A recent dig in southern Delaware unearthed a local sea captain's plantation and gave insight into the world of early residents. The site was excavated by volunteers, many of whom just became interested in local history and volunteered to work long hours in the sun. For fun.
The work was pushed ahead because a new development was slated to be built on top of the site. Volunteer archaeologists flock to such sites to get as much information out as they can before it is all lost to civilization.
Losing History
One particular site, settled more than 330 years ago by sea Captain John Avery, would have been lost if it wasn't for volunteers.
Avery, a wealthy landowner, justice of the peace and militia man, was one of the first European settlers to inhabit the northern shores of Rehoboth Bay, west of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. While other settlers gathered in the busy port of what is now known as Lewes, Avery received a patent for his land in 1675. His plantation along Rehoboth Bay consisted of 350 acres, where based on evidence found by volunteer archaeologists from the Sussex County chapter of the Archaeological Society of Delaware, he raised cows and pigs.
The archaeologists also found earthenware pottery, broken pipe stems, a trash pile, what appears to be a small shed and two wells.
The finds could have been lost to development, but are now able to be displayed in local museums and historical societies.
When I interviewed Dan Griffith, project manager, he told me the volunteer team spent hours digging, but twice as many hours cataloging and understanding what they found. At last interview, the team had not found a house, but was focusing on a well found on the property.
“This is the first European settlement in this part of Sussex,” said Griffith. “We’ve known about this site since 1977, but it wasn’t threatened then.”
Many Digs Are Lost To Development
Resources are so low that many archaeological sites are not dug until absolutely necessary. Proper permits and permission from landowners are needed before an archaeologist can even set foot on the site. Many times, landowners eager to develop do not permit archaeological digs. And, because it is private property, there is nothing that can be done. Of course, if it is believed a property has an Indian burial ground on it, then federal investigators will step in. Burial grounds are the one feature protected and required to be excavated before development.
State laws also require archaeological digs if a new highway is being put in to make sure there is nothing of historic significance in the area to be disturbed.
Archaeologists believe many sites are lost or damaged every year simply because a property owner does not want a historic or prehistoric site to bog down development plans.
While the team has not yet found a house, the archeologists have a pretty good idea where it is, but they plan to start digging in that area later, because it is not threatened by the current development. Whatever is there can wait to be discovered, said Griffith.
Carolyn Whalen-Strollo was along for the ride on the Avery dig. She said the team is generally called in for local jobs and they all participate in the volunteer archaeology societies, which is how they find out about digs that need help. She said the work is hot and sweaty, but it was worth it.
Volunteer Archaeologists Needed
"It’s hard to get out here more than three or four days because most of us are working other projects at the same time,” said Whalen-Strollo. She travels to the site from Bethany Beach, while Griffith travels from Kent County.
Griffith said if it weren’t for volunteer archaeologists the site would have been lost and so would have part of the history of Sussex County.
“This could be someone’s backyard and they wouldn’t have any idea it was here,” said Griffith. “Now they’ll know someone lived here centuries ago.”
In the case of Avery’s Rest, the archaeologists got lucky.
“The property owner was kind enough to let us on here,” said Griffith. “They are letting us have until November to finish, but we’ll be out of here long before that.”
Rachel Swick - Growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania, there wasn't much to do when it was raining except to sit inside and read. I grew to love the ...
