Archaeology at DAR Meeting

Anita Gorden

Anita Gordon, a member of the Port Tobacco chapter of the DAR, gave a presentation at their February 28th meeting on two 18th C female innkeepers of Port Tobacco.  In 2009 CCASM members and archaeology students from Heidelberg University (Ohio) had excavated part of the site of the inn run by one of these woman.  Anita asked CCASM to display some of the artifacts from this excavation at the DAR meeting.

CCASM members Mary and Elsie selected artifacts from storage for the display.  Esther, the Charles County archaeologist, prepared a fact sheet for each type of artifact which identified the artifact, where it was produced, the time period it represented, and how it was used.  Since the artifacts from the inn site were usually only tiny pieces, we supplemented theses small pieces with partially reconstructed vessels of the same types from other Port Tobacco locations.  In some cases we included pictures of complete vessels from sites other than Port Tobacco.

During the meeting CCASM members Elsie, Linda, and Mary discussed the artifacts with DAR members.  (Linda and Mary are also DAR members. ) Extra copies of Esther's fact sheet were given as handouts to interested members.

Thanks to Elsie for this posting, and thanks to Elsie, Linda, and Joyce Edelen for the photos.