Archaeology Month Events: April 2023

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April is Maryland Archaeology Month!

Here is how we are getting involved. Find more archaeology events across the state at marylandarcheologymonth.org.

Archaeology Lab Open House (Maryland Day Weekend)

Saturday & Sunday, April 1st & 2nd
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public

Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab
839 Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD

Dig into local history at the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab! View a wide variety of artifacts from recent excavations across Anne Arundel County, from a 75-year-old bicycle seat to a 13,000-year-old spear point.

Try your hand at sorting artifacts, get your hands dirty at the artifact washing station, or learn how you can get involved in archaeological digs and labwork, right here in Anne Arundel County.

Discovering Archaeology Day

Saturday, April 15
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum
10505 Mackall Rd
St. Leonard, MD

Bring the entire family for a day of interactive learning and fun with archaeologists from across Maryland and Virginia, including hands-on activities for kids of all ages, archaeological site and lab tours, exhibits, games, giveaways, and cool crafts. This event will take place inside and around the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Lab, located on the grounds of the park.  The lab is home to over 10 million archaeological artifacts from across the state and contains one of the largest archaeological conservation labs in the nation–a must-see! There will be food and beverages for sale at the event.  Appropriate for all ages.

Hosted by Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum.

The Archaeology of Jug Bay: A Hike through History

Saturday, April 22nd
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
$10/person, Register here
Ages 12+

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD

Join archaeologist Drew Webster, from Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section to celebrate Archaeology Month with a hike from the Jug Bay Visitor’s Center to the Jug Bay River Farm. Along the hike (approximately 3-4 miles) you will learn about the many archaeological findings and research sites ranging in occupations from 13,000 years ago to the historic period. Drew will share how these archaeological sites inform us about past ways of life for people occupying the landscape of Jug Bay. The hike will include an artifact show-and-tell.

Walk for the Woods

Saturday, April 29
(Rain Day: April 30)
7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public

Back Ridge Natural Area
Farm Road
Crownsville, MD

Enjoy a day of guided hikes exploring the heart of the conserved Bacon Ridge Natural Area in Crownsville. Experts in wildlife, native plants, birds, history, archaeology, and more will be on-site and available to attendees. Plus, self-guided hike options will be offered, complete with trail maps and educational signage posted along the trails, as well as other fun educational activities.

Registration for guided hikes will open in early April 2023. The hike schedule and link to registration will be announced via email and social media and posted to www.SRLT.org.

Hosted by Scenic Rivers Land Trust.

Sign up for our email newsletter to learn about upcoming events and more!

Lost Towns Project Awarded SHINE Grant from Maryland Humanities!

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We are grateful to be one of 50 Maryland nonprofit organizations to receive $10,000 in general operating funding from Maryland Humanities’ SHINE Program (Strengthening the Humanities Investment in Nonprofits for Equity).

As a very small volunteer-based non-profit, grant funding is critical to our ability to provide history and archaeology research and programming to our community. In 2023, we are excited to continue our volunteer and intern programs, documenting historical and archaeological sites, preserving historic cemeteries, providing interactive fieldtrips for middle school students, and more.

More information about the SHINE Grants can be found here.

This project has been financed in part with State Funds from the Maryland Historical Trust, an agency of the Maryland Department of Planning which is an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Historical Trust or the Maryland Department of Planning.

African American Inventions, Artifacts, and Stories at the Glen Burnie Library

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We’re switching things up at the Glen Burnie Library! After the successful collaboration for Native American Heritage Month, librarians and archaeologists teamed up once again for Black History Month. The exhibit highlights the numerous contributions by black inventors, and highlights the story of the Savoy family, tenant farmers from Crownsville.

It will be up for the next few months at the Glen Burnie library at 1010 Eastway. 

Two Graduate-Level Internships with Anne Arundel County

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The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning seeks a Historic Resources Management Intern to support the Cultural Resources section. The Cultural Resources section protects Anne Arundel County’s historic sites, buildings, archaeological sites and landscapes.

The Historic Resources Management Intern will support the Cultural Resources section by updating and modernizing documentation of the County Inventory of Historic Places. This position is primarily remote with requirements to access extensive local and State archival records. More information here.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning also seeks a Community Outreach and Research Intern to support the Long Range Planning section. The Long Range Planning section is the lead in preparing the County’s General Development Plan, Small Area Plans, and other functional plans as needed.

The intern will develop communications materials and engage directly with community members to understand their concerns and aspirations for their neighborhoods. The intern will also gather information on the history and attributes of the community that make these places unique. This is a hybrid position based out of the Annapolis headquarters. More information here.

Native American Heritage and Archaeology

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A new educational toolbox highlighting 13,000 years of indigenous presence in Anne Arundel County

The Lost Towns Project, Inc., in collaboration with archaeologists with the County’s Cultural Resources Section, is proud to announce the launch of “Native American Archaeology in Anne Arundel County, Maryland: A Heritage Toolbox.” Designed for students, teachers, and the curious public, this virtual toolbox shares exciting local archaeological discoveries, along with images of artifacts from the County’s vast archaeological holdings that have helped document and reveal the deep history of indigenous peoples in what is today known as Anne Arundel County, Maryland. 

Visit losttownsproject.org/toolbox to explore 13,000 years of indigenous history, learn more about fascinating archaeological resources across the County, download valuable educational resources, and find places where you can visit and experience this history in person! 

Funded in part by the Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Area in recognition of the lack of publicly available resources available that tell of the County’s rich indigenous history, the toolbox provides historical context, along with multimedia resources, including interviews with members of local tribes and professional archaeologists, images of artifacts excavated from across the county, and links to presentations by academic experts, web resources, worksheets, and videos. It also showcases the rich archaeological discoveries from the Jug Bay area, a tidal wetland along the Patuxent River in southwest Anne Arundel County. 

Dr. Patricia Delgado, Superintendent and Wetland Ecologist at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary in Lothian, MD welcomes new visitors to the Sanctuary to immerse themselves in the natural environment, and explore the lands where Native peoples once lived. She notes that “the addition of a website dedicated to presenting the Native American story of Jug Bay provides a permanent and accessible way to share these important aspects of our local heritage with the public.” Plan your visit at www.jugbay.org!

Eve Case, Coordinator of Social Studies at Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) sees the toolbox as “an important resource for social studies teachers looking to incorporate local history into their curricula,” adding that “Native American history is a subject area for which we have few local resources on hand.”  

Drew Webster, archaeologist and the County’s Historic Preservation Stewardship Program Director, designed the toolbox with the hope that teachers could use the digital toolbox to broaden their curricula, build new lesson plans, and encourage their students to research and explore the area’s extensive indigenous heritage, both virtually and in person. 

Mr. Webster also invites the public to experience archaeology firsthand! Sign up for a monthly newsletter by emailing [email protected] and be first to know about volunteer opportunities in the field and the lab, and to hear about new exhibits and lectures about Native American history and archaeology in 2023.

Learn more about the non-profit Lost Towns Project at www.losttownsproject.org, and explore the County’s many other historic resources by visiting www.aacounty.org/heritage-resources.