Visitors can now schedule tours to parts of the house that have long been off-limits due to access issues. The dome room from the inside lends a whole new perspective on Jefferson and his plantation.more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
When members of the public see us excavating around the main house, they often ask whether we are affiliated with the University of Virginia. They are surprised when we tell them that we are part of a permanent research department at Monticello. Monticello has a handful of departments conducting...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Groundbreaking research (as an archaeologist, I'm allowed to say that!) on Monticello's descendant community. Stories of lineage, race, and remembering.more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
The Tea Room is where I picture Jefferson's later-in-life family gathering. One of the very fun projects I have worked on at Monticello is research into what dishes would have been in use here during Jefferson's lifetime. Curator Elizabeth Chew and I discovered that there would have...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Generations of colonists before Jefferson had moved west incrementally, expanding to new land as the earlier settled land became crowded or worn out in terms of agriculture. When settlement reached the Blue Ridge, there was a little pause. Jefferson represents a change from that early expansion...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
This is a small space with great contents! Hands-on exploration, including the chance to lie in a replica of Jefferson's bed, complete with red coverlet. There are also partial replicas of a slave dwelling and buildings from Mulberry Row.more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
The exhibit To Try All Things is a view of Jefferson and Monticello with many layers of insight. It is about Jefferson's passion for applying enlightenment ideals (reasoned learning), but it also shows how Monticello's slaves supported this quest with their own lives. I think of slaves...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
This summary of the West Portico Steps Project tells the short version of a great and surprising story. Do you suppose we would depict an earthen ramp on the back of the nickel?more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Monticello's podcasts are a great way to get succinct stories about topics relative to Jefferson and the plantation. Some of the podcasts reflect work done by Monticello's Department of Archaeology, including a podcast about Site 8, and one about the restoration work on the North...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Monticello's restored vegetable garden is one of the most stunning parts of the plantation currently on view to visitors. It is probably more beautiful today than when it was enclosed by a tall paling (fence) during Jefferson's time. Back then, slave labor contributed to the production...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Monticello's Department of Archaeology has a well-established field school (somewhere in its third decade!) that provides academic credit through the University of Virginia. Each summer 12 students selected through a competitive application process participate in an in-depth study of...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Monticello's Department of Archaeology presents some of its completed research in these reports, and ongoing research in the scientific posters that were presented at professional meetings. They are a great way to learn about some of the work that Monticello's archaeologists have been...more »
Sara Bon-Harper– Archaeological Research Manager, Monticello Staff
Worth a look just to see an incredible collection, or if you're looking for a specific element of the house or grounds.more »
Visitors can now schedule tours to parts of the house that have long been off-limits due to access issues. The dome room from the inside lends a whole new perspective on Jefferson and his plantation.more »
When members of the public see us excavating around the main house, they often ask whether we are affiliated with the University of Virginia. They are surprised when we tell them that we are part of a permanent research department at Monticello. Monticello has a handful of departments conducting...more »
Groundbreaking research (as an archaeologist, I'm allowed to say that!) on Monticello's descendant community. Stories of lineage, race, and remembering.more »
The Tea Room is where I picture Jefferson's later-in-life family gathering. One of the very fun projects I have worked on at Monticello is research into what dishes would have been in use here during Jefferson's lifetime. Curator Elizabeth Chew and I discovered that there would have...more »
Generations of colonists before Jefferson had moved west incrementally, expanding to new land as the earlier settled land became crowded or worn out in terms of agriculture. When settlement reached the Blue Ridge, there was a little pause. Jefferson represents a change from that early expansion...more »
A list of significant dates in Jefferson's life.more »
This is a small space with great contents! Hands-on exploration, including the chance to lie in a replica of Jefferson's bed, complete with red coverlet. There are also partial replicas of a slave dwelling and buildings from Mulberry Row.more »
The exhibit To Try All Things is a view of Jefferson and Monticello with many layers of insight. It is about Jefferson's passion for applying enlightenment ideals (reasoned learning), but it also shows how Monticello's slaves supported this quest with their own lives. I think of slaves...more »
This summary of the West Portico Steps Project tells the short version of a great and surprising story. Do you suppose we would depict an earthen ramp on the back of the nickel?more »
Monticello's podcasts are a great way to get succinct stories about topics relative to Jefferson and the plantation. Some of the podcasts reflect work done by Monticello's Department of Archaeology, including a podcast about Site 8, and one about the restoration work on the North...more »
Monticello's restored vegetable garden is one of the most stunning parts of the plantation currently on view to visitors. It is probably more beautiful today than when it was enclosed by a tall paling (fence) during Jefferson's time. Back then, slave labor contributed to the production...more »
Monticello's Department of Archaeology has a well-established field school (somewhere in its third decade!) that provides academic credit through the University of Virginia. Each summer 12 students selected through a competitive application process participate in an in-depth study of...more »
Monticello's Department of Archaeology presents some of its completed research in these reports, and ongoing research in the scientific posters that were presented at professional meetings. They are a great way to learn about some of the work that Monticello's archaeologists have been...more »