Hollywood’s most famous archaeologist will be returning to the big screen this week with the movie debut of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Though the action-packed adventures of Indiana Jones may inspire the fantasies of aspiring archaeologists, it is the real-life work that can be found this summer at James Madison’s Montpelier (a National Trust Historic Site in Virginia) that most archaeologists experience.
Currently 17 students of James Madison University are meticulously digging for clues of the South Yard, a residential complex where Madison’s domestic slaves lived and worked. Guiding the archaeology team is a 19th century insurance map re-discovered in 2002.
“In 1837 about a year after James Madison’s death, wife Dolley insured the 27-room home and nearby outbuildings,” said Dr. Matthew Reeves, director of archaeology. “The discovery of the insurance company map was an extraordinary find as it illustrated the actual location of the South Yard’s two smoke houses and its three residences — each a duplex for two slave families.”
With excavation tools in hand, and cataloging each spoonful as they go, students are discovering previously unknown history firsthand. “”What is happening here at Montpelier is the real-life Indiana Jones. The work may be tedious and long, but it can be exhilarating,” admits Reeves, “No matter how small the find, these fragments of history are pieced together to tell the story of the real people who lived and worked at Montpelier.”
Archaeological surveys on Montpelier’s 2,650-acre property have been ongoing since 1985. The results of these surveys have contributed to the interpretation of Montpelier’s rich history. Not only are there sites relating to the occupation of the Madison-era plantation, but those relating to Native Americans, freed African Americans, rural industry, and 19th- and 20th-century home and work sites. Since beginning archaeological digs, close to 100 prehistoric and historic sites have been identified and recorded.
Field Schools at Montpelier: Summer 2008
This summer Montpelier staff and volunteers will be excavating the chimney bases, trash deposits, yard features, and work surfaces of the South Yard. Back in the lab, workers will wash and sort artifacts, float soil samples for botanical remains and enter data into a computer database.
University Field Schools
May 12 – June 12: James Madison University
July 1 – 25: Montpelier Archaeology Field School (accredited through the State University of New York, Potsdam).
Montpelier has hosted one or more archaeological field schools for college students every year since 1987.
Work Study Excavation Programs
Aug. 18-22; Sept. 8-12; Sept. 28 – Oct. 4; Oct. 6-10; and Oct. 20-24
The Field Work Study program concentrates on the development of archaeological field techniques and problem-solving with regard to the identification of archaeological features by tying together the various clues left to us from the past. Work Study 2008 will focus on the South Yard Complex (the quarters for the domestic slave population of the Madison period located in the mansion yard) and the Madison Garden.
The Work Study program has been operating at Montpelier for a decade-and-a-half, with many of the same volunteers returning year after year. We are, however, keen to add new familiar faces to the program. Participants in the Work Study program stay at the Montpelier Archaeological Intern facility, Arlington House, an antebellum home located in Montpelier’s estate grounds.
Earthwatch
Aug. 18-29; Sept. 8-19; Oct. 6-17; and Oct. 20-31
Montpelier hosts five Earthwatch field programs each year, one in the spring, two in the summer, and two in the fall. During their two-week stay, volunteers of all ages and occupations live in Montpelier housing and partake in group meals with staff. A typical Earthwatch dig is made up of 6-10 participants.
To learn more about Montpelier’s archaeology programs, visit www.montpelier.org/explore/archaeology and www.montpelier.org/latest_dirt/
