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Tony Lombardo will give a free lecture on the Native American village sites and rock shelters of Sussex County at Sussex County Community College in Newton on Friday, November 20, 2026, at 3 p.m. The talk, called Archaeology Lecture: Indian Habitations of Sussex County, takes place in the Atrium of the SCCC Performing Arts Center and is hosted by the college’s Center for Lifelong Learning.
The program is free, but you need to register by calling the Sussex County Division of Senior Services at 973-579-0555, ext. 1225. Our team thinks this is one of the most interesting local history talks on the fall calendar, because it focuses on places many of us drive past every day.
What the Lecture Covers
According to the college’s event listing, Lombardo will look at indigenous Native American village sites and rock shelters that existed long before European settlers moved west from the coast to settle what is now Sussex County. He will pay particular attention to sites around the Town of Newton and in Andover and Sparta Townships.
The Skylands Archaeological Research Program will also share research that is underway now. The college says the goal is to bring greater understanding and appreciation of the Pre-Contact Native American peoples who once lived in the place current residents call home. Light refreshments will be served.
About the Speaker and the Local Research
Lombardo is a Sussex County resident and a former SCCC student. The college has written about his work with a team of archaeologists, educators and students who are cataloging a large collection of Native American artifacts at the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg. That collection, known as the Bihn Collection, was gathered by brothers Bill and Bruce Bihn, who surface collected in plowed fields of the Wallkill Valley for more than 30 years and kept detailed logbooks of where each piece was found.
In its story on the project, SCCC explains that the team plans to curate about 70 representative pieces for a new display that puts the artifacts in context by time period, and that a new SCCC archaeology lab will help trace stone tools back to registered Sussex County sites. If the lecture sparks your curiosity, the museum is a short drive north. We covered its Fall Mineral Festival in Ogdensburg earlier this month.
Who the Center for Lifelong Learning Serves
The Center for Lifelong Learning is a collaboration between the Sussex County Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Senior Services, and Sussex County Community College. The college describes the program as designed for people over 50 who want intellectual stimulation and a chance to keep learning. The October 2026 Senior Times from the county lists this lecture alongside the center’s other fall programs.
The same partnership is marking its 10th anniversary with a celebration luncheon in the Performing Arts Atrium on Friday, December 4, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. The county says registration for that free luncheon does not open until November 2 and that space is very limited.
Parking and Getting There
Sussex County Community College is at One College Hill Road in Newton. The college asks lecture attendees to park in the lower main parking lot directly outside the Performing Arts Center. There is an elevator in the building lobby. The Atrium is at the top of the stairs, or you can take the elevator, turn right and then left to reach it.
SCCC’s campus has been busy this fall. It also recently opened a free outdoor Fitness Court in Newton.
Native American History Lecture at a Glance
- What: Archaeology Lecture: Indian Habitations of Sussex County, presented by Tony Lombardo
- When: Friday, November 20, 2026, at 3 p.m.
- Where: Atrium of the SCCC Performing Arts Center, One College Hill Road, Newton
- Cost: Free
- Register: Call the Sussex County Division of Senior Services at 973-579-0555, ext. 1225
Featured photo: The Sterling Hill Mining Museum and the archaeology team working on the Bihn Collection. Photo: Sussex County Community College.
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