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Archaeology on the Eastern Shore discussed at CBMM October 18

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., presents “Archaeology on the Eastern Shore” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 18 with University of Maryland archaeologists Beth Pruitt and Ben Skolnik, site directors for the excavations at Wye House, one of the most important and well-documented plantations in Maryland. Seating is limited, with advanced registration needed.

The program is presented as part of the Archaeological Institute of America’s celebration of International Archaeology Day.

Wye House, located in Talbot County about seven miles northwest of Easton, is where Frederick Douglass was enslaved as a young boy, and later detailed his experiences in his autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave.” Wye House was built in 1790 on land settled in the 1650s by Edward Lloyd, a Welsh Puritan, and has remained in the same family for 11 generations.

Pruitt and Skolnik’s presentation—which includes a slide show and actual artifacts—covers several years of excavations at Wye House and touches upon the ties to nearby Unionville, where some descendants of the Wye House’s slaves live today.

Participants can also explore the historic Mitchell House, a permanent CBMM exhibit that was once the home of Eliza Bailey Mitchell, Frederick Douglass’ (born Frederick Bailey) closest sibling. Mitchell House, originally located on Lee Street in St. Michaels, was relocated to the museum several years back and has been restored to resemble its former state. The historic structure holds an exhibit that shares the stories and history of free black laborers along the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

The October 18 presentation begins at 2 p.m. in CBMM’s Van Lennep Auditorium. The cost is $6 for CBMM members and $8 for non-members, with pre-registration needed by calling 410-745-4941 or emailing [email protected]. For more information, visit www.cbmm.org