The Archaeology of Washington, D.C. by Ruth Trocolli, PhD

This meeting will be held at the Charles Sumner School, 17th & M Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C.

The meeting starts with refreshments at 6:45 pm and the lecture begins at 7:15 pm. 

What kind of archaeological resources can be found in a densely populated urban environment? Sites and artifacts from every period from early paleoindian through the plantation era to the Civil War and on to the present are found here in the District of Columbia! This talk will provide an overview of the prehistoric and historic archaeology of the District of Columbia, and the challenges of locating traces of former landscapes before they are totally destroyed. Some of the tools and tricks of the trade will be described as well as the results of recent work, including among others, the Yarrow Mamout Archaeological Project.

Dr. Ruth Trocolli is the City Archaeologist for the District of Columbia. A 2015 winner of the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Award for Distinguished DC Government Employees and a 2016 Society for Historical Archaeology Award of Merit, Dr. Trocolli has worked tirelessly over the last few years to identify, record, and protect the District's archaeological resources. As the City Archaeologist, her duties include reviewing federal and local projects, maintaining the archaeological sites files and GIS data, and conducting public outreach. She received her doctorate from the University of Florida in 2006 where her dissertation research examined the lives of Native American women chiefs among southeastern American Indian groups.