Meeting date: Saturday, October 18, 2025 10am-3pm
Venue: Thompson Park Visitor Center (Monmouth County Parks)
Address: 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738
Parking: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y7idrGDbpuA9QtxPA
Board Meeting
10:00 am – 11:30 am: Executive Board Meeting (All Members Welcome)
11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Break with Light Refreshments
Public Lecture SerieS & Tour
12:30 pm: President’s Welcome and Announcements
Gregory D. Lattanzi, PhD (Associate Professor, Temple University)
NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act): The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why
This presentation will provide a technical deep-dive into Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) its language and compliance. Many New Jersey archaeologists, historians, preservationists, and museum professionals are confused by this federal law and how or if they need to navigate it. Those who may not even know they need to be aware of NAGPRA but should are those in county government, state government, state agencies, state colleges and universities, and local historical groups and organizations. Beginning in 1990, when Congress first passed NAGPRA, federally recognized tribes everywhere have taken control of their past, their ancestors, and their narrative. With the new changes to the law passed in 2024, NAGPRA has handed federal tribes more control and influence in their cultural heritage.
Everett Conklin, William Sandy, James Kotcho, Darryl Daum, Jane Deesch, Tony Lombardo, Kalee McCloud, Karen Nelson, and Noah Marancik
"The Bihn Collection" (A prehistoric glimpse into the lower Wallkill River and the Upper Delaware River)
What began as the continued study of an avocational archaeologist's extensive surface collection is quickly taking shape as an important regional archaeological collection that encompasses sites in the Skylands region of New Jersey and southwestern Orange County, New York. A group of archaeologists and students have joined together to study these artifacts collectively known as the Bihn collection.
With over 4,000 Native American stone artifacts from the Delaware and Wallkill River regions, over 30 sites have been identified in the Montague and Wantage, Sussex County, New Jersey and Minisink, Orange County, New York areas. This collection spans the Paleo, Archaic, and Woodland periods and is owned by and housed at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum (SHMM) in Ogdensburg, Sussex County, NJ.
Willam S. "Bill" Bihn, his brother Bruce, and his friends surface collected these artifacts from 1985 to 2009. Bill Bihn was a miner at Sterling Hill Zinc mine where the collection is currently housed. One aspect that makes this collection particularly important is that Bill Bihn marked the artifacts according to the sites where they were found and they recorded them in two ledger books. This method helps the team to locate and map these sites for future preservation.
The Bihn collection was donated to SHMM from the estate of local archaeologist Rick Patterson. Both Bill Bihn and Rick Patterson were outdoorsmen and Vietnam War veterans. They both shared a desire for preserving Native American prehistory in these regions.
2:00 pm: Guided Tour of the Historic Racing Stable
