During the War of 1812, U.S. Navy Commodore Stephen Decatur ordered the construction of a small fortification, later known as Fort Decatur in Ledyard, Connecticut. The fort was occupied by the military between 1813 and 1814. Today Fort Decatur is the only intact, purpose built, U.S. Navy fortification dating from the War of 1812 remaining in the United States. During the 2023-2024 field seasons, Heritage Consultants in collaboration with TerraSeach Geophysical completed testing, which included pedestrian survey, metal detection, GPR, magnetometry, high resolution mapping, shovel testing, unit excavation, and photogrammetry of excavated areas and archaeological features. This presentation will discuss the results of this fieldwork including the identification of two military activity areas and remnants of original fortifications; and how the application of archaeological and geophysical survey allowed for the connection of the written record and archaeological remains, expanding our knowledge of Fort Decatur’s history through traditional and non-invasive methodologies.

Located in Downeast Maine in the town of Castine, Fort Pentagoet (ca. 1613 – 1691) was a trading post turned fortified settlement, and briefly served as the capital of Acadia between 1670 and 1674. This portion of the coast was highly contested during the 17th century, particularly between the Abenaki peoples and the French, English, and Dutch crowns. The Fort, which underwent abandonment and revitalization by French forces several times during the 17th century, was eventually abandoned near the turn of the 18th century. Extensive excavations in the 1980s by Alaric and Gretchen Faulkner revealed a wealth of information about Fort Pentagoet and its occupants, including detailed reconstructions of the core elements of the fort. Recent geophysical work, conducted as a component of nearby planned development, included GPR and magnetometry surveys of the fort remnants. These combined surveys identified several elements of the fort, including portions of a well-preserved palisade.

The Hollister Site is a large 17th-century colonial farm complex located at the edge of early English settlement on the Connecticut River in present-day South Glastonbury, Connecticut. A decade of archaeological work, including excavations, ground-penetrating radar, and metal-detector survey, has recovered a rich material assemblage and evidence of numerous cultural features reflecting domestic and agricultural aspects of the site, as well as extensive interactions with Indigenous people. The documentary and archaeological records suggest that at times, the safety of the farm and its residents was in question. The site was fortified during King Philip’s War (1675-76) and the artifact assemblage includes extensive evidence of gunflint manufacture and rejuvenation, numerous impacted musket balls, and two impacted brass projectile points. This paper examines the archaeological and documentary record of the site to explore the possibility of conflict at and defense of the Hollister Farm during the contentious third quarter of the 17th-century.

Battlefield Archaeology is concerned with the causes of conflict, sites where conflict took place, the archaeology of the event, and interpreting conflicts in a wider cultural and historical framework. The Battle of Great Falls / Wissantinnewag-Peskeompskut took place on May 19, 1676, in upper Connecticut Valley. The battle was one of the most significant in King Philip’s War as it led to the dissolution of the Native Coalition and marked the beginning of the end of the war three months later. Approximately six miles and 300 acres of the battlefield have been surveyed and over 1,500 battle related artifacts. Document research and battlefield surveys have provided considerable insight into Coalition strategies and tactics during the battle and throughout the war.

British Adjutant William Campbell was a member of the Scots Guards during the American Revolution who participated in General Tryon’s Raid on New Haven, Connecticut on July 5th, 1779. An outspoken patriot, Reverend Noah Williston, was injured and captured by the British during the attack. Campbell intervened, preventing the Reverend’s execution, and directing the regimental surgeon to set his leg. Later that day, Campbell was killed in action in a skirmish as the British attempted to cross the West River. Historical accounts suggest that Campbell was buried in an unmarked shroud burial on private farmland in West Haven. Today, that area is known as the William Campbell Monument Park. TerraSearch Geophysical, in coordination with the West Haven Historical Society, conducted a suite of geophysical surveys in an attempt to identify Campbell’s grave site. This research exemplifies utilizing geophysical survey methods to investigate colonial-era unmarked burials in complex urban environments.

As the saying goes, food brings people together. Yet can this possibly apply in such a socially complex place as Fort Delaware? During the Civil War, Confederate prisoners, Union soldiers and officers, and civilians including recent immigrants and children mixed together on the small Pea Patch Island. Excavations recovered several thousand artifacts currently held in the Veterans Curation Program Alexandria lab. Several previous studies on these objects shine light on the daily activities of the fort occupants. Foodways offer a new lens to view these complicated interactions. Through analyzing historic accounts and spatial distribution of artifacts such as utensils, ceramics, and faunal remains this paper will address the following: Who was doing the cooking and what was being made? What impact did the differing rations and food access have on health? And how did regulated schedules and divisions of space impact dining experiences?