18May2009
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: North Kitchen; Training Programs.
The archaeology season is upon us again! We began excavations at the North Kitchen in April and have already hosted our first three expedition programs this year. So far, we have been removing the duPont layers that have 
protected this site for the past 100 years. We are very confident in our identification of a Madison surface. With all the rains we have had this April, it is appropriate that the first feature we identified was a Madison-era drainage ditch–apparently the Madisons’ slaves suffered from the same amount of wash coming from the mansion that we have and necessitated the excavation of a shallow ditch between the kitchen and the mansion. The other possibility for this shallow ditch is that it might represent a drip line from the roof of the kitchen.
Despite all the rains, we got quite a bit of soil moved during April. We mostly were uncovering 20th century ditches (a 1908 sewer line, a 1929 water line, and a 1992 drainage line). These lines have provided us with “sneak peeks” into the stratigraphy at the site and have also contained lots of artifacts. Some of the more interesting finds include several porcelain plate fragments (which match pieces recovered from Dolley’s Midden), a complete skeleton key (which the crew jokingly refers to the as “key to the kitchen”, a fragment of a carpet bowl, and a beautiful yellowware bowl. If anyone has any idea of when carpet bowling became popular in America, please leave a comment.
We should make lots more progress over the next month–we have 24 students out for our annual James Madison University Field School! We will be using this bumper crop of students to complete the removal of duPont-era fills and fill from various 20th-century trenches. By the time the field school arrived last week, we had already developed an excellent understanding of the site’s 20th century stratigraphy from the three Montpelier Expedition programs that we held during the month of April. These programs added to our understanding of the site provided by the 2008 excavations (see recent report by A. Marshall).
23March2009
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: In the Laboratory; Intern Projects; South Yard; Training Programs.
The last full week in January we had our second annual ceramic work-study. This year we focused on ceramics recovered from the 2008 South Yard excavations. Our objective was to understand how many ceramic vessels were represented by the myriad of small sherds recovered during the excavations this past summer. Participants cataloged, labeled, and matched the ceramic sherds from across units into the various decorative categories. The first part of the workshop started out a bit rocky when Montpelier was closed due to a snow storm–but being hard-core ceramic enthusiasts, the group agreed to label ceramics over at Arlington House and we even had one lecture in the dining room while the snow piled up outside!
The more exciting results of the week’s work was the discovery of the wide range of Davenport ceramics we had recovered at the South Yard over the course of the summer, in particular, those decorated with the Bamboo and Peony transfer print. These ceramics were part of a set owned by James and Dolley Madison and based on the excavation in 2007 at Dolley’s Midden, consisted of quite a massive set of china. The pieces recovered from the South Yard are exclusively serving pieces ranging from platters to gravy boats and even include a potential vase or dessert cooler. How these pieces ended up at the homes of the house slaves is likely once they were either chipped or broken at the main house they were deemed unsiutable for the table. With the request to dispose of them, house slaves could either dispose of them in the trash heap or make a decision to reuse them at their home. Such opportunistic re-use continued until they were finally broken at the quarters and made their entry into the archaeological record. With archaeologists recovering the broken pieces in the field, the vessels entered into their final opportunistic life cycle as Montpelier archaeology staff and volunteers cleaned and mended their shattered remains! 
The workshop also kicked off the addition of a new staff member, Christine Heacock. Christine has been hired to keep the archaeology lab open on the weekends and to help Kim Trickett complete an object inventory of all items recovered at the mansion through archaeological excavations. This inventory will be entered into the Curatorial Department’s database to aid in the furnishing of the mansion.
7February2009
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: Civil War Camp Surveys.
In the depths of winter, 
Civil War soldiers have returned to Montpelier to build hut sites in the woods behind the Gilmore Farm. No, this is not the story of a long-lost regiment of Confederate troops who have found their way back to Montpelier, but the story of a group of reenactors from the 3rd Regiment of the Army of Northern Virginia who used January 24, 2009 as the kick-off to recreate a set of winter huts. We are working with the reenactors to enable visitors to experience first hand the conditions troops lived in at Montpelier during the Winter of 1863 and 1864. For the past six years, The Montpelier Archaeology Department has been locating huts sites through archaeological surveys and excavations and at long last we are using this information to recreate the appearance of these huts. On the weekends, reenactors will use the huts for reenactments and visitors are welcome to see the troops enact daily camp life. Despite the chilly conditions of this past Saturday, more than 30 visitors came out to see and talk to the reenactors building the huts. Read more in an article published in the Culpeper Star Exponent last week.
The reenacto
rs cleared an area in the woods where the five huts will be reconstructed–one officers’ hut and four enlisted men’s huts–to create an abridged company street (a regiment of 500 men would consist of 10 companies–each with their own street of 10 huts). The reenactors are cutting trees from the surrounding woods to build the huts and will daub them with mud to seal the cracks. The huts will serve as their “base camp” for future reenactments held at Montpelier. Expect to see more Civil War soldiers at Montpelier!
The 
recreated huts are accessible to the public from the interpretive trail leading between the Gilmore Farm and the Confederate Camp site (archaeological site). When reenactors are at the site, we will have a red sign at the gate to the Gilmore Farm that welcomes visitors to park at the Gilmore Farm and take a short walk up the logging road to the hut reconstruction site. When the gate at the Gilmore Farm is closed, visitors can park across from the Montpelier Train station and take the interpretive trail to the hut site. (click on map to show a higher resolution image)
Update (2/22/2009) 
The reenactors from the 3rd Regiment of the Army of Northern Virginia have been back at work and are nearly finished with the officer’s hut and have begun one of the enlisted men’s huts. One thing the guys have learned is what hard work is involved in the construction of these huts. They will back in full uniform starting on Sunday April 19th and through August will be out every third Sunday of the month–so please come out for a free visit to see their progress.
12December2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Sites.
Winter for much of the Montpelier Archaeology Department has been spent in extensive Phase I (”shovel test pit,” or “STP”) survey of the areas of Montpelier in conjuction with developing long-range plans for the property. We have focused the majority of our energy on the area of the duPont barn complex – much of the area seems to have been landscaped or otherwise altered by the duPonts. Within this complex of early 20th-century structures, there is an island that harkens back to the Civil War era…
The Izard map (left), circa 1864, indicates that a set of “Negro Quarters” were located in the approximate location of this Farm Barn complex. The evidence recovered from the Phase I and, recently, Phase II excavations confirms the survival of a mid-19th-century site in this area, primarily in the form of a historic road trace, what appears to be a yard surface, and the remains of a foundation for our tentatively-identified slave quarter. What makes the site such a spectacular find is that it is completely undisturbed (never plowed) and contains an incredible density of artifacts and features. While the site is bisected by a duPont era road leading from the Farm Barn to the Schooling Barn, excavations have revealed that historic deposits even survive below this 20th-century roadbed!
Slave Quarters?
To the north of the duPont road came the first clue to the survival of the potential slave quarter. This clue consisted of a greenstone foundation within an artifact-rich STP that was almost immediately beneath the topsoil (approximately 2-3″ beneath the ground surface). The stone feature was more fully exposed within an excavation unit placed around the STP. As can be seen from the photograph (right), we have a clear distinction between what appears to be the greenstone foundation/pier base and a brick rubble layer (which is being brushed by Steve). Could the area of brick represent the inside of the structure?Approximately 15′ to the north of the unit within which the foundation/pier-base was identified is an artifact-rich area that appears to be a yard surface related to the structure and which may also help define the size of the building. The large number of mid-19th-century artifacts being recovered from the units in this area confirms the incredible preservation of the structural remains–all of which exist just 15 feet from the duPont-era Secretary’s Barn (the current fuel shed)!
Historic Road Trace
Located in the area south of the duPont road and closest to the old archaeology laboratory (which offers pleasant respite from the seasonal weather–we have set up our screens within the warmth of the old lab!), is the remains of a historic road trace. Orientated 45° to the structures in the farm barn complex, it also lines up with an old road trace that extends to the east into the surrounding wooded area behind House 11 (the old main office). The orientation of this road in relationship to the early 20th-century structures in the area suggests the road trace predates the duPont farm complex. An excavation unit placed atop this road revealed a surface covered with clinker/slag and metal working debris, a common surface for 19th-century roads. This surface treatment also differentiates its from early duPont roads which were graveled with limestone.The relationship between this road and the structure identified in this area remains a mystery, and can only be explored with more extensive (Phase III) excavations. It would be interesting to note whether the structure is on the same orientation as the road, which would confirm their association. Once more we hear the familiar refrain that we will only understand more about this area with future excavations. Once excavated and interpreted, this area offers yet another insight into the nature of slavery at Montpelier just before emancipation, contrasting with the 18th- and 19th-century slave quarters around the mansion, and the trials that the Gilmore family faced in the antebellum years.
And next…?
With the successful identification of the slave quarters in this area as well as where archaeological deposits survived the construction of the duPont’s Farm Barn Complex, the archaeology department will return to the Phase I survey in areas planned for expanding Montpelier’s existing septic fields. Following that we shall return to the woods for more detailed survey of the various Civil War camps located around the Gilmore Cabin.
3December2008
Posted by A. Marshall under: Sites; South Yard; Training Programs.
A couple weeks back we wrapped up our South Yard excavations and have just a few tidbits to report. The main focus for the 2008 season had been one particular house where enslaved families lived, but during October, we took a sneak-peek at some of the other areas in the south yard.Specifically, we’ve excavated at one of the two smokehouses depicted on the 1837 insurance map, and at the northernmost of the houses.These excavations were limited in scope, and meant to provide a taste of things to come. Here’s what we found:
Smokehouse East: Not to be mistaken for that great new Asian Barbeque restaurant your friends keep telling you about, Smokehouse East is part of the south yard outbuilding complex depicted on the 1837 insurance plat. Pig bones suggest that the smokehouse should be in the general vicinity of our excavations. To be clear, we weren’t using pig bones for divination, we just found lots of them in our units. Click on the photo to read about the structural evidence we uncovered. And for the record, we use dowsing rods here at Montpelier, in lieu of reading bones. Seriously.
North House of the South Yard: This is one of three houses depicted on the 1837 insurance map where enslaved families lived. Excavations here were very limited (three units) so we had no luck actually finding the structure. However, we did find clear indication of the continuance of a brick path that, one might presume, could eventually lead us to the front door of the house. This path has previously been noted in units closer to the mansion, and extends all the way to the southern door leading into the cellar of Nelly’s wing.
To sum up the remaining excavation areas, we were able to pick up both the paling-fence and rail-fence from the summer south yard excavations, leap-frogging a 50-ft gap to avoid the Cedar of Lebanon. Matt won a bet when a piece of preserved wood in this post-hole turned out to be a remnant of intact fence-post, and not a root. The loser of the bet shall remain anonymous.
We have had the good fortune to work with some great volunteer groups this Fall. We wouldn’t have had nearly the success, or as much fun, without the help of these folks. So a special thanks to our annual work-study attendees (some of whom have been coming to dig at Montpelier for well-over a decade), as well as two Earthwatch groups (most of whom were here with us for the first—though hopefully not the last—time.)
Finally, it is our distinct pleasure to introduce the two latest two crew members to join our department, Hope Smith and Stefan Woehlke. They were chosen from a pool of over 60 applicants to the position, and came to us well-experienced and impeccably-referenced. We have all made a pact not to use Hope’s name in any sort of pun, though one volunteer, upon being moved to a new unit, did accidentally declare that she did not want to “abandon Hope.” Hilarious. Having worked with Hope and Stefan over the past few weeks, it would certainly be unfair to say that they have both been abject disappointments. For the sake of clarity, the previous sentence might also read “It would be fair to say that they have both been the opposite of disappointments.” That still doesn’t sound quite right. Anyway, welcome to the Archaeology Department, Hope and Stefan!
27November2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Sites; South Yard.
This is going to be a rather long post, so make yourself a cup of coffee (or tea!) and make yourself comfortable. The first section is an introduction, while the second part, accessed by the “Read more” link, goes into greater detail.
As you may notice from the title, I’m no longer just referring to the “South Yard” in its entirety. For month of October the Montpelier Archaeology Department has expanded the excavations to encompass the smoke house (structure 2), as well as to chase out the paling face and the formal fence that defined the end of the Madison formal yard. We’ll be making a separate post about what these excavations have revealed to use in the new few weeks.
For now, this post is primarily designed to round out the Duplex excavations for the 2008 field season and excavation programs by pulling together all the separate threads of evidence. We do not profess to have a definitive interpretation, and it is only through further excavation that we will be able to prove or disprove our various interpretations. So, in brief, what did we find? (please click on the photo above for the location of the various features discussed in this post)
The Duplex
One of the great successes of the excavations was being able to identify the location of the duplex. While the chimney base was constructed of a different material – stone rather than brick – the fact that it is symmetrical to the brick chimney base discovered in 1990/91 is highly suggestive that the structures are contemporary. Furthermore, the discovery of evidence of another structure to the north, possibly our smoke house, would imply that the insurance plate, while incorrect on the matter of scale and measurements, is otherwise fundamentally correct.
The Post Fence Line
Located almost immediately to the south of the duplex, and extending east-west from the Madison garden to the front fence line, is the fence that defines the curtilage, or the edge of the formal yard. The spacing between the posts, and the size of the posts themselves, suggest a post and rail fence. This fence also appears to have been up for some time, with several posts in the duplex and other areas showing some indication of repair.
The Paling Fence
The line of paling fence stake holes was found to continue in a line extending to a point just shy of the currently enclosed duPont formal garden, where it ends on a north-south line that is aligned with the brick pathway (see below). This line of the paling fence is also at right angles to the main axis of the Madison garden (the modern Annie duPont formal garden is a part of the larger Madison garden, suggesting that they are contemporary to each other.
Based on the crushed brick rubble we located, for a brief time, both the post fence and the paling fence were standing in the landscape at the same time, which is surprising given how close they are to each other. It is possible that the paling fence line represents the edge of the curtilage, or edge of the Madison formal yard and was replaced by the post fence. Its orientation with the garden and other landscape features is suggestive that it is a part of the original early 19th century landscape.
At the time of writing we have as of yet to determine whether the paling fence extends to the Boxwood Grotto-the symmetric twin of the Madison Temple, itself a 19th century structure installed with the 1809-1812 alterations to the landscape.
The Brick Path
As of yet, little has been determined about the brick path other than it ends on the same approximate line as the paling fence, which suggests that they went up to or ended because of the presence of an undetermined landscape feature. While we have strong evidence to suggest that this path links up with other 19th century paths identified in the South Yard. However, discrepancies in the fabric of the path (brick in the southern-most area, stone in the northern-most area) mean that the area underneath the Spanish Fir tree remains a lynchpin in our interpretation of the South Yard.
19th century Occupation Surfaces
Scattered over the entire site is what appears to be primarily a 19th century occupation surface that is formed of several deposits, of which the “crushed brick rubble” and “bat layer” are just two constituents. The crushed brick rubble layer, while probably being effected by close to 200 bracing Virginian winters, seems to be primarily the product of the occupation of the site—foot traffic served to scatter fragments of brick into the work yard behind the duplex, while the larger brick remains to the south of the post fence line.
Sheet Midden
Lying directly behind where the southern-most wall of the duplex would have been located, and mostly beyond the formal fence line, lies an rich concentration of artifacts that presumably formed a portion of the duplexes midden, or trash dump. Outside of the view from the main house, this midden contained artifacts that ranged from ceramics to glass, nails to keys and locks, and even the knife, fork, and mouth harp that we mentioned in our previous post. It is deposits such as these that will allow us to piece together the type of pots that the Madison domestic slaves were using to cook their food, plates and bowls they served it on, and even the type of music that they might have played.
The following post continues in further detail with the questions and complexities of the duplex excavations. To continue to read this this post, then please click the “Read More” link. To read older posts, either scroll down the page or click on the categories in the right hand column. These links will take you to a page which lists all posts made under that category. Click the title of the post and you will be taken to a dedicated page.
Read the rest of this entry »
31October2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: Mansion Front Yard; Sites.
Now that the dust from September 17th has finally settled, we took sometime to go out on the landscape to photograph the mansion’s new look. Since a picture says a thousand words, I will leave you with these two images for comparison. The one on the left was shot in July 2007 and the one to the right was taken in 2008. Click on the images below to see enlarged versions.
It has been a thrill to see our archaeological findings come up out of the ground in restored form. The credit for the restoration goes to Gardiner Hallock’s exhaustive research on fence forms and to John Jeanes and his crew for getting the fence and road re-established on the landscape prior to the September 17th opening. There is still much research to be done on the path of the carriage road as it leads from Willow Gate (location of the stop sign in front of the mansion) up to the front fence, but it still gives us goosebumps to see the mansion framed by the front fence.
Stay tuned to the blog, we will soon be posting our final entries on the South Yard with the close of our final archaeology session.
27October2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: In the Laboratory; South Yard.
All archaeologists have worked upon sites where it seems that you never find any artifacts, and those where you cannot move your trowel for fear of breaking one of thousands of artifacts. In the Front Yard it might be a good day to find 12 artifacts, whereas in Dolley’s Midden it would have been a bad day to find anything less than 120 artifacts (or sometimes even 1,200 artifacts!). The South Yard falls between these two extremes in terms of the number of artifacts recovered, yet has managed to have jaws dropping at the unique finds that have been uncovered. In this post we thought we would share some of these artifacts with our readers, including those that had us excitedly gathered around an excavation unit to discuss the find, and those finds that still elude identification.
Given the paucity of evidence from the 1990s excavations, beyond the astounding find of the brick chimney base itself, we were initially concerned as to what evidence might remain in the “Structure 1″ duplex. In chasing down the location of the duplex, however, were were able to open up a large area of the South Yard, the result of which is to enable us to begin to interpret the day-to-day lives of the domestic slaves that lived and worked in the complex and the mansion. Although further excavations are needed to fully determine the nature of the deposits, early analysis has allowed us to extrapolate the kind of plates that the domestic slaves might have had on their table, what utensils they may have eaten and cooked with, and even what personal items they had, or the type of music that might have filled the rooms of a duplex after “can’t see” (dusk).
Tablewares
The ceramics that have been recovered from the South Yard allow us to begin to piece together the kind of plates, drinking vessels, and other tablewares that might have been used by the domestic slaves. These materials would have included hand-me-down materials, perhaps plates chipped in the main house and deemed unsuitable for use, or those that the slaves might have bought for themselves in the market.
Pictured above, from left to right, are sherds of chinese export porcelain, tin-glazed earthenware, ironstone made by the Davenport manufactory, and finally a rim sherd of shell-edged pearlware. The Davenport ceramic is of particular interest since it has been found on almost all of the archaeological excavations that have taken place around the mansion, including the area affectionately referred to as “Dolley’s Midden” (early 19th century trash dump associated with the retirement years of James and Dolley Madison).
Utilitarian Items
While often not as pleasing or exciting to uncover from the site, the utilitarian items - the cooking pots and the utensils - provide just as much information to the daily lives of the domestic slaves as the tablewares.
A number of utilitarian items are pictured above including, from right to left, a two-tine fork that likely had a bone handle, an iron table/serving spoon, and the lid of a dutch oven (link to picture from Wikipedia article; after viewing press the “backspace” key on your keyboard).
Clothing
Unfortunately, the majority of clothing does not survive in the Davidson Loam soils upon which Montpelier sits, and it is only buttons, brooches, buckles, pins, and other metal artifacts that we tend to unearth. Pictured to the right are a number of artifacts that were recovered from what appears to be underneath the duplex slave quarter, as opposed to the artifact-rich trash deposits to the south (rear) of the structure.
Pictured above, from left to right, is a clothing button, a bone bobbin used to hold wind thread for sewing, and straight pins that were likewise used by a seamstress. The final button (second row, center) is a Naval 1-piece button dated to 1827-1840. (We had originally hoped that this was a US Marine Corps button, reaffirming the connection between Madison and the USMC, but, alas, this was not to be the case.)
Music, Culture… and Ritual?
One particularly fascinating find to come from the trash midden to the rear of the structure is a mouth harp, otherwise known as a Jew’s harp amongst many other names (right). To use the mouth harp, the tongue/reed is placed in the mouth of the performed and plucked with the finger to produce a note, with the jaw and mouth acting as a resonator to increase the volume of the note. The note produced is of the same pitch, but by varying the shape of the mouth, the performer can create melodies.
The Jew’s harp has also been associated with “trance-based” rituals, so while at the very least it represents music and culture in the slave duplex, it might also represent a connection to past rituals and ways of life.
Pictured above on the far right is the bowl from a ceramic pipe for smoking, a common habit for people in the nineteenth century.
Building Materials
Finally for this post, we come to some of the more common artifacts found in the South Yard 2008 excavations: brick and nails. As previous posts have described, the duplex had a great deal of brick to the south of its structure, possibly as a means of weathering control to prevent water drainage to the slave quarter and work yard itself. One brick that was uncovered from behind the duplex, pictured to the right seems to have some form of makers mark, or perhaps a signature, incised on the rear.
Although one of the most common types of artifacts found at Montpelier, the midden towards the rear of the duplex is noteworthy in terms of the sheer numbers of nails that were being removed from this area. The number of nails suggests the repair of structures or recycling of boards (hence pulling of nails) occurred in the work areas of the duplex with a consequence that the waste nails were thrown in the trash area.
20October2008
Posted by Matthew Reeves under: Training Programs.
The 2008 archaeological training programs were a great success, with participants of all the 2008 programs (Work Study, Earthwatch, and the university field schools) helping us to explore the South Yard domestic slave complex. With their diligent efforts, and those of the archaeological staff, the Montpelier Archaeology Department was successful in locating not only the slave duplex (”Structure 1″) but also the smokehouse (”Structure 2;” see overlay picture).
As we come towards the end of the 2008 field season, we naturally look towards the 2009 season and the various training programs. With the increased demand for these programs, we are particularly excited to announce an increase from two to six separate programs over the course of the year (not including the two archaeological field schools). The Work Study program has been running for 16 years at Montpelier, and many of the participants come back year after year to aid in Montpelier’s archaeological explorations as well as meet old friends.
Excavations in the 2009 field season will be focused on the “North Kitchen” area, or the site of the 19th century kitchen located on the 1837 insurance map that gave the department so much insight into the domestic slave quarters of the “South Yard.” The North Kitchen area has recently become an important locale for hands-on-history demonstrations of early 19th century cooking, food preservation, and general activities that took place in the kitchen. We hope that the 2009 field season will provide evidence of not only the use of the kitchen, but insight into the lives of the domestic slaves who worked within its walls.
We hope that you will join us exploring the “North Kitchen” and restoring the rich cultural heritage of Montpelier.
Interested in signing up to one of the Work Study programs?
If you are then the Excavation Programs page gives the dates of the various sessions, as well as a schedule for each program. Once you have found the date that is convenient to you, then contact Dr. Matthew Reeves, director of archaeology, to reserve your place. When you select your program and send your deposit, you will receive one of Montpelier t-shirts plus the new Montpelier guide book that describes many of the archaeological sites on the property as well as the restoration, interiors research, and history of Madison and the Montpelier estate.
Please note as we prefer to ensure that each participant works directly with the archaeological staff, thereby intensifying the archaeological experience and allowing personalized instruction, the number of available places for each program is limited.
7October2008
Posted by Mark Trickett under: Dolley's Midden; In the Laboratory; Sites.
Last year during the excavation of Dolley’s Midden – the early 19th-century trash deposit south of the mansion and downhill from the Madison Temple (see here for our previous posts) – we came across a strange artifact that we have had some trouble identifying. At first we believed it was a graphite rod associated with an “electrical machine” owned by James Madison. Unfortunately discussions with the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia revealed that this was unlikely to be the case. One year after, we’re still scratching our heads trying to identify the cylindrical rod. Do you have any ideas? If so, post them as a comment (you must be registered on the ‘blog to comment).
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