Archaeology & Conservation – Past & Present Podcasts
Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present brings you new perspectives from the Revolutionary War era. American history is explored in interviews with historic interpreters, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, authors, archaeologists, and more.
Episodes
-
The Organized Piano
John Watson, Curator of Musical Instruments and Conservator of Instruments, discusses the Foundation’s organized piano, which first belonged to the St. George Tucker family.
-
Resurrecting an Alehouse
Chowning’s Tavern is reborn as an alehouse: a rough-and-rugged sanctuary for the colonial man in search of an ale. Listen as curator Amanda Keller and Director Department of Architectural Preservation Matt Webster describe the choices they made to re-open the doors to a more authentic past.
-
Futuristic Lab Reveals Historic Secrets
Technologies that used to be beyond reach for museum professionals now can lend new insights into the hidden compositions of materials, metals, and paints. Conservator Kirsten Moffitt explains how a spike on a screen can spot a fake or reveal a discovery.
-
Old School Home Brew
The Historic Campus of the College of William and Mary had one more secret to tell, and it was a big one. Archaeologist Andy Edwards describes the surprise, and the clues that lead them to hope they’ve stumbled upon the College’s early brewhouse.
-
Reading History Backwards
Jamestowne Island’s Director of Archeological Research and Interpretation Bill Kelso says that choosing which historic sites to protect from deterioration of all kinds is a matter of reading history backwards. We must consider “What are the priorities today, what are the legacies today of our...
-
The Color of History
Watching paint dry turns into a fascinating journey through time, history, science and technology when the Department of Architectural Preservation gets involved. Director Matt Webster shares the story behind the changing paint colors in the Historic Area, and why the colors you’ll see on the…
more -
Where Pocahontas Pledged Her Love
Ongoing excavations at James Fort reveal a surprising discovery: the site of the 1608 church where Pocahontas married John Rolfe. Chief Archaeologist Bill Kelso shares the excitement of rediscovery.
-
Cannibalism at Jamestown
A gruesome relic informs a desperate history. Historic Jamestowne’s Senior Archaeological Curator Bly Straube describes the find that let scientists and historians confirm the tales of cannibalism in America’s fledgling years.
-
The Past Revealed: Archaeology at the Bray School
Tantalizing new research points to an impossible conclusion: the Reconstruction may have overlooked an original 18th-century building. More remarkable still is the possibility that it may have housed Virginia’s first school for the education of black children: the Bray School. Archaeologist Mark...
-
Raising Williamsburg's Market House
A town’s market house was a bustling hubbub of vendors, shoppers, and business. Colonists from all walks of life mingled on market days: housewives, servants, slaves, and tavern keepers. The market was the heart of the community, and as such, it was tightly regulated and regularly inspected....
-
Slavery and the School: The College's Forgotten Past
A painful history is suppressed, until a humble schoolhouse provides a means of sharing a story of mercy. William and Mary’s Professor Terry Meyers details his search for the structure that housed the first Bray School, and his hopes for finding proof at the College of “a bright spot in an...
-
Opening Anderson's Armoury
Anderson’s Armoury opens after years of research and reconstruction. Two of the project’s leads talk about the culmination of a project that changes the shape of the Revolutionary City and the narrative of a country at war.
-
Immortal Bricks and Mortar
Buildings bear silent witness to the history that happens inside them. Conservator Matt Webster makes sure structures live to tell their tales.
-
Trades at James Fort
Evidence of blacksmiths and other tradespeople surfaces at James Fort. Archaeologist Dave Givens talks about seeing the fort populated with industry and trade.
-
Chesapeake House
Colonial Williamsburg’s Architectural Research department authors “The Chesapeake House,” a book devoted to the study of the region’s architecture and influences. Architectural Historian Carl Lounsbury outlines the study.
-
Making a 200-year-old supper
Setting the table for a 200-year old dinner takes research and clever re-creation. Antique plates and platters bear historic foods in dining settings that reflect the season and the host. Curator Amanda Keller works with a team from the museums to lay out authentic feasts.
-
Mysteries Unearthed at the Armoury
The 2012 summer digging season yielded everything from human and animal burials to sawpits and fencelines. Staff Archaeologist Meredith Poole puts the clues into context.
-
Hidden Symbols and Invisible Ink
In part two, hidden symbols and invisible ink point to a long-lost fort in North Carolina. Jim Horn concludes the tale of discoveries made and discoveries to come.
-
New clues for the Lost Colony
The mystery of the Lost Colony was doomed to remain unsolved, until researchers got curious about patches on an old map. Dr. Jim Horn lays out the story in two parts.
-
Cemetery Secrets
Gravesites tell the stories of the dead and the people who mourned them. Learn about cemetery archaeology and preservation with Jolene Smith and Joanna Green from the VA Department of Historic Resources.
-
Fire in a Crowded Century
Old-fashioned fire engines had to do much the same jobs as today’s, but they relied on classic physics and plenty of manpower. Curator Erik Goldstein describes the fire engine at the center of a new exhibit at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
-
Unearthing Indian History
Native American archaeologists reclaim their tribal history in a modern-day dig. Pamunkey tribeswoman Ashley Atkins describes the discoveries.
-
Arming the Continent
New information continues to emerge from the excavation of Anderson’s Armoury. The tin shop is found, beginning a new exploration of the trade. Meredith Poole updates.
-
The Mystery of the Gravestones
Two gravestones are unearthed during a construction project. Historians and curators work to solve the mysteries below. Emily Williams tells their story.
-
First Do No Harm
Restoration presents a paradox when repairing old instruments could mean erasing their stories. Conservator John Watson walks the fine line.
-
More Than Meets the Eye
Early maps and prints leave geography for last, focusing first on politics and propaganda. Curator Margaret Pritchard talks about a new exhibit at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
-
Excavating Ancient Armor
A broken helmet is discarded and forgotten, only to be resurrected 400 years later by curious archaeologists on Jamestown Island. Curator Michael Lavin describes the effort.
-
Arsenal of War
A new armoury complex takes shape on the footings of Anderson’s Forge. Archaeologist Meredith Poole talks about the site’s rebuilt narrative.
-
Model Prison Architecture
Williamsburg’s jail, or gaol, set the standard for colonial prison architecture. Visit the building this year as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of its reconstruction. Architectural historian Carl Lounsbury describes the structure.
-
Jefferson's Boyhood Home
A new examination of Thomas Jefferson’s boyhood home reveals the forces that shaped the third president. Author Susan Kern talks about her new book, “The Jeffersons at Shadwell.”
-
African American Folk Art
Folk Art from the African American tradition holds a wealth of cultural memory. Trish Balderson describes selected pieces chosen for the African American Folk Art Tour.
-
Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe
The accessories that graced the ensembles of history are on display at the Colonial Williamsburg Art Museums in “Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe.” Curator Linda Baumgarten introduces the collection.
-
Hidden Williamsburg
The backyards of Williamsburg’s finest homes tell the story of a separate society. Author Mike Olmert reads the architecture of outbuildings.
-
Moving Robertson's Windmill
History hits the road when an iconic windmill moves to a new home. Hear the story behind Robertson’s Windmill from Jim Horn, CW’s Vice President of Research and Historical Interpretation.
-
Arming for Revolution
Archaeology at Anderson’s Forge unearths the story of a city preparing for war. Staff Archaeologist Andy Edwards talks about the dig.
-
Cornwallis' Sunken Fleet
A British flotilla from the Battle of Yorktown lies mired in a murky tomb beneath the tides of the York River. Underwater archaeologist John Broadwater dives down to Cornwallis’ sunken fleet and shares his finds.
-
Shipwreck Archaeology
Underwater archaeologist John Broadwater and his team dove down to a sunken fleet of ships from the Battle of Yorktown.
-
Weapons of War
Muskets, swords, buttons and drums convey powerful memories of the soldiers who claimed them. Curator Erik Goldstein highlights some of his favorite military treasures from the Colonial Williamsburg collections.
-
Conservation, Where Art and Science Meet
Museum conservators wage daily battle against 10 agents of decay. Exhibit Curator Emily Williams outlines the plan of attack in “Conservation, Where Art and Science Meet.”
-
Furnishing History
Objects take their places in a scene that suggests a bustling social hub. Curator Kim Ivey describes the interior of Charlton’s coffeehouse.
-
Tangible Remains
Objects drawn from a 1609 well put people back in the picture at James Fort. Senior Archaeological Curator Bly Straube interprets the evidence.
-
The John Smith Well
Discovery continues at Virginia’s James Fort, site of America’s first permanent English settlement. Archaeologist Bill Kelso gets to the bottom of a 1609 well.
-
Reading Ravenscroft
Archaeologists turn their trowels on Ravenscroft for its third summer of excavation. Meredith Poole shares an update.
-
Purpose-Built: Backyard Architecture
Backyard structures bespeak a separate history. Author Mike Olmert shares his study of outbuildings.
-
Zooarchaeology
Zooarchaeologist Joanne Bowen decodes 400-year-old leftovers.
-
Reconstructing the Capitol
Bricks and mortar bear witness to a contest of aesthetics and evidence. Senior Architectural Historian Carl Lounsbury tells the story of the Capitol’s reconstruction.
-
The Carolina Room
Modern-day curators focus on reversible restoration techniques. Conservator Shelley Svoboda describes the renewal of the Carolina Room.
-
The Bodleian Plate
Sheer chance delivered a guiding light of Williamsburg’s restoration. Hear the story of the Bodleian plate with Architectural Historian Carl Lounsbury.
-
The Frenchman's Map
New questions are raised as old ones are answered in the study of the Frenchman’s Map. Architectural researcher Ed Chappell talks about the document.
-
A Rarity Restored
Two artists collaborate across the centuries: one working with a brush, and the other with a micro spatula. Curator Barbara Luck and conservator Pam Young describe the restoration of a rare watercolor.
About this show
Colonial Williamsburg: Past and Present brings you new perspectives from the Revolutionary War era. American history is explored in interviews with historic interpreters, tradesmen, musicians, historians, curators, authors, archaeologists, and more.