Native American Heritage and Archaeology

, ,

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.

Volunteers Bob & Vera Wiest Receive Heritage Award

, ,

Our very own volunteers Bob and Vera Wiest are the recipients of the 2022 Chesapeake Crossroads Heritage Stewardship Award! This award recognizes “efforts that make a difference in stewardship of our natural resources or built environment.” 

This married couple of archaeological all-stars process artifact collections by washing, labeling, and preparing artifacts for curation. Whether it’s a 10,000-year-old spear point or a piece of pottery from the 1800s, we know we can count on Bob and Vera to get the job done with care and dedication. Over the last two years, Bob and Vera have given over 550(!) combined hours towards preserving local history! We truly could not do what we do without the generosity of incredible volunteers like Bob and Vera–Congratulations on this well-deserved award!

New Exhibit in Glen Burnie Library

, , , ,

As part of Native American Heritage Month, a new exhibit is up at the Glen Burnie Regional Library! Titled “We Are Still Here,” it is an introduction to the stories of Maryland’s indigenous people from prehistory to the present. 

From left to right: Drew Webster, Mary Jane Williams, Lorelei Bidwell, Emily Lucie

The exhibit was a collaboration between Anne Arundel County Cultural Resources Section, The Lost Towns Project, and the Glen Burnie Library. Archaeologist Drew Webster and archaeology intern Emily Lucie teamed up with librarians Mary Jane Williams and Lorelei Bidwell to create and install the exhibit, along with Dr. Ashley Minner, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, who contributed her research about the vibrant Lumbee Community in Baltimore City.

Want to check it out? Visit the Glen Burnie library at 1010 Eastway in November or December of this year.

Skipworth Descendants Visit the Archaeology Lab

, , , ,
Lab Director Jenn Babiarz with Jamie and Ernie Joyner

Skipworth’s Addition is a highly significant 17th-century archaeological site near Galesville in Anne Arundel County. It was the home of George and Elizabeth Skipworth (also Skipwith/Skipwirth) from 1664 to 1682. The Skipworths were early settlers to the area and were influential figures in the local Quaker community.

Recently, the Anne Arundel County Archaeology Lab hosted Jamie Beane Joyner, George Skipworth’s 8th great granddaughter, along with her husband Ernie and daughter Bliss.  Lab Director Jenn Babiarz showed off some of the archaeological collections from Skipworth’s Addition to the Joyners, who visited all the way from Mississippi!

You can read more about the archaeology at Skipworth’s Addition here.

African American History Resources

, , ,

The Lost Towns Project, in collaboration with Anne Arundel County’s Office of Planning and Zoning, has recently completed two online resources on African American history in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Check them out by clicking on the pictures below.

African American Voices, Memories and Places: A Four Rivers Heritage Trail

This virtual trail and its companion guide highlight publicly accessible historic sites that provide a tangible place to visit, explore, and contemplate important African American individuals, families, people, historic places, events, struggles, and accomplishments. It also included many privately-owned sites, and in far too many cases, sites physically lost to time. This interactive tour acknowledges and celebrates contributions by African-Americans over the County’s 370-year history; those who tilled the soil on farms that made Anne Arundel County prosper prior to Emancipation, those who harvested, processed and shipped the Bay’s seafood to feed an expanding Country, and those who physically built the grand colonial houses for wealthy landowners, many of whom were enslaved. We honor those families and individuals that came together in good times and bad, to start a church and a congregation, to found a school, to build a community, and to create a legacy.

Please note that many of the tour stops are privately owned and not accessible for visitation.
Thank you for respecting the privacy of these properties.
Sites open to the public are clearly marked.

Explore the Civil Rights Era in Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Relying upon more than 50 oral histories, this virtual tour is a rare opportunity to hear about local history through the eyes, voices, and memories of those who experienced it first-hand.  Highlighting local places, residents, and their stories, the project offers accounts of everyday activities during a time of segregation. It documents spaces of leisure and recreation, where people of color could gather and enjoy solidarity and empowerment; places like stores, ballfields, beaches, juke joints, movie theaters, beauty salons, and barber shops. A team of historians, led by Lyndra Marshall (née Pratt) and Dr. John Kille worked with citizens who generously shared their memories of what life was like during segregation, and uncovered compelling stories of injustice, resistance, and sacrifice, as well as perseverance and triumph. The full interviews and transcriptions are accessible by request from the Maryland State Archives.