Super Cool – The Palisades Museum of Prehistory

I never thought I’d see something cooler than the Glass Forest in the Palisades. Then I met Doug Dupin and the Palisades Museum of Prehistory (PMOP). So freaking cool. At first I was simply admiring the unusual little building and I just thought it was cool looking work shed. Turns out I was way off. Here’s the mission of PMOP:

The Palisades Museum of Prehistory (PMOP), incorporated in Washington DC, is a non-profit regional organization dedicated to promoting the awareness and preservation of prehistoric artifacts in the Palisades of Washington DC.

It is little known by most residents of our area that humans have occupied what is now the Washington, DC metropolitan area for at least 12,000 years. In particular, the Palisades of Washington DC is especially rich in the history of early humans. In light of the area’s rapid rate of development, much evidence of early man’s presence is being lost.

The PMOP will accomplish its mission by providing information, education, and archaeological guidance.

In addition to curation and preservation of prehistoric artifacts, the PMOP will assemble a library of archaeological records, maps, and surveys pertinent to the region’s prehistory. These records are now housed in disparate locations e.g. universities, National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Offices, Smithsonian archives. The localized information will be made available in the museum located in the Palisades of Washington DC.

More interest in our prehistory will hopefully allow the PMOP to organize a volunteer network that can react rapidly to events exposing our prehistory – like road works, building excavations, and erosion.

The bulk of prehistoric data remains locked up in government agencies and academic institutions. Many in the archaeological profession believe that releasing this information will encourage people to collect artifacts on federal lands. However well-intentioned, this mindset continues to exact a toll on the prehistoric record. Ignorance of history will guarantee the obliteration of the archeological record as more development continues with little regard to the people who onced lived here.

By providing the public access to the archaeological record, PMOP will boost awareness of our area’s human history. In the end, both professionals and public will benefit from the increase of knowledge.

Because our region’s prehistory spans at least 12,000 years, waves of indigenous cultures have come and gone dispersing evidence over broad geographic areas. The ravages of time have thinned much of that evidence. By recovering more evidence over a broader area, and making that information public, the PMOP hopes to raise awareness and understanding of those who lived here for thousands of years.

In terms of human evolution, the formative years of our species existed in lithic cultures. By greatly expanding the knowledge base of those cultures, the Palisades Museum of Prehistory hopes to shed light on our human nature.

And the executive director, Doug Dupin, could not be more interesting and welcoming. If you’re interested in having a look just schedule an appointment by phone 202-262-2360 or email director(at)pmop.org. Doug says he gets 1-2 visitors a week.

Inside is jam packed with artifacts:

More about the museum here.

Update November 2012:

“Palisades Museum of Prehistory Closes

With a heavy heart, I have decided to close the museum. I brought the artifacts inside my home where they will be safe and on display, but not accessible to the public. I can no longer justify the museum effort within the framework of my own economic hardship. In fact, I probably should have shut down the operation years ago but continued because of the enthusiasm and help from friends and neighbors. I am in deep gratitude for all those who have offered their support over the many years.

To a certain degree, I think the museum achieved its mission of reviving archeological awareness in the Palisades. When I first stumbled upon the stone age artifacts while digging a wine cellar in my yard, I thought the find was extraordinary. And it was, but only in the sense that somebody bothered to keep a close eye on the ground during excavation. Over the course of several building projects in the Palisades, I learned that prehistoric artifacts are quite common throughout the area between MacArthur Blvd and the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River.

The construction of a soccer field at Palisades Park revealed on a grand scale the abundance of Native American artifacts in the neighborhood. It also revealed the utter lack of interest on part of the DC Government concerning this history. In spite of a conversation with city archeologist Nancy Kasner about the imminent work at the park, her response was simply “This hasn’t come across my desk.” As the bulldozers churned up the forest above Canal Road, neighbors and I collected the exposed artifacts. When I published our findings on the Historic Washington listserv, Tim Denee of the DC Historical Preservation Office responded with a post stating the illegality of taking artifacts from public land. At that point, I realized the museum could serve the vital function of promoting the city’s prehistory. Unfortunately, this pitted the museum against the DC Historical Preservation Office and Board. I grew suspicious of the city’s efforts to suppress any archeological information, and over time, it became obvious that the HPO was suppressing history because the Office of Planning considered it a threat to “economic development.”

Because of the city’s callousness during the first phase of park construction, I made sure to document the second stage there, – and surprise!, their behavior changed little but with a few symbolic gestures.

I also tried to document travesties in other parts of the city. Somehow, the House of Sweden built at the mouth of Rock Creek on the Potomac River required no archeology (in spite of the amazing Indian burial discovered across the stream), nor did the development of the Institute of Peace garner any (official) archeological survey (at least Ruth Trocolli acknowledged that this land was probably the most important archeological location in the District). In addition to the outcry by naval historian Jan Herman, I testified at the Committee of the Whole, Feb.26th, 2009. There was also American University’s School of International Service where construction workers, according to rumors, had found Indian artifacts. In addition to the archeological losses at these sites, private residential construction continued booming with excavations encompassing entire lots. Unlike when the Palisades neighborhood was originally developed, today’s builders remove almost all of the lot’s earth (10 feet in depth) and transport it to landfills. The many artifacts found in excavated walls suggests a wealth of archeological data has been moved to landfills.

It would have been one thing for the DCHPO to provide little assistance to a fledging museum promoting neighborhood history, but their obstructionism took me aback. An initial small grant provided by the DC Arts and Humanities Commission to photograph local petroglyphs was met with outrage from NPS archeologist and DCHP Board member Robert Sonderman. He threatened (through a third party) to arrest me because photographs were taken in Great Falls National Park during night (the park is closed at night). And then, amongst a meeting of regional archeologists, he stated that “he and some of his friends might go dig on my property.” Both a shocking and despotic reaction to photographing petroglyphs. I should note that a series of petroglyphs were recently vandalized with grafitti (judging by the tagging, the perpetrator was/is unaware of the glyphs’ existence) but you can still see the pristine petroglyph as captured for the Petroglyphs of the Potomac grant project.

And finally, I am most proud that the Palisades Museum of Prehistory showcased DC artifacts. This normally would not be of great importance but because DCHPO keeps our DC artifact collection inaccessible to the public, the PMOP served as the sole window to the prehistoric past. Even artifacts collected on city land, such as those recovered at Peter House in Georgetown were given to Tudor Place on condition that they remain inaccessible to the public. How people entrusted with public cultural resources can implement such despotic practices will remain a mystery to me.

Anyway, I hope to keep some of the museum’s documentation online while overhauling the site’s general appearance and content. I’ll also continue intermittently updating the blog, and maybe some day, the PMOP will resurrect in a more enlightened era.”