Colonial Williamsburg Archaeology

04/10/2026

It's almost here! 🎉

Join us April 25-26 for the grand opening of the Campbell Archaeology Center! From hands-on activities to behind-the-scenes tours and live discussions, it’s a full weekend of archaeology in action!

Check out the flyer below and come celebrate with us!

04/01/2026

April Fools!

While all of these artifacts are part of our collection, you won’t find them on display in the new Campbell Archaeology Center.

Objects like these help archaeologists spot modern disturbances—like utility trenches—and separate the past from the present. And who knows? Maybe 100 years from now, archaeologists will be studying these very items to understand how we lived today.

04/01/2026

As we are nearing the opening of the Campbell Archaeology Center, we thought we’d give you a sneak peek into one of our new exhibits! The Millennial Collection sponsored by Dr. Abe R. Fühls features objects from the late 20th and early 21st centuries found during archaeological excavations. With these objects we hope to engage more with younger generations, who feel more connected to these artifacts than broken pottery from the 18th century. This collection features items from many of our recent excavations, including the Bray School and the Revolutionary War Barracks, although none of them have any connection to these 18th century sites. We can’t wait for you to come visit on April 25 and 26 for our Grand Opening to see some of these fascinating objects! Click on each picture below for a short description!

03/17/2026

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you are looking for something green and archaeological to wear, our collection has many options to choose from! This button with a four-leaf clover design was found on the Armistead Property and likely dates to the early 19th century. The raised parts of the design were gilded, while the lower areas were left bare — allowing the copper alloy to do what copper does best and turn a festive shade of green all on its own.

This little button is just one of the tens of thousands of artifacts we've been carefully packing up for the big move to the brand-new Colin G. and Nancy N. Campbell Archaeology Center! We'd love for you to come see where it all ends up. Join us on April 25 and 26 for our grand opening!

03/13/2026

Another snow day in the books for 2026 — and we are DONE with winter, thank you very much! ❄️

But hey, if 18th-century Williamsburg could handle it, so can we. Ever wonder how folks back then kept their feet dry? Evan, Aislinn, and Jenny are here with the answers — check it out!

03/06/2026

What can a simple chunk of mortar tell you? Turns out, quite a bit!

In this dispatch from the lab, archaeologist Rachel Fisher demonstrates how we process mortar samples so that we can analyze and compare their composition. Different ratios of lime to sand can indicate that mortar pieces came from different recipes. At the Peter Scott site, we took several samples from the kiln/furnace and all across the site, looking for evidence of when mortar was made, when structures like the kiln/furnace might have been repaired, and more. Stay tuned for results later in the spring!

03/04/2026

🏺⛏️ Attention high school students — this one's for you!
Applications are NOW OPEN for the 2026 Public Archaeology Institute, a program designed specifically for high school students who dream of becoming archaeologists!

Are you a teen obsessed with history, mysteries, and uncovering the past? Or maybe you know a student looking for their big break into archaeology? This could be the opportunity that changes everything!

👉 Apply today — or share this with the future archaeologist in your life and encourage them to take the leap!

Learn more and apply for this year's PAI at:
https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/research/archaeology-opportunities/

You’re invited to meet the people who bring history to life. Plan your visit to our 18th-century city, where your admission ticket is the key to sites, tours, events, and more.

02/28/2026

Check out the latest Tale from the Collection, starring our very own, Meredith Poole!

02/15/2026

Check out the latest Tale from the Collection, featuring our very own Sean Devlin!

02/15/2026

02/13/2026

Happy Friday, everybody!

We survived the deep freeze of 2026, and we're celebrating with a little news from the pit--that is, the still-growing pit feature at the Peter Scott site! Here's archaeologist, Rachel Fisher to give you the latest!