Giving Archaeology It’s Space - Digital Public Interpretation at the Josiah Henson Site

Summary

Montgomery Parks is conducting on-going excavations at the Josiah Henson site in Montgomery County Maryland, once a plantation where Josiah Henson and more than twenty others were enslaved. The historic main house and surrounding 3 acres are being developed into a museum focused on both Henson’s life and the institution of slavery in the county.  While some archaeological interpretation will be incorporated into traditional exhibit design, much of the data collected from excavation will be made available to the visitor through digital and online means.  This paper will discuss the current GIS project MNCPPC is undertaking to incorporate virtual renderings and visualizations of past landscapes at the site, populated with archaeological data such as interactive excavation maps and selected features and artifacts.  This project provides a space for visitors to experience the wealth of information gathered archaeologically, and provides the flexibility to refine the public interpretation as the project proceeds.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2018   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 739