Saturday, July 30, 2016: Intern Blog Post: Saturday was an exciting day in the lab at The Natural History Society of Maryland. Karen instructed the volunteers on proper artifact analysis, as well as brushing and sorting techniques. Remember, artifacts vary in their required care. If you are unsure of the proper tool to use,… Continue reading Lab Notes: July 30, 2016
We are super excited! First of all the Herring Run Archaeology Project recently started processing the thousands of artifacts we collected from our field season this past spring. At the same time we recently welcomed two additional staff members to the project team who have been instrumental in working with our volunteers as we clean,… Continue reading Lab Notes: July 23, 2016
As we filled all our test units in yesterday, we were discussing all the things we’ve learned so far from our amazing week of excavations. Here are some highlights! We have the most incredible volunteers. This was an awful lot of hard work, and you guys were all so wonderful. We cannot do this without you,… Continue reading Field Notes:Wrapping Up
We’ve continued working on both the Eutaw manor house and the earlier part of the site over the last two days, and we’ve learned a great deal in a very short period of time. In the manor house, we discovered a mysterious pit near the southwest corner of the foundation that contained two complete wine… Continue reading Field Notes: Days Six and Seven
Today we passed the halfway point of the 2016 Field Season, and the amazing discoveries continue. Building on the success from yesterday, we continued to explore the location of the earliest European occupation of the site. We opened several more test units, and while we have not yet discovered any foundations or structural remains of… Continue reading Field Notes: Day Five
Today was a very exciting day! Up at the manor house, we identified a new architectural feature – a possible gravel pathway – which may help us answer one of our more pressing questions: which way did the house face? In the Peale painting of William Smith and his grandson, the house appears to be… Continue reading Field Notes: Day Four
By the end of our third day of fieldwork, we completed excavation in three new areas on the perimeter and interior of the Eutaw manor house. Each new location we explore in the footprint of the house produces several distinct groups of artifacts that are not found in other areas. These subtle distinctions have allowed us… Continue reading Field Notes, Day Three
Our second season of fieldwork has begun, and we’ve already made some fantastic discoveries! We’re exploring more of the Eutaw manor house, and have now firmly identified a second building that was likely the kitchen. We’ll be continuing to explore these two structures tomorrow, but we’re also hoping to begin excavation of the possible stable… Continue reading Field Notes, Days One and Two
Over the weekend, we headed out to Herring Run to prepare for the upcoming field season, now only 19 days away! With the help of Aiden and Ilka, we decided to check out a spot near the Eutaw Manor house that we have been curious about for several years now. So on Saturday we dusted… Continue reading New Discoveries at Eutaw!
Nails are among the most commonly occurring artifacts found on nineteenth and twentieth century archaeological sites, yet their importance is often overlooked. Unlike ceramics and glass, nails left in the ground for a prolonged period of time become heavily corroded and malformed, and are just not that pleasurable to study or easy to identify. But… Continue reading Artifacts of the Day: Nails!
