We are two full weeks into our dig season now, and the project is off to a great start. We have been getting oriented at our new site, and everyone is getting used to our process for excavation and documentation.

Emma and Julia getting started on Trench 2

(L to R) Maggie, Axel, Ned, Lucas, and Char all finishing our sifting at the end of the day

Our students have opened up two trenches, and we have placed them where we hope we will run into the buried foundation of the house that was once on the property. We’re currently moving through top soil, and this past week, we came down on our first (very dramatic!) soil change in Trench 1. What exactly this might mean is still up for debate, and we’re excited to get back to work on Monday!

Week 2: Maggie, Char, and Julia finishing a pass through Trench 2

Week 2: Ned and Axel showing off their finds at the sieve

Week 2: Emma and Lucas coming down on our major soil change in Trench 1

Week 2: Char, Julia, and Maggie celebrate the closing of our first context in Trench 2

We’ll also be continuing our research into the history of the house we’re investigating, including the history of the family that lived here.  We’ve been discovering a great deal about the family of A. Albert and Alice Sack, who built the house in 1884 and lived there until their respective deaths in 1925 and 1933. Their son took over living in the home in 1933, and the property was sold to the Moses brown School in 1939 before the house was demolished in 1940. The whole class will be working on this research together throughout the semester, and we’ll be posting our findings here, along with some of our student projects that look at the history of buildings in Providence. Check back for the results of our research, and our students’ thoughts on their excavation experiences!