Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland

May 3, 2026

2026 Port Tobacco Market Day

The Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco's Seventeenth Annual Market Day was held May 2 in Historic Port Tobacco Village. CCASM was there as well as local craft vendors, the garden club plant sale, a white elephant sale, and tables for various nonprofits. And what would a market day outside a courthouse be without musicians? Everything from banjos to the youth orchestra.

CCASM put out its display highlighting some of the history of Port Tobacco including some of the results from archaeology done around 2008 in the Historic Port Tobacco Village and most of the visitors stopped by to look at this display. We have had the display for a lot of years, but it always seems to attract people. A visit to the CCASM tent would not be complete without there being some activity. This year we had an activity that highlighted the three different type of ceramics- earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. A potter stopped by to talk to us about some of the ceramics. So we had an opportunity to learn. We also had two flag "plates" for people to mend, but only had one person who tried. We talked to so many people who expressed an interest in archaeology. It was a very good day (in spite of being so cold).

CCASM's Table

Public Archaeology is that way

Since the ASM Field Session will be in Charles County again this year, we made sure to tell everyone about this unique opportunity. In case people didn't know what people do a field session, we had a display showing what to expect, and a number of people scanned the QR code.

Public Archaeology was occurring at the same time at the Swann Site to the southwest of the Courthouse. We directed a number of people to the site where CCASM members Denise and Elsie were assisting Esther Doyle Read, the Charles County Archaeologist.

Esther with CCASM volunteers (some helping, some watching)
and a boy that volunteered most of the day.

Thanks to Linda, Claudia, and Carol for representing CCASM at this event. Also thanks to Linda and Doug for providing the table and the large tent.

2026 Public Archaeology 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 or too cold.)

Monday, May 4  (11 am - 3pm) In field- Swann Site- (depends on weather) and Lab
Monday, May 11  (11 am - 3pm) In field or Lab (depends on weather)
Saturday, May 16  (11 am - 3pm) In field Mulberry Grove (MD House and Garden Tour)
Monday, May 18  (11 am - 3pm) In field or Lab (depends on weather)

May 2 Denise and Elsie volunteered with Esther at the Public Archaeology Day going on during Market Day. Actually Market Day was 9-2 and Public Archaeology was 10-4. We continued troweling two plow scars. Some people did visit and one boy volunteered for most of the afternoon and got to screen and to trowel. Here is a photo (that is also shown on the Market Day blog).

Near the end of day

April 27 Esther was at Rich Hill to dig small units for the Ghost House footers. The dig went well. We opened two units but did not finish. We'll be going back, not sure of the dates yet. We have through the end of July to get this done. Thanks to Ned for mowing around the units. Melinda and Claudia helped with the set up and ran the screens. We have three new volunteers who came out to help.
Thanks to Esther for the info.
(Note: Rich Hill still has poison ivy, and the roots that may show up in the screens. Claudia and Melinda were the only ones willing to possibly get poison ivy, and they did.)

April 20 while Esther was away, Linda showed Denise, Elsie, Claudia, and Carol the possible activities she would be using at the "CCASM" talk she is giving at the Library this coming Saturday and next Thursday. We had thought one would be more for children and one would be more for teens and adults, but the library advertised both for children. Then Linda reviewed the new annual Photo contest that SRPT is having. Linda has been quite busy. Then after lunch it was back to cataloging 1970s PT artifacts. Elsie and Denise worked on miscellaneous while Carol and Linda worked on pearlware.

April 13 was an interesting day at Burch House. Outside Linda, Malinda, and Elsie created a flower garden behind Burch House in an area that had been cleared of weeds. They laid down cardboard, covered that with soil, and scattered lots of different types of flower seeds in a relatively small area. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. Inside Carol and Esther looked at nails recovered from behind Stagg Hall and verified that most of the nails had been machine cut - somewhat of a surprise.

The April 6 Lab day was part clean up day and a little bit of lab work at Burch House. The inside of Burch House was in a little bit of disarray after the "Rich Hill" furniture that was being stored at Burch House was finally able to be moved to Rick Hill. Linda, Denise, Elsie, Claudia, Evie, Kathy, Malinda, and Carol were there to help - rearranging the remaining furniture, dusting, and sweeping up (a lot of stink bugs). Elsie and Claudia went outside to weed the area near the road. Linda, Denise, and Evie inventoried the bags and other supplies and did miscellaneous other things. Kathy, Malinda, and Carol started combining and processing three screens for FS23 from Swann Site.

May 1, 2026

CCASM Talks at Public Library

April is Maryland Archaeology Month and is also Charles County Archaeology Month. So April was the month CCASM chose to give a talk at the Charles County Public Library.

Linda Talley

Linda Talley put together a talk entitled "Things Left Behind" and gave it on Saturday April 25 (3pm) at the Waldorf West Branch and April 30 (6pm) at the main library in La Plata. The library advertised the talks as being for children and tweens. At least fifteen children and adults came to each talk.

Not only did Linda give a talk, she also brought tools that archaeologist use including a shaker screen. And there were activities at the end suitable for different ages. Elsie, Carol and Doug were there to help as needed.

Thanks, Linda.
(Sorry I didn't get that great a photo. Archaeology is actually lots of fun.)

April 26, 2026

2026 ASM Field Session Returns to Charles County

The Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc (ASM) in cooperation with Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) will return to the Teagues Point archeological site (18CH1005) in Charles County for its 2025 Tyler Bastian Field Session from May 22 - June 1, 2025.

The Field Session is to introduce lay persons to archeological methods and to teach Maryland's past through hands-on involvement while making meaningful contributions to the study of Maryland archeology. Survey, excavation, feature definition, and lab work will be taking place on site.

The site was a mystery and was only assigned a site number in September 2023. In 2025 ASM held its annual Field Session there in a possible 17th century site, and we found lots of features and artifacts. This year we are going back to learn more.

For more background on the site as well as more information on the field session - what to bring, and anything else you want to know about the field session,
check out 2026 ASM Field Session

This is also the site where you can register. Pre-registration is encouraged.

Selected info about the field session--
The usual work day begins at 8:30 am (except for the first day when it is 10:30) and lasts until around 4:00 pm with an hour break for lunch.
Things to bring include drinking water, bug spray, sun screen, hat, rain gear, work gloves, your lunch, and a folding chair for lunch time. A What to Bring Guide and directions will be mailed to registrants.

Other things happening (more details to come)

one or more Lunchtime Lectures (on site)
Annual Spencer O. Geasey Memorial Lecture (one evening off-site)
The annual “feast” Saturday, May 30 (4 pm)

Cost
If you attend/pay for 3 days you can attend additional days for free (but you still need to register.)

ASM Member $20/day (maximum $60)
Non-ASM Member $25/day (maximum $75)
Student (under 18) $5/day (maximum $15)
2025 Field Session T-Shirt $25 (need to pre-order)

Note: On-line payment will be via Zeffy. At the end there is a field where you can donate to Zeffy or not (your choice). Unlike PayPal, ASM does not have to pay to use Zeffy (that is only for non-profits).

We will have eleven days to investigate the site, and then the units will be filled in. There are currently no future plans to return to the site. The artifacts not washed at the field session will be washed, and all artifacts will be catalogued. A report covering both Field Sessions will be written. The report or at least an update for the Field Session will be presented at a future ASM meeting.

Lodging: Lodging Options

Directions to site (abbreviated):
From MD-5 South

Take the MD-231 exit (Prince Frederick/Hughesville)
At first traffic circle take third exit (into next traffic circle)
At next traffic circle take first exit onto MD-231
Continue on MD-231 for 5.2 miles and turn left on Maxwell Drive
(If you see the Pautuxent River, you have gone too far.)
Go to the end of Maxwell Drive (There should be signs.)

From MD-4 South

Turn west (at traffic light) onto MD-231
Continue on MD-231 for 7.1 miles and turn left on Maxwell Drive
(Maxwell Drive is just past Serenity Farm)
Go to the end of Maxwell Drive (There should be signs.)

CCASM is a chapter of ASM.

April 21, 2026

2026 Annual Business Meeting and Potluck plus Talk and Tour

Rich Hill

On Saturday May 9 CCASM will hold its Annual Business Meeting and Potluck Supper for the whole family and friends at the Historic Rich Hill.

Date: Saturday May 9 (5-7pm)
Location : Historic Rich Hill
Rich Hill Farm Rd, Bel Alton, MD 20611

Annual Meeting followed by

Talk Topic: The Rehabilitation of Historic Rich Hill
Speaker: Mike Mazzeo

and Tour of Rich Hill

The May meeting is the CCASM annual meeting at which you can find out what CCASM has been doing over the past year. This is also an election year, and the results will be reported at the meeting.

Everyone is to bring food to share. You may want to bring your own beverages.
Email ccasm2010@gmail.com with what you are bringing, and we will post it on the Blog calendar (for this May 9 event).

Unless it rains, we will be meeting outside. There are no picnic tables. Various members are bringing tables for the food and possibly some additional tables and chairs. But just in case bring a camping chair and be prepared to eat while holding your plate.

Potlucks are always a great time to interact with people we may or may not see that often.

April 19, 2026

Search for Early Jesuit Mission at Potopaco

Julia King

Dr. Julia King's talk at the April 16 CCASM Meeting was "Is It or Isn't It?: In Search of the Early Jesuit Mission at Potopaco". Julie discussed archaeological investigations done in 2023 and 2024 at St. Thomas Manor, a Jesuit plantation established ca. 1638 along the Port Tobacco River. The investigations revealed a smattering of artifacts from the 17th century. Taking the form of a whodunit, she marshaled documentary and archaeological evidence and invited audience participation to solve this compelling mystery: who were the Jesuit priests who left behind these ephemeral traces and what does this tell us about the first decades of life on the colonial frontier? As always, additional investigations and funding are needed to help validate the possible answer.

Julia King is a Professor of Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland with numerous publications and awards.

Once again this was a hybrid meeting with most of the people and the speaker attending in person. Thanks to Jim for allowing us to use his Zoom account, and thanks to Peggy and Natalia for providing the hotspot.

All of us ready for meeting to start

Attendance: 15 (3 via Zoom)

April 18, 2026

2026 ASM Spring Symposium

Saturday April 18th the Archeological Society of Maryland held its 61st Annual Spring Symposium at the Maryland Historical Trust in Crownsville, MD.

The talks at the Symposium included

The Richard E. Stearns Memorial Lecture
Transforming Southern Maryland Landforms: 40 years of Archaeological Observations
James G Gibb
Trowels to Teaching: A Case Study in Embedding Archaeology Education in Applied
Archaeology Programs
Katherine Sterner
The Patawomeck Frontier: Migration and Culture Change along Goose River
John Henshaw
The Iris McGillivray Memorial Lecture
The Past Present and Future of Historic Blandair: Saving an Enslaved Landscape
Kelly Palich
ASM Student Spotlight
Subsistence, Seasonality, and Settlement Patterns in the Late Woodland Chesapeake: Insights
from a Shell Midden Outside Baltimore
Reagan Britt
Underwater Archaeology and the Maryland Maritime Archaeology Program
Troy Nowak

2026 program/agenda

CCASM members Ned, Carol, and Jim attended.
(You would think we could get three people together for a picture, but no luck.)

April 14, 2026

April is Declared Charles County Archaeology Month (2026)

Once again the Charles County Commissioners proclaimed the month of April as Archaeology Month in Charles County. This coincides with April being Maryland Archaeology Month.

Elsie, Carol, Ned, and Linda represented CCASM at the presentation April 14 at the Charles County Government Building.

photo from Charles County Government Photo Gallery

The proclamation sites the rich history and heritage of Charles County, exemplified by historic buildings, cultural landmarks, natural features, and local rituals. It recognizes that the county is enhanced by historic preservation associations, groups, and professionals who donate countless hours and dollars to preserve that history. Also it specifically mentions Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc, Maryland Archeological Society, Inc., and the Maryland Historical Trust.

CCASM gave the each of the Commissioners a copy of this year's Maryland Archaeology Month mini-poster and booklet. This year's theme was "250 Years, Many Voices: Digging into Maryland's Story". We also mentioned the upcoming ASM event that will be in Charles County this year-- the ASM Field Session.

CCASM thanks the Commissioners for recognizing the importance of archaeology in Charles County.

April 1, 2026

2026 Public Archaeology Lab Days (Jan-Mar)

Here is what we were doing the first quarter of 2026.
------------------------------------------------------------------

March 30 was a special day at Lab. Remember when we found what we thought was a blacksmith site while investing in the northern part of Port Tobacco during 2023 (Fieldwork for Village of Port Tobacco). We recovered so many iron artifacts, and these were sent to the SERC Archaeology Lab (SEAL) to be conserved and cataloged. Today Jim Gibb and many of the SEAL volunteers that had worked on the artifacts brought the conserved artifacts back to Port Tobacco. Josefa O'Malley, who was the team lead, described how the artifacts had been desalinated and then protected with tannic acid. The effort took three years and three months. Josefa also indicated that examination of the artifacts pointed to this being a blacksmith site. In addition to the artifacts themselves, they provided a catalog as well as thumb drives with numerous photos and 3-D images of many of the artifacts.

Boxes containing
processed iron artifacts

Some of larger artifacts
on top of boxes

On March 23 there was only one school group from Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School in the afternoon. On a windy afternoon Linda gave the introduction to archaeology and then joined Claudia, Denise , and Esther as the students washed artifacts and mended broken ceramics.

March 16 was another day when the weather forecast cancelled the school visits and lab. The weather didn't turn out to be that bad, but it is always good to be safe.

March 9 started much earlier than usual since we needed to set up for a school visit by second graders from Mary B. Neal Elementary School, and they were arriving earlier than usual. This was the first visit on a Monday for this calendar year. There were two groups of students - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Linda gave her introduction to archaeology talk with lots of examples. Denise, Elsie, Claudia, Evie, and Ned guided the students through two activities - washing artifacts and mending broken ceramics. It was a great day to be outside.

Once again Lab (Feb 23) was cancelled due to weather. On Monday March 2 only Esther, Linda, Claudia and Elsie were at the Lab in the Courthouse. Linda, Claudia, and Else sorted artifacts from BF1-BF Lot 68 artifacts (all the miscellaneous artifacts that didn't fit into one of the larger categories) into the groups used for cataloging. We picked this engraver's plate as the artifact of the day. We are including it's mirror image in hopes of you being able to read part of it. Esther worked on organizing Rich Hill artifacts and getting Maxwell Hall artifacts ready for storage at the Mac Lab.

Engraver's Plate

Mirror Image

Thanks to Elsie for the info and to Linda for the photo,

Well the snow and freezing rain came. Monday Jan 26 we were either trying to shovel out our driveways or were snow/ice bound. Monday Feb 2 most roads were better but the Courthouse Parking Lot was not plowed, and we couldn't have lab. On Monday Feb 9 the Parking Lot had been cleared, but when got there, the walkway was not cleared. Linda, Denise, Elsie, Malinda, Carol, and Ned joined Esther to gingerly walk over the frozen walkway to the Courthouse, While the rest of us were inside discussing how we could help with several displays Linda plans to put up in the Courthouse, Ned was outside chopping away the ice so we would have a clear path for getting back to our cars. It took him several hours to do this. Thanks Ned!

Tin-glazed Sherd

Monday January 19 we once again divided up. Claudia and Malinda continued to work on more recently recovered artifacts at Burch House. Denise, Elsie, Carol, and Linda were at the Courthouse working on artifacts recovered at Port Tobacco around 1970. Carol and Linda continued cataloging BF1-BF refined earthenware. Denise and Elsie completed cataloging all the BF1-BF glassware!! Yay! Look back through the blog to see how long they have been working on this.
The artifact of the day probably should have been the last BF-BF1 glass artifact catalogued, but instead we chose this tin-glazed rim sherd. The almost pastel bands were unusual.

Monday January 12 after a long holiday break nine volunteers met at the Port Tobacco Courthouse. Of course, we had to catch up on what we had been doing. Then Esther started planning for weekend dates when we might have public archaeology events and also suggested other clean-up projects for the Port Tobacco Village. After lunch we split up and got to chose which activity we would like to do. Evie, Claudia, Malinda, and Kathy went to Burch House to finish processing the few remaining artifacts at Burch House. Carol and Denise stayed in the Courthouse and continued the processing of refined ceramics recovered from BF1-BF. Ned, Elsie, and Tim joined Esther to walk the shoreline from the causeway to the place where years ago a wooden casket had eroded into the river. They wanted to mark the location as a reference for an upcoming river restoration project this spring.

March 31, 2026

2026 April is Maryland Archaeology Month

250 Years, Many Voices: Digging into Maryland's Story

Join
- Maryland Historical Trust's Office of Archaeology,
- Archeological Society of Maryland,
- Council for Maryland Archeology,
- Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs,
- and dozens of other organizations and individuals
in a statewide celebration of Maryland's archeological heritage!

Check out https://www.marylandarcheologymonth.org/ to learn more about Maryland Archaeology Month

View/download 2026 Maryland Archeology Month Articles

View www.marylandarcheologymonth.org/2026-events
to find public archaeology opportunities at various sites throughout the state.

CCASM Events during April
(All events are free.)

Thursday, April 16 (7 pm) - Charles County
(CCASM April meeting)
Topic: Is It or Isn't It?: In Search of the Early Jesuit Mission at Potopaco
Speaker: Dr. Julia King

It can be hard to recognize Maryland's earliest English settlements, especially those on the far frontier. Archaeological investigations in 2023 and 2024 at St. Thomas Manor, a Jesuit plantation established ca. 1638 along the Port Tobacco River, revealed a smattering of artifacts from the 17th century. Taking the form of a whodunit, this presentation marshals documentary and archaeological evidence and invites audience participation to solve this compelling mystery: who were the Jesuit priests who left behind these ephemeral traces and what does this tell us about the first decades of life on the colonial frontier?

Location: La Plata Police Department, 101 La Grange Avenue La Plata, MD
Sponsor: Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc
Contact: Carol Cowherd ccasm2010@gmail.com

Saturday, April 25 (3 pm) - Charles County
Topic: Archaeology Basics with Charles County Archaeological Society
Speaker: Linda Talley

Ever wondered how scientists and historians learn about human past? That's archaeology! In this exciting presentation, Linda Talley from the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland will explain what archaeology is, what an archaeologist does, and even how you can be involved with it!

Location: Charles County Public Library - Waldorf West, 10405 O'Donnell Pl, Waldorf, MD 20603
Sponsor: Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc
Contact: Linda Talley ccasm2010@gmail.com

Thursday, April 30 (6 pm) - Charles County
Topic: Archaeology Basics with Charles County Archaeological Society
Speaker: Linda Talley

Location: Charles County Public Library, 2 Garrett Ave, La Plata, MD 20646
Sponsor: Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc
Contact: Linda Talley ccasm2010@gmail.com

March 22, 2026

An Afternoon at the Charles County HITS Expo - 2026

On Saturday March 21 Charles County Public Schools once again held its History, Industry, Technology, and Science (H.I.T.S.) Expo at St Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland. There were forty-five tables and six classroom activities/presentations sponsored by different organizations and school groups with CCASM having two of the tables. A lot was going on with a variety of hands-on activities to engage the students (and the adults).

CCASM's tables included a display depicting the various archaeological skills related to history and science as well as a display with most aspects of an investigation from digging shovel test pits to writing the report. But most of our table space was devoted to two activities. One was called "Archaeologists Dig for Clues" and the other was called "What is it?" We had fun working with the students and their parents as they completed the activities.

Happy to be at the HITS Expo

Completing What Is It? test

Learning about artifacts

Thanks to Claudia, Denise, Linda, and Carol for being there to interact with the students and their parents. Also thanks to Ned for helping to set up.

Click to see the winner of the special History Day award sponsored by the Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc.

2026 Charles County History Day

On March 21, 2026 the combined Charles County Public Schools Annual History Day and the Annual Science Fair (now referred to as H.I.T.S.) was once again held at the St Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland. CCASM sponsored one of the special History awards. The award was $50 and a one-year membership in CCASM.

This year's history topic was "Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History".

The CCASM special History award went to Amina Ziden for the display “Maryland Women’s Suffrage Movement”. Amina attends Matthew Henson Middle School.

Congratulations, --- Amina!

We normally also sponsor a Science Fair award, but we did not have judges this year. An organization has to provide the judges for their award.

March 21, 2026

Revolutionary Homefront in Charles County

Esther Doyle Read

At the March 19 CCASM Meeting Esther Read reviewed the events at the start of the Revolutionary War and how people in Charles County became aware of the events and how they were affected. Of special interest was the 1774 Articles of Association that banned importation of goods from Britain, Ireland, and other territories in the British Empire because one Port Tobacco man did acquire goods that were banned under the Articles. Esther relayed the story of James Graham, a Port Tobacco tailor, that resided on Lot 4 in Port Tobacco. It turns out that the Swann Oyster House Site that CCASM have been helping to investigate is on Lot 4.

Esther Doyle Read is the Archaeologist for Charles County Planning and Growth. She is also an Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Ancient Studies at UMBC

Attendance: 20 (5 via Zoom)

February 21, 2026

Archaeology in the Middle School Classroom

Sarah Mason
and Julia Berg

At the February 19 CCASM Meeting Julia Berg and Sarah Mason gave examples of how archaeological evidence could make the past tangible and meaningful for students in grades 6–8 (and possibly for us adults too). Julia showed various lesson examples and hands-on activities that gave sixth graders an introduction to archaeology as well as providing additional information for their ancient civilizations classes. Sarah showed how she used photos and artifacts from Montpelier to blend archaeology and history as eighth graders explored the causes and impacts of slavery in colonial times.

Julia and Sarah talked about more ideas and projects than we can summarize in this blog posting. We would recommend you hearing one of their talks in person.

Julia Berg and Sarah Mason are middle school teachers and educational consultants (Digging Deeper Educational Consultants.)

Once again this was a hybrid meeting with the speakers who live on the Eastern Shore presenting via Zoom but with most of the people attending in person. Thanks to Jim for allowing us to use his Zoom account, and thanks to Peggy and Natalia for providing the hotspot.

Almost ready for the meeting to start

Attendance: 12 (4 via Zoom)

February 2, 2026

Jan 2026 ASM Ink Article

The January 2026 Archeological Society of Maryland Newsletter (ASM Ink) contained the following article about CCASM, but it lacked captions on the photos. (Yes, there are photos toward the end.)
-----------------------------------------------------

The ASM Chapter in Charles County
Carol Cowherd

I was asked to write something about the Charles County Chapter of ASM, so here goes.

Since we are also the 501(c)3 non-profit organization Charles County Archeological Society of Maryland, Inc, I will refer to us as CCASM. CCASM like the other ASM Chapters is made up of people with the desire to learn about local archaeology and/or history and to interact with others also interested in learning. Our members include a mix of avocational archaeologists, one professional archeologist, and several newer members with no previous experience in archaeology. Most of our members live in Charles County, but we also have members from other parts of Maryland as well as in other states – South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York. Since CCASM was incorporated in 2010, our membership seems to stay in the low thirties with the number of active members currently being around ten.

But what does CCASM do?
Our main priorities are meetings, outreach activities, and volunteering for archeology projects in the field and in the lab. You can check out almost everything we have been doing for the past fifteen years by going to the CCASM blog ccarchsoc.blogspot.com/ .

Here is a brief overview.
CCASM meets monthly September through April on the third Thursday of the month in LaPlata and has a potluck meeting in May. We have been lucky that many archeologists in Southern Maryland as well as others have agreed to talk at our meetings. One of our members lets us use his Zoom account so the speaker does not always have to travel to LaPlata. This also allows members who cannot attend in person to hear the talk. I should mention, we are still learning to conduct Zoom meetings.

For outreach CCASM attends at least four events during the year. We have four displays and a number of hands-on activities so we can tailor the display and the activities to use at a given event. Three of the displays are felt covered, and we can modify or change what’s on the display easily. Also the number of activities keeps growing. Here is a photo from the Charles County Public Schools History, Industry, Technology, and Science (HITS) Expo that occurs in March of each year.

CCASM at 2025 Charles County Public Schools HITS Expo

And, of course, many of our members like to volunteer in the lab and in the field. CCASM members as a group (and sometimes individually) have volunteered with a number of archaeologists for various grants. CCASM members mainly volunteer with Esther Doyle Read, the County Archaeologist for Charles County Planning and Growth. Esther holds a Monday Public Archaeology Lab in Historic Port Tobacco in two buildings owned by the Society for Restoration of Port Tobacco and leased by Charles County Tourism. Most Mondays volunteers process artifacts retrieved from Charles County sites. Some Mondays and weekends volunteers are in the field on various Charles County sites investigating the site or doing rescue archaeology or documenting graveyards. Actually, being able to volunteer locally has contributed to CCASM membership. Most people volunteering for Monday Lab tend to join CCASM.

Washing at Burch House

Cataloging at PT Courthouse

In the Field

In 2024 the Charles County Historic Preservation Commission presented CCASM with a Preservation Service Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in and support for furthering the aims of historic preservation in Charles County.
There are a few other things I could add, but that is all for now. If you want to contact us, the CCASM email is ccasm2010@gmail.com.

January 17, 2026

Changing Fish Exploitation in the Chesapeake

James Gibb

At the January 15 CCASM Meeting Jim Gibb discussed observations from a soon to be published paper (numerous authors) on the changing fish exploitation in 17th- through 20th-Century Chesapeake Bay. Four of the sites were sites Jim had worked on, and he discussed how and why the animal remains (not just fish) found showed what people were eating changed over time.

The "fish" research was based on data (102,825 identified fish remains) from 252 assemblage—dating to the 17th through early 20th centuries. Statistical analyses indicated that the Chesapeake’s fisheries diversified beginning in the 18th century, with migratory and freshwater fish taxa becoming increasingly important. At the same time, assemblages became more taxonomically homogeneous, reflecting the emergence of a locally adapted regional fishing tradition.

Locations/Dates in Study

This research was funded by a grant from the H2020 European Research Council (951649) awarded to Dr. James H. Barrett. Contributors: Thomas C.A. Royle (Lead author), Danielle L. Buss, J. Ryan Kennedy, Erin H. Kunisch, Susan Trevarthen Andrews, April M. Beisaw, Hayden A. Bernard, Joanne Bowen, Gregory J. Brown, James G. Gibb, D. Brad Hatch, and Henry M. Miller.

James G. Gibb is a Smithsonian Research Associate, is associated with Gibb Archaeological Consulting, and is a founding member of CCASM.

Before the Meeting Started

Attendance: 14 (3 via Zoom)

Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland, Inc