Here on Lives & Legacies we’ve shown you a variety of important tasks that take place inside the Archaeology Lab at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. You’ve seen how we wash, catalog, label, and then mend vessels with archival glue. One goal of all this work is to piece together whole artifacts from the many broken … Continue reading Inside the Archaeology Lab: Putting Artifacts on Exhibit
Archaeology
Digging Up a Card Table
Tantalizing evidence of historic furniture use exists within the soils of George Washington’s Ferry Farm and that evidence gives us a more complete view of how the Washington family lived in the 1700s. The hundreds of items archaeologists and students have uncovered represent the remains of furniture broken or embellishments lost. The ruthless outdoor elements … Continue reading Digging Up a Card Table
Cunning Folk and Conjurors: Folk Magic in Colonial Virginia
The use of folk magic may seem foreign and exotic to many of us in the 21st century. If we look closer, though, it is apparent that some modern Americans still practice it today – even if they don’t realize it. Have you ever hunted for a four-leaf clover? Have you ever hung a horseshoe … Continue reading Cunning Folk and Conjurors: Folk Magic in Colonial Virginia
Ten Cool But Rarely-Exhibited Artifacts Found at Ferry Farm
When you enter a museum you’re surrounded by cool stuff. Be it paintings, fossils, or ancient artifacts, they’re all special items that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. But what if I told you that the cool objects you see on display in a museum are a mere fraction of what most museums actually … Continue reading Ten Cool But Rarely-Exhibited Artifacts Found at Ferry Farm
“A Silly Bauble”: Ferry Farm’s Sputnik Moment
Sputniks and mutniks, flying through the air, Sputniks and mutniks, flying everywhere, It's so ironic. Are they atomic? Those funny missiles have got me scared. -Lyrics from “Sputniks and Mutniks” by Ray Anderson and the Home Folks (1958) “Beep, Beep, Beep…” went the sinister telemetry signals from the Earth’s first artificial satellite. Launched by the … Continue reading “A Silly Bauble”: Ferry Farm’s Sputnik Moment
Paste Gems: It’s the Real Thing (Almost!)
The majority of what crosses my desk everyday as I catalog artifacts are items that would be difficult, if not impossible, to ascribe to any one person who lived on the land we call Ferry Farm. Architectural debris (brick, mortar, plaster, nails), food remains (oyster shell, animal and fish bones, eggshells (!)), broken household objects … Continue reading Paste Gems: It’s the Real Thing (Almost!)
Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It: Tobacco & Politics in the 1700s
Colonial American. Think about that term. What does it mean to you? It refers to citizens of the American colonies prior to the Revolution. In the minds of many of us in the present-day United States, however, it might denote a unique American identity, probably because our own identities as Americans are firmly set and … Continue reading Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It: Tobacco & Politics in the 1700s
George Washington, My Grandfather, and the Noble Art of Fencing
Editor’s Note: This is the second of two posts inspired by this year’s Summer Olympics. This week, Archaeologist Mara Kaktins reflects on the connection fencing has created between her family and George Washington. Read our first Olympics-inspired post here. At our monthly blog meetings, post topics are floated and people grab them up, usually when it aligns … Continue reading George Washington, My Grandfather, and the Noble Art of Fencing
Show Horse: How Colonial Horse and Rider Looked Their Best
Editor's Note: This is the first of two posts inspired by this year's Summer Olympics. This week, it's an equestrian-inspired post from Archaeologist Laura Galke, who briefly looks at some of the ornaments found on 18th century horse tack. What an impressive sight the Washingtons made as they rode their horses with bridles and straps embellished … Continue reading Show Horse: How Colonial Horse and Rider Looked Their Best
Bartmann Bottle: The Coolest Thing We’ve Ever Found
We excavate hundreds of artifacts every day during the field season at George Washington's Ferry Farm and occasionally one or two really stand out. For me, the most interesting artifacts uncovered during the past few years are fragments of a Bartmann Jug. The combination of an animated human face and fascinating symbolism makes this particular … Continue reading Bartmann Bottle: The Coolest Thing We’ve Ever Found
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