifacts, and the Setting. They are suitable for taking to lectures and demonstrations. When not traveling, the displays are mounted near the Reference Desk at the Acton Memorial Library. They may be borrowed by any local business or organization by contacting the Library Director.
Replicas of Artifacts for Educational Programs
A small case of replicas of spear points and other artifacts uncovered at the Pine Hawk site is on long-term loan to the Acton Historical Society. This case may be borrowed for school educational or museum purposes. Contact the Acton Historical Society by e-mailing jenkslibrary (at) verizon.net for loan requests.
This case contains replicas of artifacts discovered at the site of the Pine Hawk archaeological survey conducted in the late 1990’s in preparation for construction of the South Acton (MA) Sewer Plant. The artifacts are considered by archaeologists to be representative of Native Americans who travelled seasonally to a bluff overlooking the Assabet River to fish and hunt approximately 7,000 years ago. The replicas were knapped and created by an archaeologist using, as far as possible, similar materials and methods that the artifacts were originally made.