Archaeology has shaped our knowledge of George and Martha Washington's life and the daily experience of the enslaved community at Mount Vernon.

Archaeologists use diverse bits of evidence to learn more about how people shaped the landscape of Mount Vernon, and in turn how the landscape shaped the interactions of people with each other.

This evidence is incredibly diverse in form and age. Everything from a building foundation to a small seed bead used to adorn a dress, a several thousand-year-old stone tool to coins dropped by a tourist twenty years ago, can be encountered by our staff on a daily basis.

But large or small, ancient or new, each piece of evidence is valuable as a window into a moment in time.

Mount Vernon’s archaeological holdings are an extremely valuable resource for understanding the long history of humans in the Chesapeake region of the United States.

A professional archaeological survey conducted in 1984 identified dozens of archaeological sites, and over a hundred locations of archaeological interest, throughout the property. Artifacts from these sites provide evidence of human lifeways from the Early Archaic period (beginning ca. 8,000 B.C.E.) through the modern day. Of course, many of these sites are particularly important for the study of eighteenth-century plantation life in the Chesapeake.

Major excavations include the house for families slave quarter, slave cemetery, Washington’s Distillery, the south grove midden, and the upper garden.

Native American Occupation

Native American Occupation

Archaeological investigations show that Mount Vernon was an attractive location for Native communities for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Washington family.

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House for Families

House for Families

The House for Families, in existence by the 1760s, was the main dwelling for enslaved people who lived at Washington’s Mansion House Farm.

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Boiling, Baking, and Curling 18th-Century Wigs

Boiling, Baking, and Curling 18th-Century Wigs

Archaeologists interpret artifacts by exploring the form and origins of objects, then attempt to situate such objects within broader social functions, and finally begin to untangle how those broad social contexts can inform our interpretation of object used in daily life.

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Archaeology Projects

Archaeology work has been done at Mount Vernon since the early 20th century.

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Researching Slavery

Researching Slavery

At Mount Vernon we use George Washington's words, combined with archaeology and oral history with descendants, to piece together the stories of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community.

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Terminology

Terminology

Archaeologists use a wide range of terminology in their work. Explore this list of some of their most commonly used terms and tools.

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