2025 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.

Location: Courthouse (2nd floor; use South Wing door) and Burch House (both inside and outside) in Historic Port Tobacco Village  map 

Next dates: 
Note: (We try to post the latest schedule as soon as we get it - may not get until Monday morning. 
            Being in the field depends on the weather - if it's not raining and not too hot.)

  Monday,  July 7 - no lab
  Monday,  July 14  (11am - 3pm) in field at Swann Site; lab
  Monday,  July 21  (11am - 3pm) in field at Swann Site; lab
  Monday,  July 28  (11am - 3pm) in field at Swann Site; lab
  Monday,  Aug  4    TBD

Monday June 30 was a quiet day in the Lab at Burch House.  Linda and Denise continued sorting and bagging artifacts from Swann Site Unit 12.  Esther worked on sorting and bagging artifacts from one of the other screens.  Then she also worked on Unit 12.  Everything from Unit 12 was sorted and bagged.  Inside labels and bag labeling still need to be completed.
Thanks to Denise for the info.

It was really hot Monday June 23.  So inside Burch House Denise, Linda, and Carol sorted, bagged, and washed artifacts from the Swann Site Unit 12. There are quite a few artifacts - mostly historic but some worked lithics.  We still aren't through.  Ned removed some of the weeds around the Swann Site in preparation for the Public Archaeology Saturday before going inside to identify metal objects from the 70s Port Tobacco investigations.

Really soggy ground and a temperature hitting over 90 had us all in the lab on Monday May 16.  Linda, Elsie,  Denise, and Carol mostly sorted and bagged artifacts from the Swann Site.  Elsie had to wash/re-wash some of the artifacts.  Carol started out sorting and bagging artifacts recovered from Rich Hill in 2017.  It was nice to be inside.

After a break for the ASM Field Session at Maxwell Hall Equestrian Park, we were back in Port Tobacco. on June 9  However, we were all in the field so there was no one working in the lab.

Monday May 19 Evie was at Burch House washing artifacts from the Swann Site while others were in the field looking for more artifacts.  Claudia worked with Evie in the morning.  At lunch Linda came in from the field to work in the lab and Claudia decided to work in the field.  Linda found a piece of sponge ware, but we didn't get a picture of it.

For various reasons not everyone could be in the field on Monday May 12.  Evie and Claudia continued getting the Maxwell Hall grant artifacts ready to be sent to the MAC Lab.  Since Ned was also there identifying metal artifacts from the 1970s, Ned was able to help Evie and Claudia identify nails (e.g. machine made or hand wrought).  It's always good to get a chance to learn something new or to verify what you already know. In the afternoon there were also lots of shells to sort. 
Ned also finished repairing the CCASM Trifold that was damaged at Market Day when the wind blew it off the table.  (Thanks, Ned)

Patinated Glass

Monday May 5 everyone worked in the lab on artifacts recovered from Port Tobacco in the 1970s.  Ned continued to sort and identify the metal artifacts with no provenience.  Carol and Malinda cataloged the rest of the stoneware and most of the coarse earthenware from BF1.  Elsie and Denise sorted lots dark green bottle glass fragments from BF1, and they chose the artifact of the day.  We are used to seeing the golden patina on olive green bottle glasses, but this fragment had strips with little or no patina that created an interesting design on the fragment.  Also the surface was perfectly smooth.  So this patinated glass fragment is the artifact for the day.

In the morning of Monday April 24 we (Linda, Claudia, Ned, Kathy, Carol, and Malinda) worked with  twenty second graders from Berry Elementary School to introduce them to archaeology.  Second graders from the various Charles County Schools have been coming almost daily to visit the One-room School House and Stagg Hall but also get an introduction to archaeology.  We have only been helping on Mondays, our regular lab day, but Esther has provided the activities and the script for docents at Stagg Hall to provide the archaeology introduction.

In the afternoon Denise, Kathy, Carol, Malinda, and Cal joined Esther in the field at the Swann Site working on the  newly opened unit.  Cal from Charles County Government (historic preservation) did the shoveling while Denise, Kathy, Malinda, and Carol screened.  Linda and Claudia went to the Burch House to continue to wash oyster shells that had been recovered in 2017 from Rich Hill.

Esther found some additional buckets of artifacts (mostly oyster shell) from Rich Hill.  So Monday April 21 Evie, Linda, and Claudia were at Burch House washing the oyster shells and any other artifacts in the buckets.

Monday April 14 Claudia and Evie decided to work in the lab rather than in the field.  They continued getting the Maxwell Hall grant artifacts ready to be sent to the MAC Lab- putting paper tags with provenience into the artifact bags.

Monday April 7 in the morning we (Elsie, Claudia, Ned, Carol, Malinda and later Denise and Esther) worked with the twenty-seven second graders from Eva Turner Elementary School to introduce them to archaeology.  This included an introduction to archaeology as well as two activities. The students were divided in half with one group learning about archeology in the Courthouse while the other group was learning about Port Tobacco history at Stagg Hall. Then the two groups switched.

In the afternoon we went upstairs to the lab.  We had planned to be in the field but it was raining.  Dominique, a potential new volunteer, joined us at lunch time and worked with Carol cataloging BF1 stoneware.  Denise and Elsie catalogued BF1 Glass, and Ned identified BF1 metal artifacts.  Claudia and Malinda continued getting the Maxwell Hall grant artifacts ready to be sent to the MAC Lab.

2025 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar) 

2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Oct-Dec) --2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (July-Sep) --2024 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Apr-Jun)  --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