Click here for the May 2010 edition of the Diggers Digest

In the summer 2010 season we are excited to excavate the Schotsenhoek Plantation, the location of one of the oldested standing wooden buildings on the island. The house has been dimantled in cooperation with University of Virginia and now is when the digging and the archaeologists come into action! This project will take up most of the summer and we are looking forward to a positive and productive field season.

Previous Excavations
Over the past few months (2006) we have been excavating on Oranje Bay. This is a 2 mile stretch of sand and ruins that was once lined by over 600 warehouses that were the foundation of the island's trade economy. Our excavations are aimed at elucidating the purpose and period of occupation of four structures. To date we have discovered a warehouse and possibly a tavern, with a paved alleyway between the two. Artifacts include a wide range of post-medieval Atlantic trade items, including wine and gin bottles, European ceramics, Chinese handpainted porcelain, beads, coins, cannonballs and bone toothbrushes. During the hurricane season (from September through December) we catalogue artefacts and write our excavation reports.

From January until August 2006 we have fieldwork Excavation Experiences. There are three potential sites that we may be excavating in 2006. Our primary site is the continued excavation of the four structures on Oranje Bay, as we hope to maximise the information we can gain from this site prior to a beach restoration project that is due to begin next year. Other potential sites of interest are the Pleasures Estate, which was a sugar plantation and rum distillery complex. The third possibility is a 17th century Dutch Reformed Church, that was abandoned in the 1740's in favour of a new site for the church. Our schedule includes excavation in the morning, Monday to Friday with afternoons for artefact processing. We provide opportunities to learn all dimensions of excavation and post-excavation. From using a trowel to surveying, fieldwalking, archaeological photography, drawing site plans and profiles, artefact cleaning and conservation.

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