8 week course, beginning Tuesday June 5th with class sessions Tuesday nights on the Loudoun campus (NVCC) and Saturday mornings at area historical sites. Taught by Professor Patrick O’Neill. Students are responsible for their own transportation. The course has no pre-requisites.

Some local sites:
• 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 possible topics to be covered in the course:
• architectural details and dating
• local, county, state, Federal significance of architectural history
• National Register site evaluation
• Measured drawings and photographs
• 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…