Chuck Orser Award J.C. Harrington Medal in Historical Archaeology
The most recent issue of Historical Archaeology celebrates the awarding of the J.C. Harrington Medal in Historical Archaeology to Charles (Chuck) E. Orser Jr. by the Society for Historical Archaeology, the leading historical archaeological association in North America. The awarding took place back in January at the 52nd Annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology in St. Charles, Missouri.
The J.C. Harrington award is one of the Society for Historical Archaeology's highest honours "presented for a life-time of contributions to the discipline centered on scholarship". The Historical Archaeology article details Chuck's many scholarly achievements, in particular his work championing historical archaeology "...as a field that is uniquely well-positioned to illuminate the last 500 years of everyday life." These achievements include seminal publications, significant international research projects and partnerships, and the founding of the International Journal of Historical Archaeology in 1997. The article also acknowledges the tremendous support of Janice Orser, Chuck's partner in life and scholarship.
The relocation of Chuck and Janice to London, Ontario has already had a positive impact on historical archaeology in Canada with Chuck's ongoing work on the The Ward in Toronto and his role in the recent CAA session, Continuities and Change in Canada: Exploring Black Settlement and Experience through Archaeology.
TMHC extends a heartfelt congratulations to both Chuck and Janice for their tremendous contributions to the discipline of archaeology. The J.C. Harrington is a much deserved honour. We are excited to see what the future will bring! Watch for Chuck's upcoming "Framing questions that count in African Canadian archaeology" in the Canadian Journal of Archaeology.