Overview
Monticello's Department of Archaeology is dedicated to studying and preserving the plantation's archaeological record and to deciphering its meaning through comparative research.
DAACS
Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery
DAACS is a community resource, conceived and maintained in the Department of Archaeology at Monticello, in collaboration with the research institutions and archaeologists working throughout the Atlantic World. DAACS helps archaeologists and scholars learn more about enslaved Africans and their descendants living in the Chesapeake, Carolinas, and Caribbean during the Colonial and Ante-Bellum Periods.
Learn how archaeologists use technology to foster comparative research and scholarly collaboration.
Explore. Analyze. Discover.
Visit DAACSArchaeology
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Plantation Survey
Monticello's Plantation Archaeological Survey is an effort to create a complete archaeological inventory of the 2000-acre tract currently owned by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.
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Mulberry Row Reassessment
A major initiative is the reassessment of excavations conducted on building sites along Mulberry Row by Monticello's archaeologists in the 1980s using modern analytical techniques.
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Download Reports and Data
Read detail reports about field projects and analytical methods of Monticello's Department of Archaeology.
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![An aerial view of excavations at Monticello showing two people standing in one of about 10 neatly dug excavation squares and rectangles, while another person bend over one of four wheelbarrows with covered by dry screens for sifting soil from artifacts.]()
Archaeological Field School
The summer Monticello-UVA Field School offers a hands-on introduction to basic excavation, recording, and laboratory techniques in archaeology.
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![Variety of artifacts recovered from the Monticello Mountaintop Access - East Lawn archaeological excavations]()
News
Check out our blog to learn more about our archaeological research and the ways in which it expands our understanding of Monticello and the larger Atlantic world.
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![Drawing of Jefferson's mill house and water wheel and other buildings along the Rivanna River and showing a post-Jefferson train track running alongside.]()
Videos
A selection of videos about the work and findings of the Monticello's Department of Archaeology.
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![A group of Monticello archaeologists sits around a large table with boxes of artifacts on display.]()
Staff
A list of current staff on Monticello's Department of Archaeology.
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