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Welcome to the 2023 Archaeology Field School! This page is the home page for the students who are enrolled in the 2023 Field School. To navigate this website, you’ll be navigating from this Class Page, and the two links below: the Course page and your Student Profile. The Course Page has all the relevant readings and information about the archaeology course. The Profile shows your personal grades for the course.

Visit the Course

Field School Course

Visit your Student Profile

Student Profile

Zoom Classroom

You will receive invitations to the Zoom Classrooms for each class period. Here are the links for each class below. Please note the different times of the zoom meetings.

Anti-Racism Workshop, led by Mia Carey, Archaeologist & Antiracism Consultant https://www.google.com/url?q=https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83580682919?pwd%3DNU40a01LQ2pqcU1Ga21pNHZlL3JjQT09&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1683397059003875&usg=AOvVaw323YPzU6V09AYi__PTkvyp

Course Slack Channel

Register for the Field School Slack Channel Here: https://join.slack.com/t/montpelierfieldschool/shared_invite/zt-qz35tilf-rPw8mSg6YS4_kWRltrsoOA

You can access the channel by visiting http://montpelierfieldschool.slack.com

Course Information

You can access the entire Syllabus in the “Materials” tab on this page.

Depending on the school you are enrolled in, you will be held to the following standards. Additionally, all students are bound by The Montpelier Foundation’s Sexual Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policies.

James Madison University

SUNY-Plattsburgh Policies

For information on SUNY-Plattsburgh policies, please see the link below:

Montpelier Policies

Instructors and Staff

Dr. Matthew Reeves is the instructor of record for this course, but grades and evaluations are conducted by the entire staff. You can find bios for the staff here.

  • Matthew Reeves, Ph.D., Director of Archaeology mreeves@montpelier.org 
  • Terry P. Brock, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Archaeology tbrock@montpelier.org 
  • Mary Furlong Minkoff, Ph.D., Curator for Archaeological Collections mfminkoff@montpelier.org 
  • Christopher Pasch, B.A., Archaeology Crew Chief
  • Sarah Lee Hall, Archaeology Programs Coordinator
  • Hannah James, Archaeology Technician
  • Maclaren Guthrie Larimer, Field School Assistant
  • Jennifer McGee, Field School Assistant
  • Kiana Wilkerson, Field School Assistant
  • Dennis Bjorklund, Metal Detector Technician
  • Lance Crosby, Metal Detector Technician

The Montpelier Archaeology Program

The Montpelier Archaeology Field School is an active part of Montpelier research on the landscape and grounds of James Madison’s 18th and 19th century plantation. Excavations have informed our understanding of the lives of James and Dolley Madison, the restoration and furnishing of the Main House, South Yard, and grounds, and our insight into the lives of the enslaved African Americans on the property. Additionally, our program has worked to identify and protect sites on the property related to the Civil War, post-Emancipation, and early 20th century, all with the participation of field school students, the public, and descendants.

Over the past decade, our excavations have focused on the African American experience on the property. Since 2010, we have been excavating several slave quarters across the property and in 2013 returned to the mansion to begin investigations into the formal landscape surrounding the Madisons’ home. These excavations have largely focused on the South Yard, resulting in the complete excavation of three homes of enslaved African Americans, two smokehouses, and a kitchen. In 2019, we turned our attention to the Home Farm to locate the home sites and sites of labor of the enslaved African Americans and white overseer.