Here at Ferry Farm for the last 13 years, professional archaeologists have been exploring the local landscape, digging hundreds of excavation units in their quest to reveal the history of all those who lived here, including, of course, the Washington family. Their investigative efforts have resulted in a multitude of artifacts dating from the earliest … Continue reading After Digging: What Happens in the Archaeology Lab?
Author: ferryfarmandkenmore
Video: Inside the Archaeology Lab – Cataloging Artifacts
Archaeologists spend much more of their time working to determine the significance of an object than actually finding the object through excavation. This analytical work is done in an archaeology lab. First, artifacts must be washed, which you can see here. Then, the artifacts are cataloged as the video below shows. Learn more about archaeology at … Continue reading Video: Inside the Archaeology Lab – Cataloging Artifacts
Dental Care in Early America
Editor’s Note: Looking back in time, people’s personal hygiene, fashion choices, medical treatments, and more sometimes look, at the very least, bizarre, if not outright disgusting. When confronted with these weird or gross practices, our first reaction can be to dismiss our ancestors as primitive, ignorant, or just silly. Before such judgments, however, we should … Continue reading Dental Care in Early America
Photos: Hummingbirds
Just outside a window of the Archaeology Lab near the demonstration garden at George Washington's Ferry Farm stands a hummingbird feeder. We regularly receive feathered visitors to the feeder. Archaeologist Laura Galke recently captured some photos of a couple of the hummingbirds as well as a surprise guest.
Fine and Fashionable Fruit Dishes
Fruit! It’s good for you, delicious, and often beautiful - but have you ever thought of fruit as a status symbol? In today’s world of relatively quick, inexpensive long-distance transportation, we enjoy fresh fruit from all over the world year-round. We generally take this ability for granted. In the eighteenth century, however, if you or … Continue reading Fine and Fashionable Fruit Dishes
Video: A Busy Morning at Kenmore
Historic Kenmore's beautiful grounds and gardens require much work to remain beautiful. On a recent morning, staff mowed and weeded flower beds in the unending effort to make the flowers and grounds look their best. Historic Kenmore and George Washington's Ferry Farm always need volunteers to help with our gardens. If you might be interested … Continue reading Video: A Busy Morning at Kenmore
The Atlantic World in Fielding Lewis’s Library
Ships and sea-faring were parts of daily life and culture in the Atlantic World port of Fredericksburg. This was especially the case for the Fielding Lewis family, who became wealthy through shipping, ship owning, and ship building. Wednesday's Lives & Legacies entry recounted a typical sea voyage around the Atlantic Ocean by the Stanton, a brig owned by John … Continue reading The Atlantic World in Fielding Lewis’s Library
The Voyage of the ‘Stanton’
In colonial times, ocean-going ships could sail up the Rappahannock River all the way to Fredericksburg. This made the tiny but growing town a bustling seaport. All types of goods were loaded onto ships to be sent to Europe while others were unloaded to be sold right here in the colonies. George Washington, Fielding Lewis, … Continue reading The Voyage of the ‘Stanton’
Photos: Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” by Candlelight
The Rude Mechanicals presented candlelight performances of William Shakespeare's Cymbeline this past weekend at Historic Kenmore.
Video: Inside the Archaeology Lab – Washing Artifacts
Archaeologists spend much more of their time working to determine the significance of an object than actually finding the object through excavation. This analytical work is done in an archaeology lab. Before analysis can begin, the newly uncovered artifacts have to be thoroughly washed. This video shows how. Learn more about archaeology at Ferry Farm … Continue reading Video: Inside the Archaeology Lab – Washing Artifacts
Lives & Legacies 