Do you like history? Do you like getting dirty? If so, archaeologists at Jefferson Patterson Park invite you to join us for our Public Archaeology Program May 5 to June 27, from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
Ed Chaney, Deputy Director of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Labortory, oversees public archaeology group.
You will work on a site that was the home of the Smith family from 1711 to 1754. They had a large brick house and numerous outbuildings, including a horse stable and a storehouse. This year’s excavations will focus on remains that were discovered with a ground-penetrating radar, including a laundry and houses for enslaved Africans. Artifacts are abundant on this site, so every bucket of soil you screen will contain interesting objects!
Site excavation will be on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, weather permitting. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, you will work in the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, cleaning the artifacts we have found.
All ages are welcome, but children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult. You can come as often as you like – to register just contact Ed Chaney at 410-586-8554 or ed.chaney@maryland.gov. There is no fee. For more information, go to http://www.jefpat.org/publicarchaeology.html.
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, a state museum of archaeology and home to the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, is a program of the Maryland Historical Trust, a division of the Maryland Department of Planning. It is located on 560 scenic acres along the Patuxent River and the St. Leonard Creek in St. Leonard, Calvert County, Maryland. For more information, call 410-586-8501 or visit www.jefpat.org.