Field School of Historical Archaeology
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Who We Are
discoverHistoric St. Mary's City is one of the premier historic sites in America, a museum of living history and archaeology telling diverse stories on the site of Maryland’s first capital in beautiful, tidewater Southern Maryland.
Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation
St. John’s Site Museum
Maryland Dove
Museum of Archaeology
Reconstructed Brick Chapel (ca. 1667)
Reconstructed Brick Chapel (ca. 1667)
The State House of 1676
The State House of 1676
Garrett Van Sweringen's Private Inn
Town Center - Maryland’s First Capital
Interior View of the Main Exhibit
Front of the Museum
The Struggle for Freedom Exhibit
The Struggle for Freedom Exhibit
Photo Credit: Maryland Office of Tourism
Maryland Dove
Maryland Lieutenant Governor making a visit to the museum
Hearth Cooking
A “battle” with the Little Pirates program
State House Weddings. Credit: Jill Christine Design & Photography
Field School Program
Archaeology at HSMC
Militia Muster
Capture the joy of your day down at the waterfront
Trending
One of the least expected artfacts discovered during the archaeology at St. Mary’s City is a small medallion bearing the image of the great Swedish...
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Archaeological research needs type collections of known artifacts to help identify the unknown ones. This is true for skeletons, tobacco pipes, and ceramics. HSMC has...
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Few letters from 17th-century Maryland survive and nearly all of these are from elite men. But detective work by English historian Ruth Crook in 2014...
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Historic St. Mary's is looking for two Archaeological Technicians
The Research and Collections Department of Historic St. Mary’s City seeks to hire two additional archaeologists to assist in the completion of field work, as well as laboratory processing and analysis. These individuals will work under the supervision of the Senior Archaeologist and other staff in the department. Historic St. Mary’s City staff is managing this project in collaboration with St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
The position requires that the candidate has completed an archaeological field school or equivalent experience and coursework. Experience with colonial period sites is essential, and the ability to identify and process artifacts is required. Any combination of acceptable education and experience, which has provided the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfill the requirements of this position, may be considered.
This is a temporary full-time contingent position and is dependent on Maryland State capital projects funding.
To apply and inquiries:
Please send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to:
Ruth Mitchell at ruthm@digshistory.org
Or mail to:
Ruth Mitchell
Historic St. Mary’s City
PO Box 39
St. Mary’s City, MD 20686
Review of resumes will begin immediately and continue until the positions are filled. Historic St. Mary’s City and St. Mary’s College of Maryland are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers. ... Read MoreSee Less
6 hours ago ·
Employment opportunity
Historic St. Mary’s City is seeking a Curator of Collections to lead the museum’s collections program and care for its collection of approximately six million archaeological artifacts. Applications are presently being accepted. The review of applications will begin on April 1, 2021. For further information on the position including salary, benefits, and job description, visit https://www.hsmcdigshistory.org/get-involved/jobs/ ... Read MoreSee Less
15 hours ago ·
“Ship’s boats and other coastal watercraft were the workhorses of both harbours and wharves, and estuarine regions like the Chesapeake Bay. In shallow waters or crowded ports where sailing ships lacked adequate room to maneuver, or in areas which lacked docks and port infrastructure, boats known as “tenders” could be used for the transfer of men and materials, and several varieties emerged. The Longboat was the largest of these and had the greatest carrying capacity; she was able to hold ship’s guns, hogsheads of trade goods such as tobacco, or casks of water known as “leaguers” while under sail or being rowed. Larger ships could carry longboats as large as 30-50ft in length, which were towed behind the ship when space on deck was unavailable. The Maryland Dove’s tender, the Parrot, is a type known as a shallop. A prominent feature is the presence of leeboards; these fulfill the function of a centreboard or keel, providing stability and lift while enabling the craft to traverse shallower waters. Only the board on the leeward (hence the name), or downwind, side of the boat would be deployed as the windward board had the tendency to be lifted out of the water as the boat heeled. The Parrot’s beamy profile and sturdy construction allow her to safely carry heavy loads, as pictured. Another of our watercraft is the wherry Olive Branch, which can trace her lineage back to the ferry-boats used on English tidal waterways. The sleeker hull profile means she can be rowed or sculled easily, and the sweeping bow enables passengers to disembark while keeping dry when the boat is run ashore. The tapering, v-shaped transom and lapstrake (overlapping) planking results in increased stability when more of the hull settles into the water as passengers come aboard.” - Sam, St. Mary’s College of Maryland student and HSMC intern.
#WaterfrontWednesday ... Read MoreSee Less
2 days ago ·