2022 Field School Week Five

By Nancy Williams

This week, we learned about and participated in Public Archaeology. On July 4th, many members of the public came down to the site to learn about what we have discovered. Some people were more interested in the artifacts and some with the potential features being found in the ground. We cleaned up the first two 5x5ft units and opened a new one at the end of the day. We made an exciting find, a whole pewter button, in the first unit. The next day, we continued to excavate the units, which revealed additional artifacts, particularly window glass. A third unit opened this week found several plow marks, indicating that there was agricultural activity in the region. On Friday, we travelled to Montpelier to explore the archaeological sites and the residence of James Madison. There was fascinating information regarding the Madison family homes. Montpelier, like Poplar Forest, evolves with each new generation.