University Field Schools 2010

Montpelier has hosted field schools for two decades, with James Madison University field school starting in 1987, and from 2002 universities from the State Unviersity of New York system (formerly Potsdam, now Plattsburgh). While the field schoo is accredited through these schools, the Montpelier archaeology field school has been attended by students from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Washington, SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburg, Sweetbriar, Harvard, and the University of Florida.

The dates for the 2010 field schools are:

• James Madison University Archaeology Field School: May 17 to June 18, 2010.
• SUNY Plattsburgh Archaeology Field School: June 28 to July 23, 2010.

In the 2010 field season, the field schools and Archaeology Expeditions and Excursions will be conducting an extensive archaeological investigation of the Stable Quarter complex, or the area between the Visitor Center and the southern edge of the mansion's curtilage (formal yard area). Previous survey in the area has revealed scatters of artifacts that are consistent with work yards and surfaces, a slave quarter, and what may be the foundation or work surface for the stable itself. Identifying the nature of the structures—and related features such as paths and middens (trash deposits)—in this area will contribute to our overall understanding of how the Madisons organised not only their landscape, but give key insights into the nature of slavery at Montpelier and influence how they are interpreted to the public.

Questions that will be addressed by both the excavations programs and the intern projects will include:

• What structural evidence remains for the slave quarters, stables, and other structures in the Stable Quarter? How are these similar or different to structures in the South Yard (domestic slave quarters), or those in the Tobacco Barn Quarter (field slave quarters)?
• Are the material goods recovered from the Stable Quarter more similar to those of the South Yard, or those of the Field Slave Quarters? What does this reveal about the lives of the Madison slaves?
• What evidence survives that might indicate whether the Stable Quarter is more directly related to the garden or the stable?
• The South Yard excavations of the Southeast Duplex in 2008 indicated that the insurance plat upon which much of our initial interpretation of the slave quarters is flawed. The same insurance plat identifies the position of the stable, but is this the case according to the archaeological record?

During the field school, students stay in our intern house, Arlington House. For more information on the field school, or about intern housing, please contact Dr Matthew Reeves using the Montpelier contact form, selecting "Archaeology" as the contact department, or call (540) 672-2728 x160.

The SUNY Potsdam 2006 Archaeology field school and Montpelier Archaeology Department staff standing outside the front of the mansion after a month of excavation and learning.