Germanna Archaeology

06/01/2026

The first of our summer intern introductions: Hello everyone, my name is Nas and I am a senior at VCU majoring in Anthropology! Last season I was a field school student, and this year I am an archaeology intern! I am also one of Germanna’s public outreach/education instructors! Outside of Germanna, I am the current manager of VCU’s Virtual Curation Lab, where we make 3-D printed replicas of an eclectic variety of artifacts and fossils :-) My primary archaeological interests are Zooarchaeology, Historic archaeology, Indigenous archaeology, Mesoamerican archaeology, and Paleoarchaeology :-) In my spare time, I like to draw, play video games, go antiquing/thrifting, and hang out with my sweet little kitty cat! 😸

05/29/2026

Today we begin our field crew introductions! We'll start with our crew chief:

Hi, I am Katherine Lawrence. If you have been around for a while, you may remember that I was at Germanna from 2022-2024. This season I am the archaeology crew chief! I studied anthropology at VCU and did my archaeology field school here at Germanna. After I left Germanna in 2024, I moved down to South Carolina and worked in CRM for a little while. My interests include historic archaeology, zooarchaeology, and African American history.

05/28/2026

Welcome to Germanna Archaeology's 2026 field crew! The screens are ready for dirt, and we are ready to dig! Stay tuned for introductions to the crew and updates on our newest discoveries.

05/12/2026

It is Troweler Hour (Power Hour)! From 3pm-4pm today, your donations to Historic Germanna through Give Local Piedmont will be matched up to $1,000.
THANK YOU for your support!

Place your donations at the following link: https://mtyc.co/akzn0f

05/12/2026

Today is the day to donate to local non-profits like Historic Germanna in the Piedmont Region! Your donations will help support Historic Germanna and our archaeology program, allowing us to fund internships, offer free history and archaeology programs to the public, provide free educational opportunities to school groups, and may even buy us a new trowel or two! If you donate during our Power Hour (Troweler Hour?) between 3pm and 4pm your donations will be matched up to $1000!

See below for details on how to donate and THANK YOU for your support!

Every day, Historic Germanna works to preserve and share the People, the Places, and their Stories of Germanna. By connecting communities with our natural, historic, and cultural resources, we inspire a deeper understanding and appreciation for the history of our region, Commonwealth, and nation.

Please join us in supporting Historic Germanna for Give Local Piedmont on Tuesday May 12. By giving just $10, you can ensure that Germanna's many stories continue to thrive.

🤝What: Give to Historic Germanna during Give Local Piedmont
⏰When: Tuesday May 12, 2026
🌐Where: Online at our Giving Page (linked below)

Mark your calendar for Tuesday! Early donations are open, so if you’d like to give now, all donations count toward our Give Local Piedmont totals!

P.S. All gifts made during our Power Hour (3:00pm on Tuesday) will be matched up to $1,000!

Donate now! https://tinyurl.com/w36usty3

05/08/2026

As archaeologists, we are often asked if we ever find fossils. While our focus is on human history (we leave the fossil investigations to the paleontologists), we occasionally come across something that pre-dates human existence but was later used or moved by people. This beautiful little brachiopod appeared in a piece of limestone recovered near the Gordon house site. While the brachiopod was alive hundreds of millions of years ago, this portion of our site dates to the 1800s - only around two hundred years ago! Could there have been a fossil collector living at the Gordon house?

05/01/2026

If you’ve visited our lab over the past several months, chances are you had the pleasure of speaking with Percy, our dedicated lab technician. Percy has worked with us for the past year, starting in the field and then moving inside to manage our lab during the winter and spring. Today, we say a bittersweet goodbye as he heads off to his next adventure. He will be sincerely missed in the lab - who will help us sort ceramic sherds for cataloging now?

We wish him all the best in what comes next!

04/28/2026

This past Saturday, staff and volunteers came out to help with the annual Park Day at Historic Salubria. The group cut back overgrowth around the Salubria Community Cemetery, picked up deadfall and branches around the property, swept and dusted the house, and cleaned gravestones in both the Community Cemetery and the Grayson Cemetery. Volunteer days like this are invaluable to keep this beautiful property clean, organized, and ready to open for a new season of tours.