Dr. James Gibb will describe the archaeological search for, and discovery of, the Skinner Plantation in Prince Frederick, MD, and who might have occupied the site during the 1720s-1750s.
We cannot be confident of who occupied this plantation site attributed to James Skinner, and much of the site has been lost to erosion, but excavations revealed a small, trash-filled pit, a large pit, and a corral. The artifacts indicate occupation during the second quarter of the 18th century, and bone refuse reveals an interesting diet not entirely in accord with expectations. This illustrated presentation offers a rare look into a poorly documented era in the European settlement of Maryland, as well as illuminating recent activities that have damaged both the local ecosystem and our mutual heritage.