Dr. Roger Grange

Dr. Roger Grange is one of or two resident archaeologists. You can read the "Digger's Digest" column that either he or Dot Moore writes each month in this newsletter.

Dr. Grange earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. He has worked as an Assistant in Anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago. He later served as Curator, Assistant Museum Director and Museum Director of the State Historical Society in Nebraska. He is the founding chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida and is Professor Emeritus from that institution. He has done archaeological field work in Arizona, South Dakota, South Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Newfoundland, Quebec, England and Wales.

Since retiring to New Smyrna Beach to surf, Dr. Grange has found a further career in working with Dot Moore on sites relating to the Turnbull Settlement.  Roger and Dot continue to follow leads and supervise and participate in digs related to Turnbull where possible. They are often referred to property owners by the City of New Smyrna Beach when construction or demolition is happening in an area considered historic. Roger and Dot have collaborated on many scholarly articles discussing the finds made here in New Smyrna Beach. Their research is important in piecing together what life was like here almost 250 years ago.

In addition to his archaeological work Roger has given several presentations at the museum dealing with his other interests. These talks have included subjects such a Vikings and Iceland. Roger was a presenter during our Museum on Main Street Lecture series where he discussed his life as an archaeologist.  

If you see him here at the museum be sure to say hi and also do a silly walk! He'll understand.

Archaeology is working hard. It doesn't look like we are busy, but we are.  Excavations at the Blanchette site are  paused temporarily but will resume as soon as possible. In the meantime we are preparing to test a site in town which is on the periphery of the Turnbull settlement central town area and also adjacent to a location where  19th century  Seminole War materials were salvaged some years ago. It is likely that a prehistoric occupation is also present, so this looks like some fun in the hot sun will be starting ASAP.  All of these things intrude upon the ongoing effort to finish a  detailed report on two Turnbull site buildings. At long last the hundreds of artifacts have been classified and tabulated, a dreary process .....BUT the fun of analysis and writing are about to begin. 

By Dr. Roger Grange and Dot Moore