Archaeological Research of the 17th Century Chesapeake

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Archaeological Research of the 17th Century Chesapeake," at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

With new sites discovered in the Chesapeake region, and old sites re-examined, our understanding of the 17th century European settlements is evolving. At the Eyreville site on the Eastern Shore in Northampton County Virginia, we are beginning to see a complex social and cultural blending that speaks of the future of America. Here we see not only English but also Dutch, Native, and African cultures interact. At Coan Hall on Virginia’s Northern Neck, we can see the development of a plantation site over time that informs us of the fortitude and independence of these early pioneers. At St. Mary’s City we are beginning to piece together the progression of a larger settlement with the search for its fortification, its earthfast structures and what the artifacts found there reveal about the people who built this early town. And on the James River we see adaptation following the 1622 Martin’s Hundred tragedy.