The land on which the First Baptist Church in America sits was the focus of the first two seasons of The Archaeology of College Hill, from 2006-2007. This project was unusual in that the main component of the land, the church building, is still standing and still in use. Excavations proceeded around the building on land that was never “improved” by construction. Previous to its claim by European settlers, it lay vacant. The original settler, Thomas Angell, grew an orchard on it, and subsequently it was incorporated into the First Baptist Church plot.
Archaeological investigations are not undertaken lightly. In this case, there were many reasons for excavating at the grounds of the First Baptist Church. The structure was built in 1775, and has been in continual use since. This allows us to understand deposits from ephemeral activities around a religious setting. Further, archaeological research around College Hill (the location of Brown University) is still relatively unknown. This opportunity allowed us to examine the material culture of the area.
The impetus for excavating at The First Baptist Church grounds came because members of the church community were interested in learning more about their past. In addition, for Brown students, this location was ideal for its accessibility and potential. Past archaeological field classes from the university spent most of class time in transporting students to and from the site. Transportation was never an issue for our excavations. In addition, the potential for the First Baptist Church property to yield important artifacts was, and remains, very high. The church grounds did not have modern construction debris to sort through. Hence, artifact collection would be relatively easy, and there was a possibility for finding Native American artifacts in addition to colonial through modern artifacts.
An additional reason was to teach future archaeologists how to excavate and analyze archaeological sites. This research occurred in conjunction with a Brown University anthropology class (AN 160) on archaeological field methods. In a class setting, finding artifacts was secondary, although it made excavations much more exciting and satisfying. Students in the class carried out excavations, screened artifacts, hauled dirt, washed artifacts, analyzed an artifact category, and assisted in writing field reports.
Site Directors:
Additional Information:
- An Archaeology of College Hill: Season Two, 2007
The First Baptist Church in America
Providence, Rhode Island
Edited by Katherine Marino & Michelle Charest - Churchyard Archaeology: Archaeological Investigations at the First Baptist Church in America (2006)
Edited by Zachary Nelson & Katherine Marino