Newsroom

Students Dig Jamestown

Students in Robin Loyall's class at Grafton Middle School were given the opportunity to experience an archaeological dig that coordinated with their study of the Jamestown Fort. Instructors Magda Tabor and Donna Taylor engaged the students with this hands-on activity. For the "dig", students made special dirt with a mixture of sand, coffee grounds, flour, salt and water. After the dirt mixture was complete, it was placed in small boxes, and the instructors buried various artifacts. The hidden artifacts included bleached chicken bones, buttons, pieces of terra cotta, spoons, nails, beads, rope and coins. As students dug for the buried items, they identified each artifact and sorted them into categories. They then recorded each item on a large chart to show results of the "dig". The instructors discussed the items that had been left behind by the Jamestown settlers and the Native Americans and how they related to the items they discovered. View photos from the dig.