Intern Spotlight: Vincent Turner

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This is the third in a series of posts highlighting our awesome summer interns! Today, we’re highlighting graduate student Vincent Turner from the University of Maryland.

Vincent Turner

“My name is Vincent Turner and I started as an intern for the Lost Towns Project at the beginning of June. I am currently between my first and second years in the Historic Preservation Master’s program at the University of Maryland, College Park. I have several projects this summer that involve updating cemetery records for Anne Arundel County and helping with public outreach.

An example of a cemetery survey form used by Anne Arundel County and the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society

“I am currently preparing cemetery information for GIS data migration which is fascinating because I get to see all of the information available on cemeteries in Anne Arundel County. This data will be used to make it easier to find all of the information available on individual cemeteries.”

Thanks, Vincent, for your work on preserving local cemeteries!

Do you want to get involved in historic cemetery preservation? Anne Arundel County’s Preservation Stewardship Program has a Historic Cemetery Survey initiative for members of the public to assist in documenting cemeteries. After all, we can’t protect a cemetery if we don’t know it exists! Click here for more information.

Vincent is one of our two funded interns this year! Your support can help us provide internships to the next generation of archaeology and historic preservation professionals. If you are able, please consider making a tax-deductible internship donation to the Lost Towns Project today. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a big difference in preserving local history. Thank you!

Intern Spotlight: Julia Ribblett

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This is the second in a series of posts highlighting our awesome summer interns! Next up is Julia Ribblett from the University of Evansville.

Julia sorting artifacts from Whitehall

“Hello! My name is Julia Ribblett and I am a rising sophomore at University of Evansville in the city of Evansville in the southwestern edge of Indiana. I am working towards a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology with minors in both Art History and Anthropology! I am an intern with the Lost Towns Project to gain first-hand experience in archaeological studies and research.

Julia (L) with volunteer Mandy (R) sorting artifacts from Riviera Beach

“So far, I have worked on at the River Farm site in Lothian, Maryland, teaching middle schoolers how to analyze basic stratigraphy during a STEM program field trip. I have also participated in field work at a site in Denton, Maryland, and worked with artifacts from Whitehall. Since the start of my internship, I have learned the proper techniques for troweling and how to measure an archaeological lot on an excavation, as well as how to wash, organize, and label artifacts.”

Thanks for your hard work this summer, Julia!

Your support can help us provide internships to the next generation of archaeology and historic preservation professionals! If you are able, please consider making a tax-deductible internship donation to the Lost Towns Project today. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a big difference in preserving local history. Thank you!

Intern Spotlight: Kaitlin Sennewald

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This is the first in a series of posts highlighting our awesome summer interns! First up is Kaitlin Sennewald from the University of Maryland.

Kaitlin Sennewald, 2022 Summer Intern

“My name is Kaitlin Sennewald, and I’m a rising senior at the University of Maryland. I am studying Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in Culture and Environment.  This summer, through my internship with Lost Towns, I am learning about archaeology lab and field methods by assisting in excavations and processing material from many different sites, including Whitehall, River Farm, and Kinder Farm.

Kaitlin (L) with fellow intern Julia (R) at the River Farm Site in Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

“I have learned a lot about processing artifacts as well as about field techniques, including excavation, site mapping, and artifact identification. I also look forward to learning more about local history by participating in digs at multiple different sites throughout the summer.”

Thanks, Kaitlin! It’s been a pleasure working with you this summer.

Your support can help us provide internships to the next generation of archaeology and historic preservation professionals! If you are able, please consider making a tax-deductible internship donation to the Lost Towns Project today. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a big difference in preserving local history. Thank you!

Welcome Summer Interns!

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TWO graduate students, FIVE undergrads, ONE high schooler, and ONE recent grad walk into an archaeology lab…

Wait–it’s not a joke:

This is our amazing crew of 2022 interns and they are keeping the Lost Towns Project and Anne Arundel County’s Preservation Stewardship Program BUSY this summer!

Interns Kaitlin Sennewald and Julia Ribblett learn the basics of archaeology field techniques at the River Farm Site in Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

Our Interns hail from educational institutions across Maryland, as well as the Midwest, New England, and the UK, and are focusing on a variety of archaeology, preservation and heritage research. Projects range from learning the basics of field and lab methods, documenting historic cemeteries, and studying the impacts of climate change on historic sites, to a study of the the archaeology of black spaces on plantation landscapes, zooarchaeology (the study of animal bones), and analyzing artifacts from the Ogle Research Collection to explore interactions between Native American groups in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic over 2,000 years ago. Stay tuned for their blog posts as they highlight their research projects.

Special thanks to funding from Maryland Humanities and their SHARP Recovery Grants Fund1, matched by generous donations by our supporters. This funding has allowed the Lost Towns Project offer two interns financial stipends for the first time ever. Offering financial support has raised the quality and commitment of our intern pool, and undoubtedly helped with gas expenses!

We would love to offer funding for three interns next summer. If you are able to help us support the rising stars in the fields of archaeology and historic preservation, please consider making an internship donation to the Lost Towns Project today. (LTP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit–so it’s tax deductible!) History will thank you!

1Funding for these grants has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Maryland Humanities as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the NEH Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) initiative.

Rising Sun Inn Recognized for Excellence in Historic Preservation

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In honor of Preservation Month, Anne Arundel County’s Cultural Resources Section just installed another new historic wayside sign at the Rising Sun Inn, an 18th-century tavern standing on Generals Highway! During the installation, the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn received the County’s 2022 Preservation Stewardship Award in recognition of this organization’s tremendous efforts in restoring and maintaining this important historic structure.

Anastasia Poulos, Cultural Resources Section, presents the 2022 Preservation Stewardship Award to Kris Jenkins and Mary Fisher, officers of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn.  

This non-profit group of volunteers embodies Preservation Month’s theme of “People Saving Places.” The Friends of the Rising Sun Inn is an organization that has a long track record and has demonstrated for decades that they are capable and conscientious stewards of this historic building. Recently, they restored the Inn’s second floor space to allow increased access to the public through expanded tours and unique events that highlight local history. Their committed volunteers have helped the organization successfully maneuver the myriad challenges of the pandemic by adapting programming to include structured tickets and virtual events. They have proven to have great initiative over the years, always maintaining the highest standards in their treatment of the historic property, and continue to actively pursue innovative ways to interpret the property for the public. 

Preservation Stewardship Award for the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn

Anne Arundel County thanks all the members of the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn for their passion and commitment to this important historic landmark in Maryland. Learn more at https://www.risingsuninn.org/

Contributed by Stacy Poulos, Archaeological Sites Planner, Anne Arundel County Cultural Resources Section