Community Corner

North Fork Author's New Book Mirrors Controversy Over Sacred Burial Grounds

The local author will speak about his new book at the Riverhead Project on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m.

With East End soil rich in archeological treasures from the Shinnecock Indian Nation and colonial times, a local author has decided to publish a new book on what happens when commercial real estate developers set out to build on sacred land.

Southold resident George H. Monahan, a history professor at Suffolk County Community College, announced recently the publication his new book, "Artifact: A Novel," which is set in the fictitious North Fork town of Stirling Harbor.

The book's main character, anthropology professor Thomas McGrath, who teaches at "Peconic Community College," is intent on putting the brakes on real estate developers who are setting out to clear-cut a swath of local woods to make way for condominiums.

"Relying on an obscure law designed to protect Native American relics, McGrath petitions the Stirling Harbor Village Court to mandate a cultural impact survey of the development site. The subsequent discovery of a mysterious artifact puts construction on hold, but a court-imposed news blackout fuels speculation that a government cover-up is afoot. Meanwhile, everyone on the East End is asking the same question: What in the world has been discovered in the woods on the outskirts of Stirling Harbor?" the description reads.

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The plot mirrors controversies that have arisen on the East End over sacred Shinnecock and colonial burial grounds on Shelter Island and in Southampton in recent years.

"Artifact" is a follow-up to Monahan’s first book, "Biodiesel: A Novel", released in 2012.

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Published by Northfield Books in 2013, "Artifact" is available from Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle format.

Reflecting on what served as inspiration for his novel, Monahan said he's always loved archeology, and studied ancient and medieval history in graduate school.

"I grew tired of writing academic works and decided to venture into comedic fiction," he said. "The characters are loosely based on myself and my wife Sally, who is a nurse practitioner for the Suffolk County Department of Health in East Hampton."

Monahan, also a trustee at the Southold Indian Museum, said he's heard numerous stories about the accidental discovery of Native American artifacts in backyard gardens and at construction sites. 

"From time to time, these accidental discoveries have served to put construction projects on hold so that archaeologists may conduct what’s known as a cultural impact survey, with the hope of preserving artifacts and human remains. Imagining the comedic possibilities of what might happen is something really  controversial turned up during one of these surveys, I began to formulate the plot for 'Artifact.'"

While Monahan hates to give too much of the plot away, he added, "As the story unfolds, a comedy of errors ensues while speculation runs rampant as to what’s been discovered in the Bayview Woods on the outskirts of town."

Both his novels are filled with thinly veiled references to local scenes; Greenport serves as a model for Sterling Harbor.

And for avid readers who've become hooked on his tales, Monahan said he is hard at work on his next novel about the "misadventures of Professor McGrath," with outlines of five more books in the series planned.

In addition, Monahan will speak on Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Book Project, a series of events organized by The Riverhead Project; the book club is open to the public.

Monahan, born in Brooklyn, has lived in Southold for 17 years and is also a certified flight instructor at Brookhaven Airport.

At SCCC, he's also the program leader for the college's Peru Study Abroad Program and brings students on academic tours of the major historical and archeological sites of the Inca Empire while lecturing on the history of Colonial Latin America; his next trip will be in June.

For history buffs, Monahan also speaks at the Southold Indian Museum about the discovery of the New World and the Spanish Conquest of South America.



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