Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help
Maine State MuseumFriends

Exhibits

 Collections

What's new

Programs

Back to Friends

Anthropology

Contact us

Links

 

Fort St. George, Popham Village (1607-08), September 5-10 and September 11-16, 2005

Fort St. George is the site of the oldest English fort in the Northeast, built in 1607-08 at the mouth of the Kennebec River. During their stay, colonists built a number of structures and launched the first English-built ship in North America, the Virginia of Sagadahoc. Although the colony failed, it left remarkable evidence of early 17th century life.

With the help of a contemporary drawing of the site (made by John Hunt in 1607), the colony storehouse has been located and excavated. In 1999, the "Admiral's House" was located and was a focus of excavations in 1999-2000. Many interesting artifacts have been found, including a caulking iron that may have been used on the Virginia, pieces of armor, glass buttons, the bowl of a clay smoking pipe, and pieces of English and European pottery, including fragments of a Bellarmine jug.

The 2005 season will continue the search for structures and artifacts.

Fort St. George School Staff

  • Project Leader, Jeffrey Brain, received his doctorate in archaeology/anthropology from Yale and is currently a senior research associate at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. He has over 45 years of field experience and directed the archaeological excavations at Fort St. George in 1994 and 1997-2004.

  • Peter Morrison, project assistant, has extensive experience in the archaeology of Maine and has also worked at recent Fort St. George excavations. He has a Masters degree in history from the University of Maine at Orono.

  • Pam Crane, project assistant, received her Masters degree in anthropology from the University of Maine at Orono. She has extensive field experience in historical archaeology in Maine.

  • Tim Dinsmore, project assistant, has 22 years of experience in historical archaeology in Maine and has completed his masters in anthropology at the College of William and Mary.

 

To print a copy of the Maine State Museum 2005 Archaeology Field School Brochure and registration form, please click HERE. In order to print the brochure you will need a copy of Adobe Reader which is a free download available from Adobe. Clicking on the icon will take you to the Adobe Reader download page.link to Adobe Reader

Fort St. George Field School Information

· Two one-week sessions (week 1 - September 5-10; week 2 - September 11-16).
· Maximum of 15 participants per session.
· Participants should plan to arrive Monday, Labor Day (September 5) between 3 and 5 PM.
· Participants not requiring food or accommodations may deduct $100 from the registration fee.
· Minors must be accompanied by a registered adult participant.
· Cost: $600 for Maine State Museum members/$700 for non-members. $150 deposit due upon registration (NOTE: No refunds after August 6 unless vacancy can be filled.)
· Final payment due by August 6, 2005.

Field School participants will stay at the Edgewater Farm Bed and Breakfast, a short drive to the site. Facilities include a large common area for programs, and a swimming pool. Food arrangements are typical for a working field school. Food is purchased by staff with individual preferences taken into account. Meal preparation and clean-up are shared by all. Those who wish to stay Friday night or additional nights should contact Adele Bickford prior to August 6th at 207-287-2304. Thereafter, please contact Carol Emerson at Edgewater Farm at 207-359-1322.

Pre-Historic Archaeological Field School

Dr. Bruce Bourque will again lead a field school to the Cushing site in conjunction with the Maine State Museum and Earthwatch. Ten day residential programs are offered from
June 5-14 and June 20-29. For further information and registration, please contact Earthwatch Expeditions, Inc. at 978-461-0081 or http://www.earthwatch.org.

MAINE STATE MUSEUM
Field School in Archaeology 2005

Established in 1993 by the Friends of the Maine State Museum, the Field Schools in Archaeology carry out important archaeological fieldwork in Maine. You will work under the guidance of expert archaeologists as we discover the secrets of the past. For further information, please contact Adele Bickford at 207-287-2304 or email at: adele.bickford@maine.gov.

Popham Page | Field School Page | Archaeology Lab Page