Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum owes its very existence
to archaeology. Mrs.Patterson was excited by the dozens of archaeological
sites present on her farm, and wanted to see them preserved, so
she donated the property to the State. The mission of the new park
was to explore the history of the people who have lived in this
region for the last 12,000 years.
To accomplish this, JPPM archaeologists have been
busy conducting research at the Park and elsewhere in Maryland, excavating
sites as varied as a prehistoric Native American village, a colonial
mansion, a Civil War hospital, and a 19th-century African American cabin.
The centerpiece of the archaeology program at JPPM
is the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab),
a state-of-the-art facility for studying, preserving, and storing
the artifacts of Maryland's heritage. But our goal is to do more than just
study and preserve the past.
Our research means nothing if we don't
share our discoveries with the public. We do this
through books and reports which are for sale at the Visitor Center,
public lectures, tours of the MAC Lab and perhaps
most importantly, through our Public Archaeology
Program. This program allows volunteers to help archaeologists excavate
an actual site, or to work with artifacts in the MAC Lab. If you
like to feel the past in your hands, JPPM is the place to be! And
if you just want to know more about the history and archaeology
of Maryland, you can read about it in our large Research
Library, or talk to our staff, who are more than happy
to help.
For additional
information and volunteer opportunities contact the Research
staff at 410-586-8550 or sraftery@mdp.state.md.us; for
MAC Lab tours contact Kathy Concannon at 410-586-8562 or kconcannon@mdp.state.md.us
our discoveries with the public. We do this
through books and reports which are for sale at the Visitor Center,
public lectures, tours of the MAC Lab and perhaps
most importantly, through our Public Archaeology
Program. This program allows volunteers to help archaeologists excavate
an actual site, or to work with artifacts in the MAC Lab. If you
like to feel the past in your hands, JPPM is the place to be! And
if you just want to know more about the history and archaeology
of Maryland, you can read about it in our large Research
Library, or talk to our staff, who are more than happy
to help.