20June2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: South Yard; Training Programs.
And that’s it. The end of the JMU field school for 2008. Five weeks and some 40 new units later, the students have left to other summertime pastures, with a handful remaining on to participate in the internship program. The results of our initial five weeks of excavations have brought about more questions than answers but some very intriguing insights into the slave quarters in the South Yard. The length of this blog posting is a testament to the finds we have made during the three weeks since our last blog entry.
The Chimney Base (or lack-there-of!)
In the 1991 excavations, Lynne Lewis and Scott Parker uncovered the physical remains of a chimney base for a slave duplex. Later, an insurance map recovered from the Philadelphia Historic Society would reveal that the true extent of the South Yard slave quarters was not just a single duplex and detached kitchen, but three “dwelling for slaves,” and two smokehouses. (The kitchen is curiously absent from the insurance map.)
The purpose of the 2008 excavations was – and remains – to uncover evidence for the southeastern-most slave dwelling, a presumed duplex consistent with the one revealed in 1991, as well as to look at the smoke house lying immediately northwest of this duplex. As such, we merrily began our 2008 excavations with the underlying assumption we would uncover as glamorous a chimney base as the one Lynne and Scott located back in 1991.
Unfortunately, and most frustratingly, while the 1991 excavations revealed a chimney base for the adjacent duplex only a few inches beneath the modern ground surface, after opening 48 units (5′x5′ squares) no chimney base has been found to date in our area of excavations. While this initially might be viewed as a failure, the opportunity to open up a large area – 45′x45′, more or less – has allowed a more detailed picture to be built up of this area. It is a picture, however, that only really has begun to draw itself together in the weeks after the JMU field school.
Brick Path
At the end of the third week of the field season there was a flurry of excitement as the traditional rivalry between “Doc” – Professor Clarence Geier, JMU – and Matthew Reeves escalated into predicting just where the presumed chimney base would be located. Wishing to lay this particular argument to bed, the author used an iron rod to probe around the area predicted by Doc to be the location of the chimney base and found indications of a brick pad just below the surface. The question remained….was it the elusive chimney base?
Units were opened and a brick surface began to reveal itself. Excitement continued to mount and the ’tension’ between Doc and Matthew Reeves was almost as palpable as a thickening of the air whenever they approached the new units. As they watched eagle-eyed as layer after layer of soil was removed, continued probing around the area revealed that the brick surface extended over a much larger (and linear) area. At about the same time the probing and excavations revealed the same information: the brick layer was not a chimney base, but rather a brick path that extended not only east-west, but also appeared to extend through the center of the “slave street.”
If we take a look at the impression produced by Linda Boudreaux Montgomery, we have two north-south paths that parallel the structures in the South Yard. Yet the archaeological record seems to indicate that a pathway may bisect the “slave street” or area between the row of quarters.
Could this actually explain why we had not discovered the location of a chimney base or other evidence for the slave dwelling?
The Brick Rubble Layers
As mentioned previously, a brick rubble layer covered the majority of the site for the South Yard excavations. While initially thought to represent the rubble remains of the chimney, the absence of mortar combined with the crumbly and low-fired nature of the brick suggested this brick might represent some sort of surfacing made up of rejects from a brick clamp (a clamp being a brick kiln). Underlying the crushed brick layer, but primarily restricted to south of the N280 line at the site, was a “brick bat” layer, or a layer comprised of essentially half and full bricks. Their restricted distribution coupled with their association with the paling fence revealed in 1991 (and further revealed in the 2008 excavations) promised tantalizing evidence of a void left between the “brick bat” layer to the south, and the brick path to the north.
The function of these layers remains a mystery. However, the brick rubble layer potentially served as an excellent substrate for draining water on an otherwise steep slope. The brick layer might represent a deliberate attempt to control storm run off (such as occurred earlier this week with our hail storm!) and prevent erosion in the downslope area of the structure. This would explain the lack of mortar in the brick rubble layer, and the curious delineation of brick along the N280 line might possibly represent the southern extent of a structure that was in the area (click on accompanying image above to see detail).
Post Holes
In the past few days, cut into what appears to be the 19th-century surface underneath the brick rubble layers, several post holes have revealed themselves to us, and in the process have given us our first tentative evidence of a structure. Appearing to have been put into place after the deposition of the brick rubble (the rubble was present within the fill of the post holes), these post holes are somewhat small (post molds appear to represent 5″-6″ posts) to represent evidence for structural supports for the “slave dwelling” itself, yet when coupled with other archaeological evidence, are the only direct structural features found in the current area of excavations.
So…
Where are we with our current interpretation of the archaeology of the South Yard? Well, without the “smoking gun” of a brick chimney base, we still have more questions than answers, a common state within the archaeological discipline. Yet we have begun to answer those questions with tantalizing evidence as to the southeastern-most duplex of the South Yard slave complex. The void between the path and brick rubble layer, combined with the revelation of post holes, might – just might – suggest the exact location of the “slave dwelling” in this area. The only problem is that the dimensions of the void suggest the structure was turned 90 degrees from the orientation of the structure depicted on the insurance plat. One question such an altered orientation would address, however, is the steep slope in the site area. With the structure oriented parallel to the slope, the lower piers would only need to be 2-3 feet in height as opposed to 5-6 feet if the structure was positioned as shown in the insurance map. We are trying to remain impartial while at the same time being excited about the potential of these discoveries. Perhaps more post holes will reveal themselves in as-of-yet unexcavated units, revealing the footprint of the dwelling. For now, however, we are moving forward with an understanding that the 1837 insurance map is not a fail-safe for the orientation of the buildings and that more archaeology is needed to correctly assess the exact nature of the structures in the South Yard.
Artifacts uncovered during the field school are already being cleaned and cataloged in the archaeology laboratory, and will soon begin to reveal their own story. Do we see cross-mends with the ceramics from this area to other areas on Montpelier? Can we show that certain artifacts are restricted to certain areas in the South Yard and, therefore, potentially reveal the footprint of the “slave dwelling” through other means?
Do you wish to volunteer with the Montpelier Archaeology Department?
The Montpelier Archaeology Department welcomes volunteers to come and help us piece together the history of James Madison’s Montpelier. You can volunteer in the archaeology laboratory or, if you have a desire to come and sift through the dirt in the field, we have a number of excavation programs that may be of interest to you. Come and join us!
— Mark A. Trickett & Matthew Reeves
16June2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Editorials.
Forgive me that most horrendous of puns. While we try to use the Latest Dirt to let people know about what is happening in archaeology at Montpelier, in this Editorial I just had to put something in about the weather. I’ve really only just warmed up since I was pelted by ice-cold rain and quarter-sized hail, and that was two days ago.
Again, ice-cold water and horrendously large hail. In Virginia. In June. Seriously? This is meant to be summer!
Imagine the picture. We have spent the morning preparing ourselves for the imminent archaeology tours by the participants in the NEH Landmarks Workshops held through the Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier. We had eyed the ominous clouds, and listened to both the rumble of thunder (”Was that a low flying plane?”) and the assurances by he-who-shall-remain-nameless that, variously, the storm will “Follow the river,” or “Miss us and head to the north or south.” For alumni of the Montpelier Archaeology Field School this may sound familiar, and yet the staff of the Montpelier Archaeology Department have not learned, nor did we listen to the author’s perusal of the doppler radar (”That’s a huge storm cell heading towards us. Look at all the pretty yellows and reds!”), nor Megan Veness’ assertion that, “When a storm heads from that direction, it’s going to be bad.”
Nope.
Then the rain hit during the middle of the archaeology tour. At first it was a light sprinkle, then water began to practically pour out of the sky. (Perhaps the storm had followed the river, taken up all the water, and was now determined to pour the entire contents of the river onto our heads?) As the rain poured heavier and heavier, with little indication that it was going to lighten up, the staff rushed out into the ice cold rain to – I like to think – heroically cover up the site and protect its yet-unearthed secrets.
And then the hail started. Penny sized at first, then dime, nickel, and finally quarter-sized. The staff finally succeeded in covering the site and retreated to the tents, small bruises covering their bodies, a small cut above the eye of one staff member, and the beginnings of a wonderful black eye on another where a large ice ball ricocheted into their eye. Tour participants and staff huddled under a few tents, occasionally pouring water and hail off the EazyUp covers. And they waited…
Some fifteen minutes later, the hail finally passed and the staff emerged from cover: Katie Seeber (SUNY Potsdam intern), Stephanie McGuire (UVa intern), and Megan Veness (crew chief at the Montpelier Archaeology Department). The site, as you can see from the picture, is safely covered. From this point, the equipment was rapidly cleared to the storage sheds – including plastic storage tubs with fresh holes in the lids where the hail had been driven through them — and the staff took shelter as the second round of the storm rolled in, though thankfully without the hail this time.
Thanks to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and their ‘blog for sharing our story to other readers!
27May2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: South Yard; Training Programs.
Last week marked the arrival of the James Madison University Field School. The students and Montpelier Archaeology staff are excavating at the site of the quarters for house slaves. Built around 1808 and occupied into the 1840s when Dolley Madison sold the property, we believe the structures were demolished in the late 1840s—potentially when larger changes were made to the house and landscape by the Thornton family (stuccoing of house, removal of Madison-era front fence and carriage road, etc).
In our excavations we are hoping to find the following features:
- Chimney base for the duplex
- Path leading from duplex back to mansion
- Paling fence (located in 1991 excavations)
- Delineate the exact edge of the yards for the slaves’ homes and where they interface with the mansion lawn (garden and rear lawn).
- And of course artifact scatters that will allow us to interpret yard activities.
So far, we are finding exciting artifacts—buttons, glass wares, ceramics, nails, etc. But, being a good site, the quarter is grudging in terms of a willingness to reveal its secrets. We have encountered a layer of brick rubble that covers the entire site that contains a range of artifacts. What we are left wondering is whether this is rubble from the destruction of the quarter in the 1840s or whether it is a brick paving placed on the yard surface by the slaves to keep the mud down. By slowly exposed this layer - which lies just below the topsoil - we are hoping to solve this mystery and then progress to excavating through it to reveal the early nineteenth century surface. So far, out bets are on this brick layer being a rubble deposit from the demolition of the structures in the late 1840s.
This next week we will uncover the entirety of the brick rubble and hope to be able to assess whether it represents debris from destruction of the duplex or a yard surface.
In other news, we have completed the lab and it is open for use. Having a dedicated space for lectures, lab work, and a convenient space for processing water screen samples has been a wonderful way to greet the JMU students.
26April2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Sites; South Yard; Training Programs.
As we mentioned in the previous ‘blog entry, this years excavations will focus in the South Yard, or the area of the domestic slave quarter complex in the nineteenth century. At present, we have two field schools and five 1- and 2-week training programs that will be helping the Montpelier Archaeology Department excavate and interpret the archaeological finds in this area. (Artist’s impression of the South Yard complex seen to the left.)
If you are interested in participating in the excavation programs at James Madison’s Montpelier, please click the appropriate link, below:
- To participate in one of the university field schools, or one of the 1-week programs, please contact Dr. Matthew Reeves, Director of Archaeology, using our contact page. Please indicate the dates or field school that you are interested in participating in. Also, for field schools please indicate whether you wish to take the field school for credit, or whether you would like to participate to broaden your experience base (no credit).
- To participate in one of the two-week programs run by Earthwatch, please click on the following link: Earthwatch Expeditions—Restore America’s Heritage (Montpelier) and follow instructions contained in that webpage.
- If you wish to volunteer or become an intern with the Montpelier Archaeology Department, please contact Dr. Matthew Reeves on the contact page, above.
Read the rest of this entry »
17April2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: The Mansion.
There are a great number of changes occurring at Montpelier in 2008, including the Grand Opening of the Mansion on Constitution Day (Wednesday, September 17th). As a part of these changes, construction is soon to begin upon the public bathrooms that will be located behind and to the north of the mansion, thereby hiding them from direct view from the mansion. Before any construction can take place, however, archaeological excavations are required to ensure that no historic deposits are damaged and that we have as full an understanding of the sub-surface history of Montpelier as is possible.
Previous, more limited, excavations were undertaken in this area before the installation of the trailers for the Architectural Research Department (ARD). These revealed a number of interesting features – a brick layer, what appeared to be some buried topsoils, and some plow scars – that we hoped would have more light shed upon them in the expanded excavations of this field season.
Excavation of a number of units rapidly revealed the presence of several distinct fill layers: one of compacted red clay; one that was full of architectural material such as brick and mortar; and what appeared to be at least two buried topsoils (indicating that they had not removed the topsoil before adding the subsequent landscaping fills). This sequence, seen in the photograph to the right, was repeated across the project area, and, based upon the brick recovered, appears to date to the early 19th century and the filling of the rear lawn during the 1808-1812 renovations. The presence of low-fired brick rubble within these fill layers suggests the filling of the rear lawn occurred at the same time that Hugh Chisolm (the Madison’s mason) underpinned the 1765 portion of the mansion. During this underpinning, the low-fired “salmon” brick that was below grade was replaced with a higher-fired brick. The result was piles of brick rubble needing disposal and the landscape changes for the rear lawn potentially served as an advantageous locale for this rubble. Similar salmon brick was located in the excavations of clay fill at the bunker site (bunker being the underground vault in the rear lawn.
Perhaps more intriguing were the plow scars identified under the layer of architectural material and what appeared to be a buried topsoil. These linear striations appear to be linked to the overlying fill layers and actually may have been formed at the same time. Mark Wenger, architectural historian on the Montpelier restoration project, hypothesized that a plow may have been used to break up the highly compact soil present in the project area, while alternatively they may represent hitherto unknown horticultural activities. Could this area have been a garden used by the James Madison, Sr. household, later covered by James Madison, Jr. and his landscapes? Of perhaps it was exclusively a part of the massive alterations to the landscape that James Madison, Jr. authored in the early 19th century?
What do you think? Registered members of the ‘blog may leave comments by clicking the small army-green “pill-box” underneath this ‘blog entry. Let us know what you think these plow scars might represent.
Excavation will continue in the Bathroom Area for the next two weeks, after which we will be moving into the South Yard project area in preparation for the James Madison University Field School in mid-May.
16April2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: In the Laboratory.
We are making significant strides in the construction of the new lab at Montpelier. With spring full upon us, we are busily working on the interior and exterior of the building (a classroom trailer that was donated by James Madison University). We have completely gutted the trailer and have installed several windows to let in more light and replaced all the old rusted metal doors with sleek glass windows. Our favorite spot in the trailer is the picture window that looks out over the farm yard area (Constitutional Village).
In addition to outfitting the trailer with what one would expect in a lab (storage shelves, work tables, wash sink, etc.), we are also going to install display cabinets for mended ceramic vessels from our various excavations and study collection cabinets where students, staff and volunteers can easily peruse a wide variety of ceramics, glasswares, nails, Civil War objects, and other artifacts. These will not only be used for teaching, but also to introduce visitors to the lab to our finds and the diversity of materials recovered from the grounds of Montpelier. We will also feature a display cabinet for our latest finds in the field. We hope to attract more visitors to our friendlier and much more efficient lab once we open in mid-May for the JMU field school. A pleasant feature of the lab will be a covered work deck where all the water screening and power-washing will take place. For those of you who have water screened at the old lab, you will appreciate the improved facilities!
27March2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: Civil War Camp Surveys.
Our surveys in the east woods of Montpelier (behind the Constitutional Center) have been very successful in terms of locating a series of small Civil War camps. What has made these discoveries possible is the excellent work by our newest staff member, Lance Crosby. Lance, a long-time resident of Orange, has a passion for and knowledge of Civil War sites and artifacts that makes him invaluable for locating sites in areas slated for timbering. We are using Lance’s discoveries to not only protect the Civil War camps he has found, but also to interpret them through a walking trail. This new trail will feature signs detailing our discoveries from the Civil War era and providing information on good forest management practices.
Most of the sites Lance has located have no visible surface expression (mounds or depressions) so using a metal detector is the only effective means of finding them. What Lance has discovered is a series of artifact clusters containing CSA Gardiner bullets, gun tools, Confederate and Union buttons, an array of knapsack accouterments and other military accouterments. We think these sites represent the remains of bivouac positions for troops or guard posts positioned to overlook what was, during the Civil War, the farm center for Montpelier. Based on the absence of hearth features and small burnt nails (from ration boxes used for kindling), we believe these sites were occupied during the summer of 1862, when troops are known to have been at Montpelier. These smaller camps contrast with Montpelier’s larger regimental camps that we have located in the woods around the Gilmore Farm. An unexpected bonus from the survey work is that Lance has located several sites that may have been slave quarters from the Madison era.
The technique that Lance employs for locating and recording artifacts is as follows: He begins the day by going to an area designated by the archaeology department, and using his metal detector, scans the ground for metallic signatures. These ‘hits’ are then carefully excavated, ensuring that he is not getting into an area of charred wood or the organic-rich soil of a feature. Once excavated, each artifact is tagged and bagged, and a marker is placed at the location with the corresponding hit number. Lance then records the location with a hand-held Global Positioning Station (GPS) unit. At the end of each day, the recovered artifacts are checked in by the archaeological staff and the GPS unit is downloaded. Once plotted in CAD, it can be determined whether there are definable clusters of artifacts that represent potential sites. Any such clusters are revisited with a laser transit by archaeological staff and the location of each hit is recorded to within a tenth of a foot.
The site areas we have located will be protected from disturbance during the timber thinning operations that will be conducted later this summer. This timbering is designed to comply with the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Best Management Practices (BMPs) for improving Montpelier’s forest resources. It will enhance the forests by removing at risk trees and trees that crowd the growth of stronger specimens. It will also allow the development of upland meadow areas within old fields.
27March2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Editorials.
When you visit the Latest Dirt you get to read what we’ve been doing and, well, that might appear to be it. There are, however, some advantages to registering. First and foremost, it lets us know that you’re out there and interested in what we’re doing. We know that you’ve taken the time to register with us and, therefore, that you check by every now and again to read the latest news.
Second, if you register you can also leave comments. Leaving comments is yet another way that we can know that you’re out there. More, it’s a way that you can comment on archaeology at Montpelier. Do you want to know more about a specific process that we’re using? More about an artifact that we’ve found? A request for more information about a site, an excavation program, how to become involved with Montpelier through internship or volunteering your time? Well, you can leave a comment and someone will get right back to you with the appropriate answers.
In the next few months we have a lot of activity going on at Montpelier. Whether this is the restoration of the landscape back to its 19th-century form, or the excavation of the south yard to further our understanding of the African-American domestic slaves that James Madison housed so close to the mansion, we’re sure you’ll want to keep in touch!
We look forward to seeing your comments…
Let us know your thoughts, and your questions, whether it is on something that we’ve posted to this ‘blog or just something that you’ve always wanted to know.
28February2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: In the Laboratory; The Mansion.
As mentioned in one of our previous posts (Winter 2007), the Montpelier archaeology staff have been spending much of the winter season in the laboratory processing the materials and samples excavated during the 2007 field season. While the majority of the staff are currently involved in the camp surveys, Kimberly Trickett has remained in the laboratory and is in the process of conserving, by electrolytic reduction, the unearthed iron artifacts. This process uses a small electric current to chemically reduce the rust, essentially removing it from the artifact and redepositing it on the anode, which in this case happens to be a cast-iron frying pan. It is a process that takes a not inconsiderable amount of time, usually on the order of several days, so it tends to be left alone for the rust to bubble in the electrolytic solution while we continue with other post-excavation processes.
Imagine our surprise when what can best be described as a corroded mass of iron and rust began to slowly reveal what looked like a “shutter dog,” a piece of hardware used to hold shutters in an open position. While initially this may not seem exciting, it becomes much more so when one considers that no shutter dogs have survived on the house. This archaeological specimen now provides the only example from which to model the recreated exterior hardware for the mansion restoration.
The shutter dog is very similar to other 18th-century examples, and its archaeological context provides the major clue as to its origin. The shutter dog was found in a brick rubble deposit just south of the front Portico. This deposit was formed in the late 1840s when the Portico columns were reshaped as part of an exterior remodeling episode. The sequence of events for this work was that the original Madison-era Portico deck was removed from the house and a temporary set of stairs was built for front access. Then between two and three feet of soil was removed from below the Portico. The shutter dog was found on the cut subsoil just south of the Portico, indicating that the exterior surface of the mansion was then prepared for stuccoing, which involved infilling windows and removing all hardware (including our shutter dog) from the house. Following the application of the stucco, the grade in front of the Portico was lowered (and the resulting soil used to cover over the old Madison-era carriage siding and roadbed) and the square bases of the Portico columns were trimmed down, allowing them to appear as circular all the way from the top to the new grade. During the chiseling of the brick columns, the shutter dog was buried underneath about six inches of brick and mortar rubble. Since the old road had been covered, a new one was installed and a layer of clay was placed atop the rubble to bring the grade under the Portico to the level of the new drive. Finally, a sand bed and brick paving were placed atop this fill.
What is important about the discovery of the shutter dog in these deposits is that its presence shows the above sequence of events occurred quite rapidly. Since the excavations under the Portico in 2004, we had never been able to clarify what delay there might have been between the stuccoing and the reconfiguration of the Portico deck. The shutter dog answers this question (the events took place over a short period of time), and also provides another piece of physical evidence that allows our restoration of the mansion to be as authentic as possible.
4February2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: Dolley's Midden; In the Laboratory.
This past week the winter work study (aka ceramics workshop) took place and we got a lot of work done! We were able to cross mend the Sevré porcelain plate and get a great start on cross mending many others including the Davenport Peony and Bamboo plates and bowls, the edge-decorated wares, Chinese export porcelains (blue underglaze and polychrome overglaze), and several coarse earthenware bowls. The cross mending process revealed that in our excavations we only 
recovered around 25-40% of each vessel—in other words, with the sherds at hand, only 25-30% of each vessel can be cross mended. While this ratio was a bit disappointing at first, one has to realize that with a downslope midden, the dispersal rate of artifacts is very wide ranging and that a large area needs to be excavated to recover the majority of any particular vessel. Nevertheless, it still begs the question of “where is the rest of this plate?”
One plate that did go together quite nicely is the Sevré plate. All the sherds that we recovered actually fit together, which is unusual as while one might recover 50% of the sherds, only around 20% actually cross mend. As one might imagine, this is a very frustrating result indeed! What is encouraging is that we have a wide array of vessels represented in the assemblage—close to 50 vessels. The information from these vessels will provide us with a large body of data to examine Dolley and James Madison’s consumption patterns for the retirement years.
Over the next several months, we will begin more intensive analysis of these vessels when Melissa Rich, former laboratory director, returns to assist us with this process.