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.

 

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.) 

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)

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 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.