What is it?

One of the most frequent questions Drayton Hall archaeologists are asked is if we ever find coins. Most often the answer is “no” as the artifacts we recover are discards from the past, and like now, people do not generally throw out money

The back of the coin depicts the words "One Cent" surrounded by a wreath. (Enlarged for detail).

intentionally with the trash. However, during this summer’s excavation near the northwest basement door of Drayton Hall, a total of 4 pennies were found! Three were modern, most likely lost by visitors since 1974, but one captured our interest.

It was an 1857 “Flying Eagle” penny found in excavation unit 1085, level B. What makes this particular penny so special was that these coins were only minted for three years, from 1856-1858. The front of the coin depicts an eagle in flight while the back depicts the words, “One Cent,” surrounded by a wreath. Only 17,450,000 of these coins were minted in Philadelphia, making them a rather rare coin. The mint found that the images were difficult to produce, however, so the flying eagle design was abandoned in 1859 when the “Indian Head” penny was introduced into circulation. While we don’t know who owned the penny or when they dropped it, the penny does help us determine that the stratigraphic layer it was found in dates to 1857 or later. Perhaps it belonged to Dr. John Drayton (1831-1912) or Charles Henry Drayton I (1847-1915)?

What is it?

Figure 1. This Bureau Bookcase, a rare example of English elite furniture in the American colonies, is believed to have been purchased by John Drayton, the original owner of Drayton Hall.

During the middle of the 18th century, furniture ornamented with brass, tortoiseshell, and exotic wood inlays was of the highest fashion in Europe and especially London, England. Influenced by the late 17th-century work of French cabinet maker Andre-Charles Boulee (1642-1732), a group of five British cabinet makers began creating equally lavish pieces in London

Figure 2. Brass furniture inlay from Drayton Hall archaeological investigations. While only a fragment, such artifacts provide invaluable information about 18th century material culture, fashion, and consumption patterns. Actual size: 2"

from the 1730′s; in 2009, material evidence of their creations was identified above and below ground at Drayton Hall.

Drayton Hall’s own bureau bookcase, for instance, is a rare example of English 18th-century elite furniture-richly ornamented with tortoiseshell and wood inlay details (Fig. 1). Additonal examples of English elite furniture are beginning to surface through archaeological work. As shown in Fig. 2, fragments of brass furniture inlay were uncovered in 2009 through excavations.

While the fragments are heavily corroded and twisted from the destruction of the furniture, a close inspection reveals intricate designs. The presence of such artifacts links John Drayton to contemporary English fashions and emphasizes the efforts he placed upon acquiring them for his home in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

What is it?

Throughout the 18th century, John Drayton amassed his fortunes through the cultivation of various crops, including the

John Drayton's indigo brand. Wood handle, iron shaft, copper-alloy die. Total length 9 inches, die length 3 3/4 inches.

growing and processing of indigo for use in the creation of a deep blue dyestuff popular in Europe. One artifact

Mirror image of the Drayton brand.

that survives from this period is his stamp wrought with his name “I. Drayton.” Because the stamp is made of a lightweight metal that is unable to withstand the high temperatures required for branding, it was likely used to mark indigo cakes prior to sale, as a mark of the manufacturer and an assurance of quality.

Filling the Voids of History: The Drayton Hall Archaeological Collection

Mochaware from the Drayton Hall Collection

Chinese Imari porecelain fragment, c. 1750 discovered at Drayton Hall. Bottom image: Actual Imari plate with matching detail owned by George Subkoff of George Subkoff Antiques.

Many of you may know that Drayton Hall is internationally acclaimed for its architecture and remarkable state of preservation. The main house, flanker buildings, garden house, privy and the 19th century caretakers cottage are invaluable resources that illustrate the trajectory of American history, design, economics and adaptation. Equally important, though less well-known, is Drayton Hall’s extensive archaeological collection of more than 1 million artifacts.

Recovered during archeological campaigns from the 1970′s to the present day, these artifacts help to fill the voids of history that persist due to gaps in historical documentation. While often only fragments, each artifact tells a story about past people and events. We are now able to more fully comprehend these artifactual voices thanks to financial support from the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS).

In May of 2009, Drayton Hall was notified that its application to the IMLS Conservation Project Support program grant had been accepted. The proposed project, in keeping with the conservation related goals of the grant program, set out to gain physical and intellectual control of Drayton Hall’s archaeological collection by reorganizing the artifacts according to where they were excavated, packaging them in protective archival materials to facilitate analysis, and studying fragile metal artifacts in preparation for future conservation initiatives.

Also, the IMLS grant enabled the Preservation Department to temporarily hire a project team consisting of Drayton Hall’s archaeologist/preservation coordinator Sarah Stroud and three student interns from the College of Charleston. Throughout this process, the department has made startling discoveries in the lab that illustrate how some of the most important finds are made indoors rather than out in the field.

“The sheer volume and depth of artifact types is what impresses me about this collection,” explains Sarah. “Only a small percentage of the overall property has been examined archaeologically, yet we have a collection of artifacts whose size and scope is far beyond what is typically associated with one place or family.” The artifacts cover centuries of occupation and represent the lives of Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans who, at one time, made the Drayton Hall property their home. Discoveries about each of these cultural groups make this collection so exciting to me.”

Ashley Moore, a sophomore at the College of Charleston, has enjoyed her experience with the IMLS project so much that she decided to add archaeology as a Minor. Ashley’s interest is Native American history, and she enjoys working with artifacts associated with non-European cultures. “We have organized box after box of Colonolware, which I learned is a ceramic type that resulted from African and Native American traditions coming together during colonization. Because Drayton Hall’s landscape has been preserved for centuries, artifacts such as these survive from both the historic and pre-historic periods and enable us to learn about multiple generations of Lowcountry inhabitants and their legacy.”

In fulfilling Drayton Hall’s mission of preservation and interpretation, each artifact will be digitally photographed and the digital records will be organized and catalogued so that ultimately, the collection can be made accessible to the public. As work continues in the field and laboratory, we will be updating our members on new discoveries through this blog, our website, and members only events at Drayton Hall, where you’ll be the first to hear the stories that these centuries old artifacts are ready to reveal.

Want more information on our collection or our archaeological discoveries? Contact Sarah Stroud, our archaeologist/preservation coordinator, or Carter Hudgins, our Director of Preservation and Education at sarah_stroud@draytonhall.org or carter_hudgins@draytonhall.org

“A Grand Tour” – Charleston Magazine and The Winter Antiques Show

Charleston Magazine‘s “A Grand Tour” features Charleston antiques that will be on display January 21 through the 30th at The Winter Antiques Show in New York City.  Each year the Antiques Show selects a museum to showcase its collection via a “Loan Exhibition.” This year the loan exhibition is “Grandeur Preserved: Masterworks Presented by Historic Charleston Foundation.” Since the goal is to showcase historic collections representing the best of Charleston, HCF has invited Drayton Hall, the Charleston Museum, the Gibbes Museum, Middleton Place Foundation, and the John Rivers Collection to lend important objects from their collections – some never before seen in public. Please visit Charleston Magazine to learn more,

http://www.charlestonmag.com/charleston_magazine/feature/a_grand_tour

 “Drayton Hall’s participation in the New York Winter Antiques Show is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for any historic site, and this is especially true for Drayton Hall.  For the first time ever, portions of Drayton Hall’s collections will be publicly exhibited and visitors to the show will have a unique opportunity to examine some of the many objects which illustrate John Drayton’s close connections to England and the wider Atlantic World.” – Carter Hudgins, Director of Preservation at Drayton Hall

“We’re so pleased to have been invited to contribute to the exhibit of Charleston ‘masterworks’ at the Winter Antiques Show. This gives us an opportunity to give people a glimpse of the remarkable collections we have – collections that tell fascinating stories about Drayton Hall. Our lecture too, on Jan. 22, should be quite interesting because we’ll be sharing new research findings that much of the public hasn’t yet learned about.” – George McDaniel, Executive Director of Drayton Hall

“Preservation Wednesday” Celebrates First Anniversary and Reflections from an Intern

Madeline Graham washing artifacts

“My name is Madeline Graham; I am a rising senior in the Historic Preservation Department at the College of Charleston interning with Drayton Hall’s Preservation Department. Each day is filled with new tasks and fascinating discoveries. Throughout the summer I have worked with interns from other institutions as well as the entire staff of the Preservation Department. There are so many ongoing projects that there is never a dull moment!  I am always very busy with tasks that I feel contribute to the overall success of Drayton Hall and its preservation goals.   

These interesting tasks include photographing furniture for archival purposes and organizing museum collection materials into archival cabinets. One of the major projects I have been involved with includes cleaning and labeling artifacts discovered during the archaeological excavations. Something always sparks my interest in every bag of artifacts I clean. I have come across artifacts such as shoe buckles, a variety of ceramics, and even animal bones! Once washed, each artifact requires a label. This process is very time consuming, but is also very important to the cataloging process. I am glad that I have gotten to work with the Drayton Hall team and look forward to upcoming projects!”

   The process of washing excavated artifacts is an ongoing one at Drayton Hall and any other active archaeological project. Once the artifacts are excavated, each fragment is washed in order to then be labeled and finally cataloged and analyzed. For every one hour in the field, it takes archaeologists 8-12 hours in the lab to prepare the artifacts for analysis. The archaeologists at Drayton Hall are very lucky to work at a site so rich in history.  Since active archaeological excavations resumed on the property in the fall of 2008, however, the number of artifacts in need of processing had reached into the hundreds of thousands! A volunteer based program, “Preservation Wednesday,” was developed to assist the Preservation Department with this task.

Mr. Charles H. Drayton III

  “Preservation Wednesday” is a hands-on experience open to Friends of Drayton Hall who are invited to work as volunteers alongside of our Preservation Department Staff. This month marks the first anniversary of our Preservation Wednesday program. During the past 12 months, 26 individuals have participated including numerous Drayton Hall Friends, enthusiastic staff members volunteering their time, and even members of the Drayton family—including the wonderful Mr. Charles H. Drayton III who often heads up our washing table! The 26 participants have booked an astounding 264 hours wielding toothbrushes to diligently clean our amazing collection of artifacts! The Drayton Hall Preservation Staff is consistently blown away by the enthusiasm of this group and is humbled by their dedication to our ongoing archaeological projects. We thank all of the participants for making an idea for a hands-on Friends experience a successful reality!

Preservation Wednesday Volunteers

If you are a Friend of Drayton Hall and would like to participate in future Preservation Wednesdays, please contact Drayton Hall Archaeologist/Preservation Coordinator, Sarah Stroud at Sarah_Stroud@draytonhall.org or call 843-769-2637. Preservation Wednesdays are held the third Wednesday of the month from 10am-Noon. 

For more information about becoming a Friend of Drayton Hall go to: http://www.draytonhall.org/support/become_member/, or visit Drayton Hall in person and become a member on-site to receive your silver-plated rice spoon! 

 

Internship Reflections: Week 5

Posted by Courtney DeVoe, Preservation Department Intern

Under the supervision of Collections Manager Joyce Keegan (far right), Courtney helps to spread out a quilt in Drayton Hall's collection for photographing.

I have been interning with the Preservation Department at Drayton Hall for the past month.

Each day I get to work on a variety of projects, which is something I was hoping to experience during my internship. I like the fact that from hour to hour I am assigned different tasks which means that I am always learning something new. I started out by helping Trish Smith, the 2010 Drayton Hall Wood Family Fellow with PastPerfect museum management software, and quickly learned how an archival system works. It is interesting to see what types of documents and stories have been saved throughout the years relating to the preservation projects around the property.

The next project I worked on was photographing all of the museum collection objects. This took a lot of time, coordination, and patience, but the experience was worth it. It was not just a great feeling to handle such valuable objects, but also to be able to capture the significance of each individual object. The next task in this project is to sort through all of the photographs and begin the editing process in order to get them ready for a collections catalog.

Just this past week I was able to again experience something new. I learned how to wash and categorize recently excavated artifacts. This was interesting to me because I have never been exposed to archaeology and it is something that I have been itching to get my hands on. Looks like tomorrow I will be learning how the “RP” (Revolutionary Preservation) System works. This is a relatively new system that helps control corrosion on the iron artifacts that were excavated in the 1970s and 80s. 

I have already had many different experiences in just a few weeks and look forward to what unfolds for me in the month to come.

Archaeological Institute Day 5

The fifth and final day of the Archaeological Institute got off to a quick start with all participants showing up early for the day’s work.  Rather than commencing the day at 9am, all were busy excavating by 8am!  The objective of the day was to clarify all features associated with the masonry wall exposed in the previous days.  Following a thorough trowel cleaning it became clear that a series of post holes mirror the shape of the masonry wall as they appear to curve around towards the north flanker building.  Such suggest that the original collonade may have been built of brick (front foundation) with wood used as structural material sunk into the ground as supporting posts in the rear.  Wood appears to have also been used above ground and covered with plaster to appear as stone. Thus the majority of the collonade would have been formed from wood- a material that could have been quickly dismantled in the event of a natural or cultural disaster such as a hurricane or war.

Work will continue on site next week as Drayton Hall’s archaeological staff finishes recording the week’s discoveries.  This will be followed by additional work with excavated artifacts.

Archaeological Institute Days 3 and 4

Work has continued in the search for the possible connecting wall between the Drayton Hall main house and it’s north flanker building.  On day 3 of the institute, evidence of the connecting wall was found in unit DH961. A series of 6 bricks were found laid end to end with mortar between.

Day 4 of the Institute began with a thorough trowel cleaning of the site to identify features in the soil.  Work continued through out the day in unit DH961 to expose the connecting wall.  As the excavation move forward a stepped footer was identified beneath the course of 6 bricks identified on Day 3.  This stepped footer could support the weight of a colonnade, the continued excavation of the site on Day 5 may unearth many answers and possibly make us ask new questions.

Archaeological Institute Day 2

Posted by Carter Hudgins, Interim Director of Preservation/Site Archaeologist

10/28:  Day 2 began with a tour of the main house. Under the guidance of interpreters Joe Mester and Kate Ruhf, participants learned about the architectural and social history of the site within the context of the archaeological work being conducted. This was followed by a brief ceramics presentation by archaeologist Sarah Stroud. Using artifacts from the Drayton Hall study collection, Sarah discussed the technical and decorative characteristics of the ceramics unearthed on Day 1. This was particularly helpful to Institute participants as they were able to assign dates to the artifacts uncovered.

After lunch, excavations continued.  Edward Crawford and Stan Younce continued to dig around a utility line installed in 1985.  Ironically a series of postholes was found below the modern utility. This may be associated with the 18th century colonnade wall, but could also relate to the pre-Drayton house thought to have been located in this area.

Work continued in a second unit where Shelby Nelson, Terry Satterfield, Brandie Dunning, and Ray Satterfield found what is likley evidence of the pre-Drayton structure. At the end of the day a concentrated layer of brick and mortar was identified along with large bones (pig and cow) and pottery sherds from a large earthenware vessel. Future work will expose whether this assemblage is linked to pre-Drayton activity, and whether the material is part of a building.

Another important activity got under way today as Joe Mester, Brandie Dunning, and Terry Satterfield took turns washing excavated artifacts. As a general rule, 6 hours of laboratory time are required for every hour of work conducted in the field. Washing and sorting artifacts is the first step in the laboratory process.

Images from Day 2 can be found on Drayton Hall’s Flickr page– click here.