Senior Project DirectorBinghamton University
Science 1, Room 146 Binghamton University
Binghamton, New York 13902-6000
Email: bgrills@binghamton.edu
Phone: 607-777-4786
Research Disciplines: Research Interests:
Conflict Archaeology, Precontact Archaeology, Archaeological Metal Detection, Battlefield Preservation, Community Outreach
View Brian's CVBiographical Sketch
Grills received his MA in Anthropology from SUNY-Binghamton in 2003 and his BA in History from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1994. Grills has completed two field schools, SUNY-Cortland (1992) and University of York, England (1994).
He has worked at the Public Archaeology Facility, as a project director, field director, and crew chief field tech since 1995. Grills served as Assistant Instructor for the Binghamton University, Department of Anthropology field school in prehistoric archaeology at the Castle Gardens Site in 2003 and the Owego Site in 2002.
His research interests include: metal detector survey, conflict archaeology, descendant communities, battlefield preservation, lithic technology, prehistoric exchange networks, and prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies of Eastern North America. His MA thesis is titled, The Organization of Lithic Technology in the Upper Susquehanna River Valley: An Examination of the Variability in Physiographic Context and Stone Tool Production.
Professional papers include: Developing a Regional Model of Lithic Technological Organization in the Upper Susquehanna River Drainage, presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the New York State Archaeological Association Conference, Norwich, New York; Placing Stone Tool Production in Context: Interpreting Small Lithic Sites in the Upper Susquehanna River Valley, presented in 2003 at the Current Approaches to the Analysis and Interpretation of Small Lithic Sites in the Northeast, New York State Museum Colloquium, Albany, New York; Battles for Newtown: The Roles of Descendant Communities in Battlefield Memorialization and Heritage, presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Society of Historical Archaeology, Austin, Texas.
Grills has recently concluded several battlefield preservation projects in New York state from the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812.
Grills is a Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA #18029) since 2019. He has been a member of the New York State Archaeological Association (NYSAA) since 1995 and the professional organization New York Archaeological Council (NYAC) since 2007.
Education
- Ohio Wesleyan University (1994) B.A. History
- Binghamton University (2003) M.A. Anthropology
Ongoing and Recent CESU Projects
2021 – Archaeological Overview and Assessment, Parcels North of the Schuylkill River, Valley Forge National Historical Park, King of Prussia, PA.
Other Research
In progress – Research and Survey of the Crego Site, 15th c. Onondaga village, Onondaga County, NY.
2021 – Second Battle of Sackets Harbor, Horse Island, Sackets Harbor, NY. Funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program.
2021 – Battle of Oneida Castle Battlefield Survey, Oneida Castle, NY. Funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program.
2021 – Saratoga Siegefield Survey, Towns of Easton, Northumberland, and Saratoga, Saratoga and Washington Counties, NY. Funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program.
2021 – Fort Bull Battlefield Survey, Rome, NY. Funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program.
2017 – Battle of Fort Anne Battlefield Survey, Town of Fort Ann, NY. Funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program.