Archaeology Program - Montgomery Parks

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Events & Summer Camps | Ongoing Projects | Volunteer Opportunities | Metal Detecting| Contact Us

Montgomery Parks’ Archaeology Program identifies, manages, and interprets archaeological sites on parkland and considers the effects of land use decisions on cultural resources. Research and excavations contribute to interpretation, public education programs, restorations, and park development plans.

The program provides for the stewardship of non-renewable archaeological resources and an opportunity for public participation in discovering our past right in your backyard. Learn more below.

EVENTS & SUMMER CAMPS

Special Events | Summer Camps

Special Events

NEW! Archaeology Detectives
Needwood Mansion, 6700 Needwood Road, Derwood, MD
9 am – 3 pm | Ages 6 – 9 | Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org

July 2 – 6 | $240 | Course 44335
July 23 – 27 | $300 | Course 44336

Campers uncover clues left by people of the past! They will get hands-on experience learning about excavation and artifact identification. Each week we’ll take a field trip to a historical site.

NEW! Road Trippin’ to the Past!
Needwood Mansion, 6700 Needwood Road, Derwood, MD
Tues. & Thurs. 9 am – 3 pm, Wed. 8 am – 4 pm | $325 | Ages 9 – 13 | Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org

July 9 – 13 | Course 44341
August 20- 24 | Course 44342
August 27- 31| Course 44343

Hit the road with Parks Archaeologists on the Underground Railroad Experience Trail or follow in the footsteps of a Union soldier along the Potomac River. Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will explore the local area. Wednesdays, we will travel to places like the Jefferson Patterson Archaeological Park in Calvert County or the Gettysburg battlefields.

Questions? Contact us or call 301-563-7530

Archaeology Summer Camps

Needwood Mansion, 6700 Needwood Road, Derwood, MD

Find out what it takes to be an archaeologist! Investigate Montgomery County’s history from the ground up with archaeologists from Montgomery Parks. We host Summer Camps, Aftercare sessions, and Leadership Training Workshops. Registration starts January 16.

Archaeology camps are approved for SSL hours and fulfill most requirements for a Boy Scout Archaeology Merit Badge.

Camps for Children – 9 am – 3 pm | $300 | Ages 10 – 13

June 25 – 29 | Course 44328
July 16 – 20 | Course 44332
July 30 – August 3 | Course 44333

Get a hands-on introduction to archaeology. Work side-by-side with Park Archaeologists on a live archaeological site, and do what archaeologists do. You’ll dig it! Reduced fees are available for qualified applicants. Registration starts January 16 at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org.

Camps Aftercare – 3:00 – 5:30 pm | Available for all youth and teen courses

Kids can practice their atlatl skills (a prehistoric hunting weapon), go on a scavenger hunt, take a paddleboat ride on Lake Needwood, play a board game and more during this supervised free time. Registration starts January 16 at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org.

Leadership Training Workshop – 8:30 am – 3:30 pm | $300 | Ages 14+

June 18 – 22 | Course 44327

Become an awesome camp counselor, get hands-on archaeological experience and earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours? Sign up for this ten-day workshop! In the first week, you’ll learn the basics of archaeological methods, get CPR training, and practice creating and planning camp activities.

The second week we’ll dig into the real thing! You’ll work with campers, and have an opportunity to ask questions and get feedback in our counselors’ afternoon roundtables. Registration starts January 16 at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org.

Camp Assistant Program* – 8:30 – 3:30 pm | Ages 14+ | Pre-requisite: Leadership Training

June 25 – August 3
August 20 – 31

Questions? Contact us or call 301-563-7530

Josiah Henson Park

Located in North Bethesda, this is the site where the Reverend Josiah Henson - an escaped slave, minister, abolitionist, and late 19th-century celebrity - was enslaved between c. 1800-1830. This area was once known as the Riley Farm and covered almost 300 acres, Montgomery Parks now owns the former Riley residence and just over 3 of the surrounding acres.

On-going archaeological excavations have revealed that parts of the Riley plantation remain intact, covered by the green lawns of modern suburban lots, including foundations of former structures and many thousand 19th century artifacts.

Parks staff members Jamie Kuhns and Cassandra Michaud gave a presentation at the 2015 Montgomery County History Conference on the current research.
Palmer-Robinson

Located along the Potomac River and used at various times during the past 5000 years, this rockshelter was excavated in the early 2000s. Artifacts recovered include projectile points, Native American ceramic fragments, animal bone, and debitage (waste material from the manufacture of stone tools). Artifacts from this this little-known period of Montgomery County's past are currently on display at the Woodlawn Museum.
Oakley Cabin African American Museum and Park

Oakley Cabin is a 19th century African American historical archaeological site in Brookeville, Maryland. Montgomery Parks archaeologists have been investigating the area around the existing cabin, as well as two adjacent cabins that once stood along Brookeville Road. Thanks to a grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, Montgomery Parks can revisit Oakley’s extensive archaeological collection. The goal is to catalog and analyze the artifacts that have been recovered over the years and continue to research the vibrant African American community that lived here during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Zeigler Log House

During the last few years, Montgomery College students and Montgomery Parks Archaeology Camp participants have unearthed clues about the Zeigler Log House’s past. These clues, in the form of artifacts and features, are giving us a glimpse into the lives of the people who lived at the site for over 180 years. We have concentrated on the back and side yards of the house and have found traces of outbuildings and walkways. We are just at the beginning of cataloging and analyzing the data. Our goal is to complete the picture of life on a historic rural farm in northern Montgomery County.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers are one of our best assets! We encourage the involvement of individuals of all ages in this program. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have would like to learn how to become a volunteer in the archaeology program.

Needwood Archaeology Volunteers
Needwood Mansion, 6700 Needwood Road, Derwood, MD | Wednesdays | 9:30 am – 2:30 pm

We are currently cataloging artifacts from a variety of projects. Volunteers can also participate in public outreach programs throughout the year, and fieldwork during the summer.

Archaeology Society of Maryland, Mid-Potomac Chapter

You can also join in the fun through a cooperative venture with Archaeological Society of Maryland (ASM) Mid-Potomac chapter. Visit http://www.asmmidpotomac.org/ for more information.