Rockville native Daniel Fellman, who earned his B.A. in anthropology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in December 2025, took home top honors in the Mike Klein Memorial Student Paper Competition at the Middle Atlantic Archaeological Conference (MAAC), held March 11-15, 2026, at the Wyndham Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The annual competition, open to undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates, recognizes outstanding research on mid-Atlantic archaeology. Papers are judged by a panel of MAAC members on content, presentation quality, and contribution to the field. Winners receive an honorarium and are encouraged to submit their work to the Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology.
Fellman’s winning paper, titled “Developing the Mid-Atlantic Chert Database: A Multi-Scalar Analytical System for Chert Characterization and Sourcing,” tackles a persistent challenge in regional archaeology. “Chert” is a key toolstone used throughout prehistory, and varies widely in appearance, structure, and chemistry even within the same source, making reliable identification and sourcing difficult.
“In the Mid-Atlantic region of Northeastern North America, chert occurs within a heterogeneous group of lithologies, is distributed unevenly across wide geographic areas, and is ubiquitous on archaeological sites,” Fellman explained in his abstract. His project creates a pilot framework for a free, publicly accessible online database that combines geological, geographic, and archaeological data. The site will include a searchable chert reference collection and an interactive map, designed to help professional archaeologists, students, and avocational researchers who may not have access to physical collections or lab equipment.
This latest achievement builds directly on Fellman’s earlier recognition by the Archaeological Society of Maryland. In April 2025, he was selected for the organization’s “Student Spotlight” at its 60th Annual Spring Symposium, where he presented preliminary findings from the Potopaco I site (18CH112) in Charles County, Maryland.
A Rockville High School and Montgomery College graduate (earning an associate degree in business administration through the Early College program in 2023), Fellman is now working full-time in the anthropology lab at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he also participates in fieldwork. He will begin graduate school in the fall after receiving acceptance to one program and awaiting decisions from others.
Fellman has quickly established himself as a rising talent in Maryland archaeology. His innovative digital approach to chert studies continues to bridge hands-on fieldwork with cutting-edge tools, helping standardize chert identification and sourcing across the region.
When he is not studying rocks, you can usually find Fellman at a skateboard park. He was named 2025 Skater of the Year by the Southern Maryland Skateboard Association.
