2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Apr-Jun)

CCASM has been working with Charles County at the ongoing Public Archaeology Lab since 2015.  The lab is for processing artifacts recovered from various archaeology initiatives in Charles County -  including artifacts from investigations of sites on County properties, artifacts recovered from savage archaeology in the County, as well as artifacts recovered around the 1970's before the Port Tobacco Courthouse was reconstructed.  Esther Read is the archaeologist in charge.

Health precautions:  Following guidelines for Charles County. 

Location: Courthouse (2nd floor; use South Wing door) and Burch House (both inside and outside) in Historic Port Tobacco Village  map
 
Note:  Public Archeology Days at Swann Site (10am-3pm) -
                        Saturday May  4 and Sunday May 5
                        Saturday June 1 and Sunday June 2

Next dates: 
        Monday,             Apr 29   (10am - 12pm)  School Group in morning
         Monday,       Apr 29       (11am - 3pm)   in field Swann Site; lab
         Weekend      May 4, 5    (9:30am - 3pm)  Public Archaeology at Swann Site
         Monday,       May  6       (11am - 3pm)   in field Swann Site; lab
         Wednesday   May  8       tentative - Maxwell Hall Survey work

Wine Bottle
fragments

On Monday morning April 22 we split into two groups with some working in the lab and others working with second graders from one of the Charles County Schools.  This was the fourth school to visit the Historic Port Tobacco Village this spring.  The archaeology part of the visit includes an introduction to archaeology (usually by Linda) as well as age-appropriate activities (washing artifacts and mending dishes).  Today those working with the children included Esther, Linda, Claudia, Ned, and Carol.  On other days Denise, Elsie, and Mary have helped. 

Elsie, Denise, and Malinda worked in the lab washing artifacts in the morning and were joined by the others in the afternoon.   Most washed artifacts from the Swann Site, but Carol and Denise washed artifacts from the PT attic that had been recovered around 1970.  We chose these two "PT attic" fragments (a neck/rim and a base with a kick-up) from an eighteenth century wine bottle as the artifact of the day.  The two pieces may or may not be from the same bottle.  The rim style indicates it was probably from a mid-eighteenth century bottle.

Polychrome
Painted Sherd

Monday April 1 was rainy, and only three volunteers (Denise, Claudia, and Carol) plus Esther (on crutches) were at the lab in Burch House.   Denise washed bones from PT attic while Claudia and Carol sorted and bagged the remaining artifacts recovered from the Maxwell Hall shell midden (18CH101).  Then we all washed artifacts recovered from the Swann Site last Monday.

An artifact doesn't have to be big in order to add to the story.  This small polychrome painted sherd was chosen as the artifact of the day.  Since it is similar to other polychrome sherds with a minimum of cobalt paint, it would date from c.1795 to c.1815.  It was recovered last week at the Swann Site in Port Tobacco.  So far most of the sherds recovered from this area predate 1830.

2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)
2023 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2023 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2022 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2022 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Feb-Jun)
2021 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Mar-Dec)
2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Sep-Dec)
2020 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)
2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jul-Dec)
2019 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2018 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2017 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Dec)
2016 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-June)
2015 Public Archaeology Lab Days