Artifact Display Boxes Commemorate 50 Years of Alexandria Archaeology at Council Work Session

At the Alexandria City Council Work Session on September 27, 2011, the Alexandria Archaeological Commission (AAC) gave a presentation in celebration of 50 years of archaeology in the City. Commission Chair Kathleen Pepper discussed the accomplishments of Alexandria Archaeology over 50 years, since the first archaeological investigation at Fort Ward in 1961, as well as the future goals of the department and its commission.

Artifact display boxes with highlights from the City’s archaeology collections were presented to each councilmember and Mayor Euille for the duration of the meeting, underscoring their role as stewards of the collections. Each box represents a different historical time, place, and topic. All of the objects originated from an archaeological excavation, or site, within the city limits.

Artifact display box topics include:

• American Indians in Alexandria
• Enslaved on a Plantation: The Life of an African American Washerwoman
• Sugar Refining in 19th century Alexandria and the Role of African American Labor
• Alexandria Stoneware: “Well Known Throughout the Country” 
• Civil War Soldier Life 
• Brewing (and Drinking) Beer in Historic West End Village 
• Health and Beauty in Old Alexandria 

Archaeological sites include: 

• 1400 Janney’s Lane, 44AX191 
• 300 block King Street, 44AX94 and 44AX95
• 400 block King Street, 44AX93 and 44AX91
• 500 block King Street, 44AX92 and 44AX1 
• 900 King Street, 44AX113
• Coleman site, 412–418 S. Royal and 417 S. Fairfax streets, 44AX30
• Freedmen’s Cemetery, 44AX179
• Jones Point, 44AX185
• Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street, 44AX48
• Moore-McLean Sugar House, 111 N. Alfred Street, 44AX96
• Quaker Ridge, 3517–3543 Duke Street, 44AX195 
• Shuter’s Hill, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 44AX175
• Shuter’s Hill/Englehardt’s Brewery, 2016 Duke Street, 44AX35
• Smucker Property, 108 N. Quaker Lane, 44AX199
• Tildon Easton Stoneware Kiln, 1400 block King Street, 44AX76
• Wilkes Street Pottery, 621 Wilkes Street, 44AX29