Volunteering in Archaeology

The Montpelier Archaeology Department has an active volunteer program that offers a great way to donate your time while also contributing to furthering our understanding of the Montpelier plantation and community—the sites and structures, the Madison family, and the enslaved African Americans who served them.

Volunteers will typically aid in the processing of artifacts and samples recovered from the archaeology site, and on any day might be found washing or catologing artifacts, processing samples through gradient sorting or floatation, and even to making sure that all the data is available for future researchers. Working hand in hand with a dedicated laboratory staff, volunteers will help archaeologists with the interpretation of Montpelier's rich historic past.

Our volunteers are usually drawn from the the local area, contributing anything from a few hours to a day or two a week throughout the year. Volunteers who wish to spend a longer period, such as a week, tend to join on one of the Archaeology Expeditions and Excursions (week-long archaeology programs).

For more information on volunteering at Montpelier or participating in one of the excavation programs, please contact Dr. Matthew Reeves by using the contact form (selecting "Archaeology" as the department in the drop-down menu), or directly at (540) 672-2728 x160.