10 week course, beginning Tuesday May 23rd with class sessions Tuesday nights on the Loudoun campus (NVCC) and Saturday mornings at area historical sites. Taught by Professor Patrick O’Neill.

Some sites include:
•    Chapman’s Mill in Prince William County
•    Bristoe Station Battlefield west of Manassas,
•    Fairfax County Archaeology Research Lab in Annandale
•    Ball-Sellers House in Glen-Carlyn, Robert Ball Sr. Cemetery, in Ballston

Some topics to be covered in the course:

ARCHAEOLOGY
•    what is archaeology
•    who does archaeology
•    why do archaeology
•    where to do archaeology
•    when to do archaeology
•    when not to do archaeology

ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
•    architectural details and dating
•    local, county, state, Federal significance of architectural history
•    National Register site evaluation
•    Measured drawings and photographs

TECHNIQUES
•    use of hand compass – conduct pedestrian surveys and mapping
•    laying out grids – artifact collecting and excavation
•    GIS – finding and comparing sites and locations
•    LIDAR technology – finding sites
•    land parcel maps (deeds/patents) – finding sites and buildings
•    USGS topographic maps – locating and mapping sites and landforms
•    aerial photographs – finding and mapping sites
•    Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps – finding buildings
•    Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) – finding foundations, graves, pits…
•    carbon 14 dating – dating charcoal and organic matter
•    archaeo-magnetic dating – dating hearths and fired features
•    dendrochronology – dating by tree ring data