Descriptions of colonial silver spoons, Ihauen oil jars and fishing tools gathered at archaeological sites came together during a Massachusetts Archaeological Society presentation by Emerson Tad Baker ’76 on his findings from excavations in Maine. Baker’s presentation centered on his research from excavations at Sagadahoc Island, the “Hitchcock” Site, the “Chadbourne” Site and the ‘Elizabeth and Mary’ boat. He analyzed the data from each site by focusing on the similarities among the artifacts. He said, “The artifacts are almost identical at all four sites. This suggests how integrated the New England economy was at the time.” “It shows that Boston served as a mass marketplace where people from all walks of land could come together to trade. By the 1680’s there was a uniform of resources coming in through merchants in Boston,” he continued. By analyzing the correlations between artifacts and resources at the time, Baker identified the nature of New Englanders within a global context. “New Englanders were part of a global world and liked nice stuff. Many artifacts were shipped from the Middle East to Boston. Also, some artifacts found had the Roman Gods sketched into them. This showed both status and wealth,” said Baker. Baker also studied the relationship between New Englanders and Native Americans. After excavating “a lot of bullets and gun powder”, Baker formed a hypothesis about the violence between the Native Americans and New Englanders. “As settlements grow, so do disagreements with the Natives. The King Williams War occurred from 1688-1697. After the war only two settlements were left standing in Maine. When excavating the remains we found…showed how armed the New Englanders were back then,” he said. Baker described his observations from the four sites where he worked. Sagadahoc Island was the home of a poor fisherman in the seventeenth century. “The Sagadahoc Island is a wind step island that was an exposed spot in relation to the Native Americans. The Island was occupied by the Fishermen of Kennobee. They lived in the most primitive houses imaginable. They probably had dirt floors, and their technology behind the construction of the houses were very simple,” said Baker. Baker primarily uncovered tools, pots and pans on Sagadahoc Island. The artifacts featured simple designs, but were structurally similar to artifacts possessed by the wealthy members of the society during the same time period. Baker also excavated key artifacts at the Hitchcock site, a farmstead in Saco, Maine. “At the Hitchcock site we found a corked Ihauen oil jar, cowbell and many different types of tools. The material and structure of these artifacts was very similar to the material and structure of the artifacts found at the Sagadahoc Island,” said Baker. Baker described the history of the wealthy Chadbourne family, which held a large portion of land in the early seventeenth century, at the “Chadbourne” site. Baker said, “The Chadbourne family established a series of mills and houses created in what we call today the Chadbourne site. They were the Donald Trump of Maine if you will, the multi-millionaires.” “We are pretty sure that the Chadbourne family arrived in 1643. By 1664 [the Chadbourne family] built their many houses and mills. Unfortunately for the Chadbourne family this establishment was destroyed by an Indian raid in 1690,” he continued. Baker said that the designs on the Chadbournes’ pans and silverware demonstrated their wealth and influence. While excavating, Baker’s team discovered a silver spoon, a rarity due to the high cost of silver at the time. The last site Baker described was the Elizabeth and Mary boat. Like the Chadbourne site, the artifacts found were extravagant and luxurious. “The Elizabeth and Mary was a boat lost during the Quebec expedition. It was later found and excavated by Parks Canada from 1994 to 1997. It produced an amazing array of artifacts. We found multiple ceramics, spoons, forks, you name it,” said Baker. Baker is a renowned scholar, author of multiple books and a professor of History at Salem State University.