Monticello Archaeology
The Department of Archaeology is dedicated to studying and preserving Monticello's archaeological record, and to deciphering its meaning through comparative research. Historical topics of special focus in the Department's fieldwork include landscape history and slavery, both at Monticello and in the Chesapeake region. The Department is home to the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery, an Internet-based initiative designed to foster collaborative research and data sharing among archaeologists. The Department also houses extensive artifact collections from past and ongoing archaeological fieldwork at Monticello.
- Current Research
Catch up on the Department's ongoing research initiatives. - Download Technical Reports and Data
Read in detail about recent field projects and analytical methods. - Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery
Learn how archaeologists are using Internet technologies to foster comparative research and scholarly collaboration. - Monticello-University of Virginia Archaeological Field School
Information and application materials for training in archaeological field methods at Monticello - Staff
Discussion
Call me biased but I have always liked the home page for the archaeology department! It provides a jumping off point for exploring all that Monticello's archaeology department has to offer: a detailed overview of current research, access to site reports and departmental research, and a link to The Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (www.daacs.org), an international research project based at Monticello that investigates the archaeology of slavery throughout the Chesapeake, Carolinas, and Caribbean.
Here’s where you can see what Monticello’s archaeology department is up to.
Although they generally keep a pretty low profile on the mountaintop, their work is vital to understanding Monticello as it was in Jefferson’s time and is virtually always the first step in any restoration project. They play a vital role as well by informing many of the interpretive displays mounted by the Curatorial Department. These folks know the 2,500 + acres that comprise the current Monticello property like the backs of their hands
Monticello Explorer
A Flash-based tour of the main house with 3-D models, special animations, in-depth information on the people, spaces, and places of Monticello.More »
When you first think of Monticello, you may think it's simply a house surrounded by gardens and a bit of farmland. I know that's what I thought many years ago. As a high school student from the Pacific Northwest, it was hard for me to comprehend fully just how vast a plantation operation could be. But life at Monticello was far bigger than I knew then. For years my colleagues in the archaeology department have worked to expand our knowledge and understanding of the complexity of plantation societies and operations, both here at Monticello and beyond to plantations in other areas of the Chesapeake region and the Caribbean. Start here to learn more...