Maryland Archaeological Collections:
The Treasures of Historic St. Mary’s City

 

One of the greatest responsibilities of Historic St. Mary’s City is the stewardship of the irreplaceable artifacts recovered in the archaeological excavations. The museum’s mission is “to preserve and protect the archaeological and historical record of Maryland’s first colonial capital …”   The stewardship of these artifacts is not just for the current generation of scholars and researchers, but for the generations of students to follow, who will look at these same artifacts and ask new questions which we currently cannot even imagine. Preserving and studying these tangible remains of our past is our responsibility and our passion.

 

Below you will find past research and the ongoing discovery of the story of early Maryland.

 

Find out about Archaeology and Artifact Conservation at Historic St. Mary’s City. Learn about Metals, Organics, Glass and Ceramics and how the team learns about the past from these fragments.

 

Three rare seventeenth-century lead coffins were found inside the ruins of the chapel. Find out more about these amazing artifacts and the treasures they held. A Collaboration Between Archaeology and Conservation: The Lead Coffin Project

 

The Art-N-Facts Gallery is a collection of brief essays and musings by HSMC’s Research team about artifacts relating to St. Mary’s City.

 

Review some of the artifacts in the St. Mary’s City Exhibit Gallery.

 

Dig deeper into the archaeology of Historic St Mary’s City.