City of Boston Archaeology

The Monument Square Landmark District Study Committee will meet on March 11th, 2026, virtually. The public notice and Zoom link can be found here: https://www.boston.gov/public-notices/16567971

Rick will act as a research consultant as we analyze the Parker-Harris Pottery collection & give a demonstration at the 2027 symposium we have planned. We are so lucky to have him onboard for the Jack & Acton Project! 🧵2/2

#Jack&ActonProject #Boston #archaeology #redware #ceramics #pottery

An image of three people sitting at a table covered with red earthenware archaeological artifacts. One person is pointing out a detail on a chamberpot while the others look on excited. Text reads: Expert Spotlight - Rick Hamelin.

An image of text that says, "Rick Hamelin, Master Potter. Since 1976, Rick has been perfecting the craft of hand-throwing red earthenware pottery. He is an expert on historic redwares and their creation. With his design partner, Gariné Arakelian of Kulina Folk Art, he makes historic reproduction and original pieces. Rick came by the lab last week to help jump-start the inventory process for the Jack & Acton Project and we he’s already taught us so much. We can’t wait for his historic pottery demonstration at the project symposium in 2027!"

We received a visit from master potter Rick Hamelin last week & figured we should introduce you!

Rick is an expert in historic potting materials & methods & has been conducting demonstrations & producing educational content for decades. 🧵1/2

From @floridapress.bsky.social : Beginning with early Indigenous-European interactions[...], this book explores the era of slavery & its aftermath; industrialization, globalism, & commercialism; & key conflicts such as the Pequot War, King Philip’s War, French & Indian Wars, & Revolutionary War.

We're happy to announce the publication of The Historical Archaeology of Massachusetts, written by our own Joe Bagley & our colleague Holly Herbster!
#Massachusetts #archaeology

With the help of Kyera Singleton, director of the Royall House & Slave Quarters, and historian/potter Rick Hamelin, the work will culminate in a public symposium and exhibit .

More information below: www.boston.gov/departments/... 🧵4/4

#Boston #archaeology #JackandActonProject

Research suggests that Jack and Acton were in fact artisans, highly valued for their skill. By studying in detail the vessel forms and decorations from this incredibly important collection, we hope to produce a typology that will help researchers along the east coast identify their wares. 🧵3/4

Isaac and Grace Parker operated a successful redware pottery in Charlestown from 1714-1754. It sold to Josiah Harris, who ran it until it burned in the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. Parker Pottery redware has been found as far south as North Carolina and as far north as Nova Scotia! 🧵2/4

An image of dozens of redware pottery fragments on a silver tray. Text overlays the image reading Project Spotlight, The Jack and Acton Project: Enslaved Potter of Charlestown. The City of Boston logo is in the top right corner and the City of Boston Archaeology Program logo is in the bottom left corner.

It begins! We have officially begun work on the Jack and Acton Project, a 3-year grant-funded research endeavor seeking to explore and uplift the legacy of two of Charlestown's enslaved 18th-century potters, a man named Jack and a boy named Acton. 🧵1/4

A wreath made of dirt-covered oyster shells arranged on a mesh surface (an archaeological screen/sifter), tied at the bottom with orange flagging tape in the shape of a bow.

Happy Holidays from the City of Boston Archaeology Team (Joe, Lauryn, Nadia, and Sarah)! We hope your season is filled with peace, love, and joy. 🤗

Enjoy this silly field wreath, made possible by a site where oyster shells were truly abundant! 🦪

Graphic with a purple background and a stylized illustration of archaeology tools (a trowel and shovel) surrounded by decorative shapes. Text reads: “Our 2025 Wrapped is here!”

Cream-colored background with abstract black line designs. Text reads: “Average Age of Deposits from 2025 Digs.” Large number “1820” is centered. Smaller text below reads: “We were aiming for 1775… You never know what you’re going to get I guess.”

Red background with green abstract shapes at the top. Header reads: “Our Top Numbers.” A vertical list shows: “21,215 – Artifacts Identified and Catalogued” “3 – Exhibits Opened” “17 – Class Presentations / Speaking Events” “25 – Researchers Hosted” “3 – Professional Development Trainings Hosted”

Photo of four people standing behind a table under a canopy at an outdoor event. The table banner reads “City of Boston Archaeology” and displays images of artifacts. Below the photo, text reads: “Top Grateful Archaeologists,” followed by a numbered list: Joe Bagley Lauryn Sharp Nadia Kline Sarah Keklak

Take a look at our 2025 Wrapped - and thank you for being part of an incredible year.

We couldn’t have done it without you!

The letters stamped & incised were initials, while the numbers may indicate weight or quantity. It's virtually impossible to attribute marks to their makers, but these seals suggest serious global commerce in Boston even during the first few decades of the settlement. (3/3)
#Boston #archaeology

The first seal shown here (photo 1&2) is stamped with a quatre de chiffre or foursquare marking. The markings remain similar over time starting from the Middle Ages in Europe. Varying marks inside the “squares” indicate the craftsperson or merchant. Do you see any markings on the other seal? (2/3)

We know you’ve been thinking about lead seals nonstop since we last posted, which is both understandable & relatable. Reminder: lead seals were fixed goods to indicate type, quantity, & quality of materials by clamping them to fabric or wrappings like a tag. These are from 17th-c. Charlestown. (1/3)

Edited a typo: According to expert Catherine Davis, in 13th century Europe, guilds began to emerge. With this also came government inspectors. Alnagers inspected goods & applied these seals. But the alnage system entitled them to 50% of all confiscated goods, so you know it was ripe for abuse.

This one has 7 dots, a crest on the front and the back, and some writing around the edge that we can't read. Feel free to give it a shot in the comments!
#Boston #archaeology #digBOS #Charlestown #trade #commerce #17thcentury

In the last couple of weeks, we've come across multiple lead seals, all dating to the 17th century. Don't worry, we'll show you the rest next week! Keep an eye out and see if you can detect any patterns in the style of stamps used.

The system was finally abolished in 1724. Interestingly, there is evidence that the design of the stamps would be continually tweaked (often changing the number of little dots over the crest) to make it harder to create counterfeit seals.

The stamps were meant to indicate the maker, amount, quality, and type of good. Basically, these were meant to keep purchasers from getting taken advantage of and to make sure taxes on goods were getting paid.

We've been working our way through the City Square collection excavated in Charlestown from 1985-87. This artifact is a lead seal and would be attached to a bolt of fabric or the wrappings of other goods, similar to a clothing tag today.

Let us LOUPE you in on some very exciting things from our legacy collections! Because we took the photo through the lens of a loupe...get it? 🧐 We'll see ourselves out.

By proactively documenting them, we will ensure that the important data they contain is preserved and used to provide a more complete understanding of our shared past! (3/3)

#Boston #archaeology #bostonharborislands #BHICAP

This important work will document the impacts of climate change & increasingly severe weather on the islands & their vulnerable archaeological sites. Native people have used the islands for thousands of years. As each year passes we see the coastlines of these islands erode more and more. (2/3)

Six people bundled up on an open ferry sailing the Boston Harbor Islands

A view of Brewster Island on a cloudy day with the sun peeking through

A woman in a green jacket and blue backpack standing in a rocky marsh and taking a photo of something in the distance. In the background a lighthouse is visible in the far distance.

Today, our intrepid City of Boston Archaeology team is cruising around the Boston Harbor Islands with some of our partners from the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, the Public Archaeology Laboratory, and UMass Boston Hist. Arch Graduate Program! (1/3)

A group of people examining archaeological artifacts on a waist-height table.

A group of people standing around a table covered in artifacts while an archaeologist tells them about it.

An archaeologist shows a woman several boxes of archaeological artifacts.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Archaeology Month open house last Friday! We had a great time meeting local archaeology enthusiasts and sharing our research with you all!

#Boston #archaeology #ArchaeologyMonth #digBOS

The big day is tomorrow! Celebrate MA Archaeology Month with us at our archaeology lab open house. Drop by the Mary C. Beaudry Community Archaeology Center tomorrow, Oct. 24th, 10am-3pm & see what we do here!

201 Rivermoor St.
Boston, MA 02132
10am - 3 pm

#Boston #archaeology #ArchaeologyMonth

A photo collage of archaeological artifacts, excavation photographs, and scenes from the lab. Text reads: Our open house is 1 week away! Friday Oct. 24, 2025 10am-3pm. 201 Rivermoor Street, Boston MA 02132

Only 1 week away! Celebrate MA Archaeology Month with us at our lab open house! Drop by on Friday 10/24 from 10am-3pm.

View our exhibits, see our lab space, & say hi to your local archaeologists!

201 Rivermoor St.
Boston, MA 02132
10am - 3 pm

#Boston #archaeology #Massachusetts #ArchaeologyMonth

Join us tonight at at 6:30pm at the Brighton Branch of the BPL to learn about the historic Market Street Burying Ground! Follow it up on Saturday 10/11 from 11am-2pm at the Market Street Burying Ground itself! Both events are free to the public.
#Boston #archaeology #history #ArchaeologyMonth

An image of the state of Massachusetts made from archaeological artifacts with the text: October is Massachusetts Archaeology Month! Please join us for an open house at our lab! Friday, October 24th, 2025 from 10am-3pm at 201 Rivermoor Street, Boston 02132. The logos of the City of Boston Archaeology Program and City of Boston Office of Historic Preservation are at the bottom of the image.

Happy MA Archaeology Month! We're opening the lab to the public on Friday, Oct. 24th, 10am-3pm. Drop in to check out the Mary C. Beaudry Community Archaeology Center, see our exhibits, & say hi to your friendly neighborhood archaeologists!
#Boston #archaeology #archaeologymonth #Massachusetts

In which I beg archaeologists to sign up for the fall semester of Skype a Scientist, because we're getting buried in requests for your area of expertise.

Sign up here:
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...