The Archaeology of Black Life at James Madison’s Montpelier

In celebration of Anthropology Day and Black History Month, the Museum is pleased to host a lecture by Dr. Terry Brock, Director of WFU’s Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Research Group. Over the past 25 years, archaeologists at Montpelier, the home of 4th President James Madison, have conducted extensive excavations across the 2,700 acre property that is now home to the Montpelier Foundation. This presentation will explore a number of sites across the property that relate to the experience of the Black people who were enslaved by President Madison, including their homes and workspaces. The presentation will explore the different ways that archaeologists are able to identify, excavate, and analyze these sites, which have otherwise been erased from the landscape, and how Montpelier archaeologists work in collaboration with the Montpelier Descendants Committee to interpret these sites for the public. Admission is free.