Join us in welcoming archaeologist Dr. Travis Parno as he discusses his archaeological findings at St. Mary's Fort.
In March 2021, archaeologists at Historic St. Mary’s City announced that they had recently unearthed the remains of the original 1634 St. Mary’s Fort, built by the first group of European settlers to reach the western side of Chesapeake Bay. In the past 30 years, approximately 200 excavations have taken place in the surrounding region, but no trace of the legendary lost St. Mary’s Fort had ever been found, until now.
Dr. Parno is the Director of Research and Collections at Historic St. Mary’s City. He has over 15 years of experience excavating and researching historic sites in Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Bermuda. In addition to overseeing the Department of Research and Collections, Dr. Parno runs Historic St. Mary’s City’s annual Field School in Historical Archaeology, the country’s longest-running program of its kind.