Community Day

Saturday, June 9

What an exciting weekend! Yesterday the Field School hosted Community Day from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. After three weeks of excavations, the public finally got to see the site and what we’ve all been working on at Fort Tombecbe. The threat of rain didn’t seem keep people from coming out to see the site, and we were all excited to get the chance to show everyone the excavations. 

The team loaded up the van and set out for the site at 8:15 Saturday morning to finish setting up and so some us could get ready for the small surprise of the day. Thanks to LisaMarie, a visiting archeologist and volunteer, several of us were able to act as living historians for the day along with Dr. Hall and Brian Mast. Brett, Andrea, Sue, and I all dressed in clothing appropriate for the time period Fort Tombecbe was occupied. Visitors seemed to enjoy it and we all had a great time doing it. Those who didn’t have to get dressed for the day (you would be surprised at how long it takes to get dressed like it’s 1750!) prepared the site like a usual digging day with a few extra tasks. The tarps we place over the units to protect them had to be pulled off and tools had to be set up and accounted for in addition to setting up the Welcome Tent. Dr. Dumas assigned us all various tasks for Community Day, but everyone’s main task was to educate and inform the community about Fort Tombecbe. 

By 9:40, the first visitor’s were beginning to arrive at the site and Community Day had officially begun.  Those who came out to the site were greeted by live re-enactors at the Welcome Tent, where artifacts were on from previous excavations of the site as well 

as artifacts we’ve found during the 2012 Project. From the Welcome Tent, visitor’s could go on to see the current excavations of the French Palisade and oven area or cross the road to take a look at the water screening station, where screening took place throughout the day. Visitors also got the chance to tour the rest of the fort. Dr. John Hall and Brian Mast gave gun and cannon demonstrations on three separate occasions during the day. 

A view of the oven area excavations. 

No day in the field can be wasted so excavations continued on Community Day. The biggest surprise of the day was Lauren’s discovery of a bottle lip. 

Lauren carefully excavating her find.

Bottle Lip

At 4:00 we wrapped up the day, worn out but happy with the turn out. Thanks to everyone who came out and made Fort Tombecbe’s Community Day such a success! 

-Jordan Mahaffey