18 Results for tag "Archaeology"
-
Research Spotlight: Delftware Teabowls
My name is Victoria Gum. As a field technician at Colonial Williamsburg, I spend most of my time excavating at Custis Square. I am very interested in colonial ceramics, especially ceramics from the early 18th century, and what they can tell us about the people who owned and used them …
-
What is Juneteenth?
Last year, in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of African American Interpretation at Colonial Williamsburg Foundation — which coincided with 400 years since the first documented Africans arrived in Virginia — we had the opportunity to collaborate with our Archeologists in remembrance of Juneteenth (which they had already begun interpreting …
-
Bringing the Past to Life: From Archaeologists to Actors
Meredith Poole is an archaeologist who recovers artifacts from the lives of people long since past. Mary Carter is an actor who presents the life of a person from fragments left behind. Their roles may seem at opposite ends of the museum world. But when collaboration stems from their different …
-
On to the Next Phase of the First Baptist Church Archaeology Project
Our exploratory excavations at the Nassau Street site of the First Baptist Church are coming to a close for now, but we are thrilled to share that we are headed into to an expanded, 18-month excavation of the site in January!Since early September, our archaeology teams have been hard at …
-
Connecting with the Past
Archaeological investigation has been ongoing at Colonial Williamsburg since 1928. Each decade since has offered new ways to examine old artifacts as scientific advances and sociological perspectives provide fresh insight. Active digs in the Historic Area give guests an opportunity to watch the process, ask questions, and participate in the …
-
Furber's Flowers
John Custis IV (1678-1749)(1) not only had one of Williamsburg’s most important gardens, but he also had one of the largest art collections in the city. His interests came together in 1730 when a Kensington nurseryman named Robert Furber (c. 1674 – 1756) published twelve engravings of flowers that served …
-
The 52 Letter Word
AequeosalinocalcalinoceraceoaluminosocupreovitriolicThis obscure word is attributed to Edward Strother, a person who greatly influenced John Custis IV’s medical knowledge. As the Archaeology department’s excavation of Custis’s Williamsburg property continues, we’re exploring the Custis commonplace book (CPB), where we see a manifestation of his medical knowledge in 182 remedies that he recorded …
-
Military Buttons At Custis Square and Beyond
My name is Adam Macbeth and I work as an archaeological field technician at Colonial Williamsburg, currently a member of the crew excavating at Custis Square. This spring, we each embarked on individual research projects aimed at taking a closer look into topics and artifacts that relate to recent excavations. …
-
Who is James McClurg?
My name is Tamara Eichelberger, and I am one of the field technicians excavating at Custis Square. Although there are many people who live on the site after John Custis IV, I chose to focus my research specifically on Dr. James McClurg because the standing kitchen on the property has …
-
Research Spotlight: Finding Peter
My name is Cheyenne Johnson and I’m a member of the archaeology crew excavating at Custis Square. As part of my work, I am researching the enslaved community associated with the Custis family, and more specifically, John Custis’s Williamsburg properties. As we come closer to understanding some of their stories, …
-
Research Spotlight: Understanding the Robert Carter House
Hello, my name is Katie Wagner, and I’m an archaeological field technician working on the Custis Square site with Colonial Williamsburg. However, currently my research focus in the lab involves another site that Colonial Williamsburg archaeologists and William & Mary students recently excavated: the Robert Carter house. During the past …
-
Researching Spotlight: Finding Dr. PawPaw
My name is Emily Zimmerman and I’m a laboratory technician with Colonial Williamsburg’s Department of Archaeology. Part of my job has been to transcribe and interpret entries in the commonplace book, or CPB, of John Custis IV (1678-1749). In it, he recorded more than 180 medicinal remedies. Recently, I came …
-
Archaeological Research
Colonial Williamsburg's archaeologists use remains uncovered during excavation —combined with laboratory work, documentary research, and oral histories— to reveal information about the past.
-
Custis Square Archaeology Project
This interdisciplinary archaeological project seeks to uncover the remains of long-hidden landscapes at Custis Square.
-
Archaeology Opportunities
There are multiple opportunities for students interested in archaeology. New this summer, the Public Archaeology Institute invites rising 9th through 12th graders to work alongside archaeologists. The department also collaborates with Williamsburg & Mary to offer field schools.
-
First Baptist Church Archaeology Project
Colonial Williamsburg has partnered with the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg and the Let Freedom Ring Foundation to locate the remains of the Nassau Street site of the First Baptist Church. The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg is one of the country’s earliest African American congregations and was founded by …