Archaeologists to Share Discoveries at Newtowne

Artifacts from the archaeological dig at Newtowne. (This MDGovpics photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic CC BY 2.0 license.)

Archaeologists Aaron Levinthal and Sarah Janesko will share discoveries from the homes of the enslaved community that lived on the Jesuit’s Newtowne Plantation between the late 17th century through the mid-19th century.

“Archaeology of Newtowne’s Enslaved African American Community” will be presented from 3 to 5 pm Friday, July 8, at St. Francis Xavier Church Hall at 21370 Newtowne Neck Road in Compton.

Archaeologists found thousands of artifacts associated with the home sites of enslaved African-Americans. The refuse pits, filled with clay tobacco pipe stems, oyster shells, and even charred tobacco seeds, are revealing what life was like for a community that left few written records.

The presentation will reflect on how the Jesuits used the landscape, including the locations of slave quarters, the types of crops grown, and the animals raised on the plantation. Some of the more interesting discoveries include a palisade found by remote sensing, and Native American pottery sherds suggesting close relationships and interactions among everyone living on Newtowne Neck.

Artifacts will be on display after the presentation.

The St. Mary’s County Historical Society is the repository of a unique collection of Maryland memorabilia and museum pieces displayed on the first floor of Tudor Hall and in the Old Jail Museum at 41625 Courthouse Drive in Leonardtown. The 18th-century Tudor Hall in Leonardtown also serves as headquarters of the society and houses the Historical Society’s Research Center.

To learn more about the St. Mary’s Historical Society, visit its Leader member page.