During Tidewater Archaeology Days, Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, the public is invited to work side by side with archaeologists as they excavate a plot of land near where Garrett Vansweringen’s fine inn stood in the heart of Maryland’s first capital.  There is no written record of what stood on this property, so archaeologists are looking for evidence of buildings and artifacts that will provide clues.  

 
 Sifting for traces of the past

The Bay Net visited the excavation site yesterday, and observed the archeologists at work. Several of them are students at St. Mary’s College working with the Historic St. Mary’s City museum during the summer. As they excavate the site of the former buildings, the archeologists sift through the extracted soil to find hidden pieces of Maryland’s first capital. Many of the buried artifacts are pieces of pottery, or metal, and the workers have learned to deduce what these scraps of the past were once used for.

Digging, or gently scraping the ground, and sifting through soil is, needless to say, dirty work. If you plan to go or take your children this weekend remember to dress accordingly. It’s also hot at the unshaded site of the excavations, so the museum staff recommend you plan to take a break and use it to join one of the scheduled tours the climate controlled archaeology laboratory. In the lab, visitors will be able to see what happens to the recovered artifacts once they are removed from the ground and learn why conservators protect them for future study. In addition, archeology collections from Historic St. Mary’s City will be on display, for a chance to peek at a variety of curios that have been recovered during digs.  

 
Anna Brown, a St. Mary’s College student working with the archeology team this summer, shows her father a few of the finds

Participants this weekend will also have the opportunity to take a walking tour of the city’s Town Center, with director of research, Henry Miller. He will explain how scant archeological and historical evidence provides the clues that enable researchers to recreate the past.

Special activities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are included in the museum entry fee ($7.50 for adults, $6 students/seniors, $3.50 for children ages 6-12).   

To join the one-hour excursion, meet Dr. Miller at the gazebo at 2:00 p.m.

Lab tours will take place at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  The size of the facility restricts the number of visitors, so guests are asked to please sign up at the Visitor’s Center when they arrive at the museum. 

Refreshments will be available on site throughout the day. 

For more information about Tidewater Archaeology Days or Historic St. Mary’s City please call 240-895-4990 or visit their web site, www.stmaryscity.org.