• About Us
• News
• Events
• Shop

Press Releases

Poplar Forest Enters Final Week of the 21st Annual Summer Field School in Historical Archaeology -

Forest, VA – Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest is currently hosting the 21st annual Summer Field School in Historical Archaeology. Ten students are participating in 2009 and have come from all over the country -- even as far away as Florida and Alaska.

Poplar Forest is Thomas Jefferson's retreat home and Bedford County plantation. Jefferson designed the octagonal house and landscape during his second term as President of the United States and sojourned here in his retirement to find rest and leisure, spend time with his grandchildren and rekindle his creativity. Archaeology is ongoing at Poplar Forest with a full-time staff of professional archaeologists. Their excavations and research provide insight into the lives of the slaves that once lived on the plantation, new information about how the plantation actually operated, and important details about Jefferson’s design for the landscape of his personal retreat.

In 2009, archaeology field school participants continue excavation in an area located 100 yards from the main house. This space may have been the location of structures and work spaces that included stables, slave quarters, Jefferson’s vegetable garden, and the plantation’s plant nursery. During the field school the students have uncovered a cobbled surface, a possible foundation trench for a demolished building, and post-holes that may be related to buildings or fences.

Students are posting weekly online updates about field school findings and activities, including images and short podcasts. This information is available at http://www.poplarforest.org/archaeology/learning-opps/field-school. Visitors can witness the field school participants and staff archaeologists conduct site excavation on the grounds every day this week and during Poplar Forest’s Independence Day celebration on Saturday.

“The Poplar Forest field school truly integrates our mission of public education with our ongoing research into Jefferson’s plantation and retreat,” said Jack Gary, Director of Archaeology and Landscapes. "Not only do our students gain intimate knowledge of Poplar Forest’s history, but they also learn the basic skills of archaeological and historical research – plus, Poplar Forest gets five weeks of very enthusiastic field students.” 

The five-week summer field school provides its students with a foundation in the current methods and theories of historical archaeology and offers a solid introduction to the practical skills of site survey, excavation, recording, and laboratory procedures.  Historical archaeology uses primary documents, excavation, and the study of artifacts to illuminate the lives of both influential individuals such as Jefferson, as well as the everyday lives of poorly documented groups such as the slaves that lived and worked at Poplar Forest.

Students spend 40 hours a week at Poplar Forest with time split between the current excavation site and the archaeology laboratory. They have the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment, software, and outside analysts. Weekly readings and lectures by staff and noted authorities cover such topics as landscape history, plantation life, 19th century material culture, professional opportunities in historical archaeology, and the role of public archaeology. This year, the field school also visited Monticello, Historic St. Mary’s City Maryland, and the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory at the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum to see examples of other public sites engaged in historical archaeology in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic.

Participating in the Poplar Forest field school carries five graduate credits from the University of Virginia. Designed for the beginner, participants are accepted from a wide variety of backgrounds, including graduate and undergraduate students in anthropology, archaeology, history or preservation; public and private school teachers; museum volunteers and staff; and individuals interested in archaeology, history and early American culture.

Applications for Poplar Forest’s archaeology field school are available in late winter each year. Learn more at www.poplarforest.org/archaeology.

About Poplar Forest
Poplar Forest is Thomas Jefferson's secluded plantation and retreat home, now a National Historic Landmark. Undergoing award-winning restoration and archaeology, Poplar Forest offers tours and special events. Poplar Forest is open April through November, Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Call (434) 525-1806 or visit www.poplarforest.org for additional information.

Poplar Forest is open to the public seven days a week, March 15 through December 15 (closed Thanksgiving Day). Group tours are available year-round by appointment.