Calendar of Events

Discovering the 'Lost' Town of Port Tobacco :
History and Archaeology of a 300-Year Old Town

The Port Tobacco Archaeological Project has begun the search for the houses, shops, and warehouses of this one-time Charles County seat of government, discovering sites from the 1700s and 1800s, as well as thousand-year-old Native American sites. Dr. James Gibb provides an illustrated talk about the project, its findings, and the future of this quiet little town in Southern Maryland.

Indians of the Chesapeake Bay Region:
Three-credit course offered at Stevenson University

Indians in Maryland claim great antiquity. Archaeologists agree, documenting at least 12,000 years of aboriginal occupation of the greater Chesapeake region. This course surveys the extensive archaeological evidence, introducing students to the theories, methods, and findings of archaeological research. Students will develop analytical skills and knowledge of both the ancient past and the troubled present of local Native Americans.

Run of the Mill:
History and Archaeology of Maryland Mills

Mills, driven by water through rough wooden gears and wide leather belts, fed Marylanders from the middle of the eighteenth century to the turn of the twentieth. They supported Baltimore’s successful bid for industrial prominence in the Mid-Atlantic, and they linked the entire state to international markets. Dr. James Gibb explores the history and architecture of Maryland mills and demonstrates how archaeological investigations have revealed remarkable differences in technology among the state’s mills.

Ethics in Archaeology:
A Workshop for the Certified Archeological Technician Program

Dr. James G. Gibb conducts a workshop on ethics in archaeological practice. The workshop is a requirement for those enrolled in the Archeological Society of Maryland's Certified Archeological Technician Program.

Rural Maryland Schoolhouses, 1865-1925

Sometimes maligned, often romanticized, the one–room schoolhouse played a pivotal role in the history of public education in Maryland. The State Board of Education––established by the new state constitution of 1864––mandated schoolhouse designs and even interior furnishings, along with teacher certification and a statewide curriculum. For nearly a half-century, counties across the state erected these simple buildings with entry halls and belfries, blackboards and factory–made desks, playgrounds and ‘necessaries,’ pot–bellied stoves and raised platforms for the teachers’ desks. Widespread adoption of the automobile, however, led to consolidation in the 1920s, and one–room school buildings––once among the most common public buildings on the Maryland landscape––disappeared, replaced by the multi–room structures (including the Rosenwald plans for African–American children) and specialized faculty that have characterized public school education to this day.

Archaeologist and historian Dr. James G. Gibb explores the roots of Maryland’s modern school system with an approximately forty–minute illustrated talk about rural schoolhouses. He draws examples from around the state, including an unusual hexagonal school, state–mandated designs of the 1865–1920 period, and Rosenwald schools, and includes illustrations of school artifacts recovered from archaeological excavations at school sites. The presentation is appropriate for adults and older children. Audiences are encouraged not only to ask questions, but also to discuss their community’s educational history and surviving historic school buildings.

Life and Death in
Early Colonial Maryland, 1650-1700

This illustrated presentation explores life in 17th–century Maryland, from the village at St. Mary’s City to the dispersed settlements along the shores and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. The approximately 50–minute talk features two plantation sites on the lower Patuxent River, including plans of the buildings, pictures of artifacts, and a discussion of the human burials excavated at one of the sites. This presentation is suitable for school children and adults. Images of human remains can be omitted on request.

Remembrances:
Researching & Restoring Cemeteries

Can a society that ignores its cemeteries successfully preserve its other historical resources? Probably not, but federal and state statutes provide little protection for cemeteries as historic resources. Such efforts necessarily will be spawn by local groups, with little or no guidance or leadership provided by government agencies. This illustrated talk offers some guidelines and insights into cemetery research and restoration based in real-world experiences, largely undertaken in collaboration with Grave Concerns, Inc., and its principal, Scott D. Lawrence.