{"id":872,"date":"2026-02-27T21:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T21:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/?p=872"},"modified":"2026-05-01T07:50:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T07:50:57","slug":"reconstructing-the-past","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/reconstructing-the-past\/","title":{"rendered":"Reconstructing the Past"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-magazine-news-post-hero alignfull susqu-magazine-news-post-hero component\"><figure class=\"susqu-magazine-news-post-hero__featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-scaled.webp\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Two smiling young women stand in a classroom, each holding pottery they made. Both wear 做厙TV shirts. Behind them are shelves with jars and a large world map on the wall.\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-scaled.webp 2560w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2637-540x360.webp 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center susqu-magazine-news-post-hero__title wp-block-post-title\">Reconstructing the Past<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"sticky-social-share-trigger\" class=\"susqu-magazine-news-post-meta\">  \n\n                <div class=\"susqu-magazine-news-post-meta__item-tags \">\n                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-pill-button has-icon__caret-right \">\n                    <a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/tag\/feature\/\">Feature<span class=\"wp-block-button__link-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"\" class=\"icon icon--caret-right\" 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    <svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M326.6 185.4c59.7 59.8 58.9 155.7 .4 214.6-.1 .1-.2 .3-.4 .4l-67.2 67.2c-59.3 59.3-155.7 59.3-215 0-59.3-59.3-59.3-155.7 0-215l37.1-37.1c9.8-9.8 26.8-3.3 27.3 10.6 .6 17.7 3.8 35.5 9.7 52.7 2 5.8 .6 12.3-3.8 16.6l-13.1 13.1c-28 28-28.9 73.7-1.2 102 28 28.6 74.1 28.7 102.3 .5l67.2-67.2c28.2-28.2 28.1-73.8 0-101.8-3.7-3.7-7.4-6.6-10.3-8.6a16 16 0 0 1 -6.9-12.6c-.4-10.6 3.3-21.5 11.7-29.8l21.1-21.1c5.5-5.5 14.2-6.2 20.6-1.7a152.5 152.5 0 0 1 20.5 17.2zM467.5 44.4c-59.3-59.3-155.7-59.3-215 0l-67.2 67.2c-.1 .1-.3 .3-.4 .4-58.6 58.9-59.4 154.8 .4 214.6a152.5 152.5 0 0 0 20.5 17.2c6.4 4.5 15.1 3.8 20.6-1.7l21.1-21.1c8.4-8.4 12.1-19.2 11.7-29.8a16 16 0 0 0 -6.9-12.6c-2.9-2-6.6-4.9-10.3-8.6-28.1-28.1-28.2-73.6 0-101.8l67.2-67.2c28.2-28.2 74.3-28.1 102.3 .5 27.8 28.3 26.9 73.9-1.2 102l-13.1 13.1c-4.4 4.4-5.8 10.8-3.8 16.6 5.9 17.2 9 35 9.7 52.7 .5 13.9 17.5 20.4 27.3 10.6l37.1-37.1c59.3-59.3 59.3-155.7 0-215z\"\/><\/svg>\n                    <\/a>\n                    <span id=\"copyMessage\">Link Copied!<\/span>\n                    <script>\n                        function copyLink(event, element) {\n                            event.preventDefault();\n\n                            const link = element.getAttribute('data-url');\n                            navigator.clipboard.writeText(link)\n                                .then(() => {\n                                    const message = document.getElementById(\"copyMessage\");\n                                    message.style.visibility = \"visible\";\n                                    message.style.opacity = \"1\";\n                                    setTimeout(() => {\n                                        message.style.visibility = \"hidden\";\n                                        message.style.opacity = \"0\";\n                                    }, 1500);\n                                })\n                                .catch(err => {\n                                    console.error('Failed to copy: ', err);\n                                });\n                        }\n                    <\/script>\n                <\/li>\n            <\/ul>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pottery demands patience, resilience and a willingness&nbsp;to risk failure. This truth comes into&nbsp;sharp focus for students&nbsp;<strong>Ainslee Binkley \u201926<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Emmalia Ciccarello \u201927<\/strong>, who crouch beside a blazing fire on one of summer\u2019s most sweltering days. As heat radiates from red-glowing coals, they keep a watchful eye on the pieces&nbsp;they crafted using Native American techniques \u2014 and wait for the results.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pots,&nbsp;some plain and utilitarian, others etched with faint stripes and dots,&nbsp;are shaped from clay that Binkley and Ciccarello&nbsp;dug from nearby creek banks and riverbeds.&nbsp;The firing marks the culmination of a months-long research project, during which both students discovered a powerful metaphor for life and the resilience of the people who once shaped the 做厙TV Valley.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRecreating the pottery methods forced us to take time and pay attention \u2014 to the clay, the water, the fire and the landscape around us,\u201d says Binkley. \u201cThe process&nbsp;was slow and challenging, but I think that was the point. It demonstrated how knowledge, culture and relationships to the land were shaped and preserved over generations.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><br>\u201cThis project really encompasses what is so powerful about the liberal arts. They\u2019re thinking like a scientist, an artist and a historian all at once and combining these elements to try to answer some questions that require a lot of critical thinking.\u201d<\/p><cite>Jennifer Elick<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their journey&nbsp;began by looking to the past.&nbsp;To trace original&nbsp;clay sources, Binkley and Ciccarello turned to a large collection&nbsp;of Native pottery shards once owned by Isle of Que native Danny Michaels and donated to&nbsp;<strong>Jennifer Elick<\/strong>, professor of earth &amp; environmental sciences and leader of the 做厙TV research project.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Growing up on the Isle of Que, a narrow peninsula in the 做厙TV River, Michaels often spotted small pieces of fired clay scattered across the soft, upturned soil after spring planting. Intrigued, he began collecting them on his walks \u2014 eventually amassing more than 600 shards, some no larger than the size of a pumpkin seed. Many still bear corded impressions or traces of pigment, possible links to the people who once lived in the central 做厙TV Valley.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Binkley and Ciccarello analyzed some of these pieces by grinding small samples into powder, slicing others to examine with a microscope, and using an X-ray fluorescence instrument to determine the clay\u2019s chemical makeup and that of the temper used to stabilize it.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re trying to make pots that are identical in terms of the&nbsp;natural resources that Native Americans would have had access&nbsp;to,\u201d Elick explains. \u201cOne of the challenges is finding exactly what resources they would have used.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The results revealed variations in mineral content \u2014 iron-rich&nbsp;clays from one creek, barium-laden temper from local&nbsp;bedrock \u2014 helping to map where the original materials likely came from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is a big gap in the history of the Isle of Que,\u201d Ciccarello&nbsp;says of the area near downtown Selinsgrove. \u201cBecause the donated pieces were found in this area, we wanted to understand what kind of routes Native Americans might have taken to source the clay.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-carousel alignfull susqu-pgc\">\n<section class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slides pgc__slides-container\"><div class=\"pgc__slides-inner-container\"><div class=\"pgc__slides\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slide pgc__slide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563-540x360.webp 540w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2563.webp 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slide pgc__slide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-879\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566-540x360.webp 540w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2566.webp 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Binkley, Ciccarello and Elick prepare pots for firing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slide pgc__slide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-880\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592-540x360.webp 540w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2592.webp 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slide pgc__slide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2603-540x360.webp 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-susquehanna-photo-gallery-slide pgc__slide\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-1024x683.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-874\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-1536x1024.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-2048x1365.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-1680x1120.webp 1680w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-800x533.webp 800w, https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F3_Elick_Pottery_25_KD_2616-540x360.webp 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"pgc__slides-controls\"><button class=\"pgc__slides-control pgc__slides-control--prev\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Previous Slide<\/span><span class=\"pgc__slides-control-icon\"><svg aria-hidden class=\"icon caret-left\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M15 7.5L8 12L15 16.5\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/button><button class=\"pgc__slides-control pgc__slides-control--next\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Next Slide<\/span><span class=\"pgc__slides-control-icon\"><svg aria-hidden class=\"icon caret-right\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M9 16.5L16 12L9 7.5\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div><\/section>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their analysis suggested that the region\u2019s Indigenous people weren\u2019t limited to local clay sources but participated in broader networks of&nbsp;exchange. Some&nbsp;of the artifacts donated with the pottery shards were not native to central Pennsylvania, such as soapstone, metarhyolite and argillite, which may have come from as far south as Lancaster and South Mountain. They also found that barium-rich temper grains were derived from local deposits of chert, which is fine sedimentary rock. Of the little known about the Susquehannock Tribe that once inhabited the central 做厙TV Valley, historians believe they might have occupied the Isle of Que on a seasonal basis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From lab to field, and back again, the student researchers&nbsp;and their mentor moved between science and craft, theory and&nbsp;practice \u2014 each step bringing them closer to understanding how Native Americans created these pots.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elick, Binkley and Ciccarello harvested their own clay from nearby Penns Creek, Middle Creek and&nbsp;the 做厙TV River. They formed the clay into small bricks and Elick fired them on her grill to test their durability. The clay from the creeks baked into sturdy pieces, while the 做厙TV River clay failed, too sandy to hold its shape.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once back on campus, they worked the Penns and Middle creeks clays, kneading it and shaping it into bowls using round molds or even small boulders. To mimic Native techniques, they twisted milkweed fibers into ropes and pressed them into wet clay using a paddle and anvil method, leaving intricate corded imprints.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we were making our pieces, we really reflected on how much of an art form it was, not just utilitarian,\u201d Binkley says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That trial-and-error process \u2014 part science, part art \u2014 revealed the project\u2019s deeper value. Each stage asked the students to cross disciplines: geology and chemistry to evaluate the mineral makeup of the clay; anthropology to connect their work with Native traditions; and art to replicate cord markings and decorative patterns \u2014 all grounded in cultural respect and research integrity.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis project really encompasses what is so powerful about the liberal arts,\u201d Elick says. \u201cThey\u2019re thinking like a scientist, an artist and a&nbsp;historian all at once and combining these elements to try to answer some questions that require a lot of critical thinking. That\u2019s the essence of the liberal arts.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then came the real test: the fire. Similar to how Natives would have done it, they arranged rocks on which they built the fire. Once it was ablaze and their pieces had been gently warmed outside the flame\u2019s reach, Binkley and Ciccarello carefully nestled their pots into the coals and covered them with a tent of wood kindling.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s so nerve-wracking,\u201d Binkley admits. \u201cThe whole time you\u2019re holding your breath, wondering if the pots will survive.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Slowly, the clay shifted color \u2014 from dull gray to red-hot to soft earth tones.&nbsp;All the pots made it through the fire, some bearing a few cracks.&nbsp;A more perfect metaphor for life would be hard to find.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The project reminded them that curiosity fuels discovery, leading them to pursue&nbsp;answers to difficult questions. It also underscored the importance of understanding&nbsp;that our past and the people who walked this land before us laid the foundation of the world we live in today \u2014 literally and figuratively.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you\u2019re making the pottery, you gain an admiration for the people who were once here,\u201d Ciccarello adds. \u201cThis experience\u00a0gave me a real appreciation for respecting the land and the history of a place. That\u2019s something I\u2019ll carry with me always.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Valley\u2019s Earliest Inhabitants&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>From 做厙TV\u00eds Central 做厙TV Valley History Project\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Founded in 1858, 做厙TV draws its name from the 做厙TV River, which forms in New York and descends&nbsp;through Pennsylvania and Maryland before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For thousands of years, Native American tribes made their lives along the river\u2019s quiet shores, including the Susquehannock Tribe, the people for whom the river is named.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the 17th century, the Susquehannock Tribe had become a prominent community in the 做厙TV Valley. They spoke an Iroquoian language that was poorly&nbsp;preserved and much about them remains unknown, including what they called themselves. In Virginia and Maryland, Algonquian-speaking peoples called them Sasquesahanough, or \u201cpeople of the muddy river.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Susquehannock population&nbsp;had been devastated by disease and warfare by the 1670s. Survivors eventually became known as the Conestoga Tribe. A century later, in 1763, the last remaining Conestogas were massacred by vigilante settlers in Maryland, marking the end of a people who shaped the Valley\u2019s earliest history.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer component alignfull\" data-show-author=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__footer-meta-container\">\n            <p class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__footer-meta-header\">Article written by:<\/p>\n            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__footer-meta-info\">\n                                <div class=\"author-image\">\n                                            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"This post was written by Amanda O\u2019Rourke\" src=\"https:\/\/susqu.eriwebdev.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/susquehannau_logo.webp\">\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n                <div class=\"\">\n                                                                                            <p class=\"author-name\">Amanda O\u2019Rourke<\/p>\n                                                            <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__back-to-top\">\n            <p>\n                <a>Back to top<\/a>\n                <svg width=\"30\" height=\"30\" viewBox=\"0 0 30 30\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <rect width=\"30\" height=\"30\" rx=\"15\" fill=\"#CE4B00\"\/>\n                    <path d=\"M19.5 17L15 11L10.5 17\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__social-sharing\">\n        <p>Share<\/p>\n        <div class=\"share-box\">\n            <ul>\n                <li>\n                    <a title=\"Share on Facebook\" 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          href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/confidence-connections\/\"\n                            title=\"Confidence &#038; Connections\">\n                                <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image-container\">\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F2_AlumniMentorship_101015_BB_0075-scaled-e1771965317156.webp\" class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image attachment-news-card-medium size-news-card-medium\" alt=\"A man and a woman smile and shake hands in a well-lit office with dark walls, a large window behind them, and a potted plant visible through the window.\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-right\">\n                                <div 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                                                                                                                      <\/div>\n                                    \n                                    \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__interpunct\">\u2022<\/div>\n                                                                        \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-categories \">\n                                                                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-category \">\n                                                    <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/category\/winter-2026\/\">Winter 2026<\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n                                                    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                                   <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item\" data-title=\"game-changing program\">\n                            <a class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image-link\"\n                            href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/game-changing-program\/\"\n                            title=\"Game-Changing Program\">\n                                <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image-container\">\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1380\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/F1_1380x680_01.webp\" class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image attachment-news-card-medium size-news-card-medium\" alt=\"A woman smiling and holding a camera stands in front of a graphic background with photos of athletes and orange geometric shapes. Her shirt reads, &quot;Women belong on the field, on the court, on the sidelines, in the stands, in the booth, in the front office in sports.\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-right\">\n                                <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-taxonomy\">\n                                                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-tags \">\n                                                                                                                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-pill-button has-icon__caret-right \">\n                                                    <a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/tag\/cover-story\/\">Cover Story<span class=\"wp-block-button__link-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"\" class=\"icon icon--caret-right\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 16.5L16 12L9 7.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n                                                                                                                                                                                <\/div>\n                                    \n                                    \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__interpunct\">\u2022<\/div>\n                                                                        \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-categories \">\n                                                                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-category \">\n                                                    <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/category\/winter-2026\/\">Winter 2026<\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n                                                                                                                                    <\/div>\n                                                                    <\/div>\n\n                                <a class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/game-changing-program\/\" title=\"Game-Changing Program\">\n                                    <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-title\">Game-Changing Program<\/div>\n                                <\/a>\n\n                                                                    <p class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-excerpt\">\n                                        A high school student on the cusp of the college search process sits in his&#8230;                                    <\/p>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item\" data-title=\"first word\">\n                            <a class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image-link\"\n                            href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/first-word-2\/\"\n                            title=\"First Word\">\n                                <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image-container\">\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1261\" src=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/FW_PresGreen-scaled.webp\" class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-image attachment-news-card-medium size-news-card-medium\" alt=\"An older man with white hair and beard, wearing blue glasses, a yellow bow tie, and a blue suit, stands in front of bookshelves filled with books.\" \/>                                <\/div>\n                            <\/a>\n                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-right\">\n                                <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-taxonomy\">\n                                                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-tags \">\n                                                                                                                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-pill-button has-icon__caret-right \">\n                                                    <a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/tag\/first-word\/\">First Word<span class=\"wp-block-button__link-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"\" class=\"icon icon--caret-right\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M9 16.5L16 12L9 7.5\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n                                                                                                                                                                                <\/div>\n                                    \n                                    \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__interpunct\">\u2022<\/div>\n                                                                        \n                                                                            <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-categories \">\n                                                                                            <div class=\"wp-block-button susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-category \">\n                                                    <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/category\/winter-2026\/\">Winter 2026<\/a>\n                                                <\/div>\n                                                                                                                                    <\/div>\n                                                                    <\/div>\n\n                                <a class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.susqu.edu\/currents\/2026\/02\/27\/first-word-2\/\" title=\"First Word\">\n                                    <div class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-title\">First Word<\/div>\n                                <\/a>\n\n                                                                    <p class=\"susqu-magzine-news-post-footer__item-excerpt\">\n                                        Dear Friends,\n\n\n\nAt a time when higher education is seemingly under siege, 做厙TV is leaning into&#8230; 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