It may not be commonly known but sites of old outdoor privies are much appreciated by archaeologists. They often reveal interesting artifacts from bygone days -- pieces of old porcelain, coins and the like. There is even a national organization and newsletter for privy diggers.
Remnants of outhouses and backyard garbage pits are among sites archaeologists have found off Church Circle in Annapolis, while digging near the construction site of the new Anne Arundel County Courthouse, a parking lot and other government buildings.
One thing has led to another and, layer by layer, they have uncovered a priceless time capsule that chronicles Annapolis life from the 1650s.
"To be able to find three centuries of life in that one small space is just startling," marveled John Seidel, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland who helped direct the three-month excavation.
"You tend to think early evidence from urban areas where people lived so intensively would be obliterated, but that's just not the case."
Archaeologists have found the remnants of what probably is the oldest known cellar in Annapolis. They have unearthed foundations of 19th century homes -- and such diverse artifacts as wine bottles, signet rings, buttons, china, ink wells, clay marbles and coins. They have also uncovered remnants of an old forge and evidence of an old African-American residential community.
These are exciting discoveries, and we trust that some of the artifacts will be exhibited in the new courthouse to remind citizens of their links to the past. Other objects recovered in the excavation are likely candidates to enrich the collections of local museums.
The $110,000 study and dig were required by Annapolis' Historic District Commission as part of its approval of the $43 million courthouse expansion project. The surprisingly varied
discoveries come from a three-block area and offer a chronology of Annapolis history dating to the city's founding in 1649.
The Annapolis project is beneficial because such discoveries fuel an interest in local history. They also encourage further digging by both professional and amateur archaeologists.
Annapolis boasted a lively colonial heritage. The region is ripe for further archaeological detective work. The rewards can be unexpected and rich, as the courthouse excavation shows.