Artifact Processing and Dig Day

The Fairfield Foundation will host an artifact washing and processing day to work with the Henry Clay Birthplace material on Friday, May 17th.  This will be held at the Rosewell Visitor Center. Dave Brown, Thane Harpole, their staff and volunteers hope to wash the artifacts from the 2011 excavations at the birthplace of Henry Clay, prominent American icon and political figure who frequently used his homestead as a point of reference for his beliefs and character.  Their hope is to find out the initial answers to questions such as "when did the house burn?", "are there intact layers around the house and when do they date to?", and "are there layers of note that date specifically to Clay's childhood?"  The fieldwork and research undertaken by the ASV with guidance from Patrick O'Neill and a band of merry men and women helped identify some initial conclusions, but the lab processing is a necessary step on the journey toward report analysis and publication.  This work will count toward the laboratory hours requirement  


There will also be a dig day at Fairfield Plantation the day after - Saturday, May 18th.  At Fairfield, they continue the strategy of sampling the plowzone surrounding the manor house and further analysis of the plantation landscape that includes one of the earliest designed landscapes in Virginia (late 17th century).  The material culture typically recovered includes prehistoric material of the Archaic and Woodland periods (albeit a small percentage), as well as a variety of material from the 17th-19th centuries which would provide a great introduction to the archaeology of this period in Eastern Virginia. The focus of the May 18th work is test unit excavation, site maintenance, and some possible work with the transit.  They are interested in giving a lecture at lunch time that would cover either anthropological archaeology or laws/ethics, depending on the demand (this can happen on either day - Friday or Saturday).  The field work will count toward the survey hours requirement and will also provide the opportunity for instruction on site organization and transit work (two field skills). 

Please contact Dave or Thane directly to let them know your interest.  They need to plan ahead, so your communication with them is important.

Thanks, Carole and Bruce