Articulations at About.com 4/1/01: Bill Kelso

Education

Moderated by Pat Garrow and K. Kris Hirst

Transcript: March 18, 2001: Speaker Bill Kelso

Note: This transcript has been slightly edited for readability. Because of a technical glitch, Mr. Kelso's responses were telephoned into Pat Garrow, who typed them for him.

Printer-Friendly Chat Transcript

<Pat Garrow>

Our guest for this evening is Bill Kelso, the Principal Investigator for the Jamestown fort excavation

<Pat Garrow>

How did you involved in archaeology?

<Bill Kelso>

Originally invited to look at an Indian mound in Ohio at 15

<Bill Kelso>

went to the mound and started digging and found bones. made me feel funny and covered it back up

<Bill Kelso>

volunteered on a dig with Noel Hume in college and was hooked

<Bill Kelso>

kept doing archaeology from there

<Bill Kelso>

eventually went to Emory University because they let e pick my grad level course. no historical archaeology courses then

<Bill Kelso>

let me bring in Noel Hume as dissertation chair

<Kris Hirst>

so you were into historic archaeology early, then?

<Bill Kelso>

very early Kris

<Bill Kelso>

finished dissertation in 1972, one of the earliest dissertations in historical archaeology

<Kris Hirst>

what would you say was the most interesting thing Noel Hume taught you about archaeology?

<Bill Kelso>

I think it was connecting archaeology with the material culture historical records in England

<Bill Kelso>

have had to go beyond him because I since learned that area excavation is more important than digging in small units

<IreneH>

How was ""archaeology"" defined before?

<IreneH>

Or rather: What is the definition of ""historical"" archaeology?

<Bill Kelso>

must be written documentary sources

<IreneH>

I see

<Bill Kelso>

generally historical archaeology is post-Columbus--the colonial world--that is a new world definition

<Kris Hirst>

what was your dissertation research?

<Bill Kelso>

Wormloe Plantation--architectural history, history, archaeology

<Kris Hirst>

tell us about Jamestown; how did you get involved in the project?

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown- struck my fancy before I knew about archaeology. went into historical archaeology, and realized the site could answer more questions than anywhere else

<Bill Kelso>

site turned to out to be virtually unstudied because it wasn't really part of the park. Noel Hume predicted that the site was still there

<Bill Kelso>

I have been convinced for 30 years that the site was there. Association that owned the land wanted the research done. so I started to raise money for research

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown is important because it is the birthplace of the American Republic as we know it. America is diverse, but for the English settlement that is it

<Bill Kelso>

it was the first time natural resources were taken for a whole new geography, and exploiting it

<Bill Kelso>

it is the roots of representative government.

<Bill Kelso>

we need to have what happened at Jamestown in our cultural memory.

<Bill Kelso>

the archaeology provides a concrete kink to the site and what happened there

<Bill Kelso>

the site is quite humble and the start of it all

<Bill Kelso>

archaeology doesn't lie. it cab be misinterpreted, but it is without an agenda

<IreneH>

How long did it take to find the actual site?

<Bill Kelso>

first took 2 hours and then four seasons to confirm what we found. first search for it was 1890, but missed it

<Bill Kelso>

first effort was 200 feet off

<Kris Hirst>

what are the dates on Jamestown? and who were the movers and shakers that affected our present day lives so much?

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown settled in 1607

<Bill Kelso>

movers and shakers in 1607 Bartholomew Gosnold gathered the settlers and set up settlement at Martha's Vineyard. then abandoned that settlement

<Bill Kelso>

Gosnold then gathered the settlers for Jamestown

<Bill Kelso>

John Smith was important because he brought vitality to the effort

<Bill Kelso>

Sir Thomas Gates was another important person. he realized that those living on the coast were doing fine while those at Jamestown were starving. He decided to abandon Jamestown, but the arrival of supplies saved the colony

<Bill Kelso>

the story of Gates has just been learned

* IreneH

Any relation to Bill? Don't transmit, rhetorical question

<Kris Hirst>

how did you know for sure that you'd found it?

<Bill Kelso>

knew I had found the fort after excavation of palisade lines conformed to available descriptions

<Bill Kelso>

angle of the palisades was perfect. that was when I knew for sure

<Bill Kelso>

could only be James Fort

<dick>

what has archeology taught us about Jamestown that was not available from primary sources?

<Bill Kelso>

what has archaeology taught us about Jamestown? we have the exact location of the fort for the first time. they landed and came to the highest ground. we have learned that the colonists were not incompetent gentlemen who would not work

<Bill Kelso>

gentlemen of that age were trained to hunt and fight, unlike the common perception

<Bill Kelso>

they came with knowledge of the Indians through their experience in North Carolina. they brought things the Indians could use for trade like copper so they would not have to farm

<Bill Kelso>

finding lots of Indian domestic artifacts in the fort--may indicate the colonists were cohabiting with Indians before the first English women came in

<Bill Kelso>

finding artifacts related to metallurgy and other trades

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown was not the fiasco it has been painted by New England historians

<Kris Hirst>

how close to a democracy was Jamestown?

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown was not a democracy at all. it was where representative democracy was born in 1619 when representatives from a number of settlements met there

<Bill Kelso>

representative government was initially a control thing. it eventually became a tradition that could not be dropped

<Anita>

Considering that there was a Jesuit mission just to the north of Jamestown (not that it is ever mentioned in the current literature about Jamestown), have any artifacts been found that might link to that mission?

<Bill Kelso>

the Spanish mission in Virginia dated to the 1570s and has not been found

<Bill Kelso>

there was some evidence of Spanish presence in Jamestown, but despite plans to the contrary never wiped the settlement out. Spanish thought the English settled there to attack the Spanish gold fleets

<Kris Hirst>

Was there interaction between the two ?

<Bill Kelso>

no official interaction between the English and Spanish, although some of the settlers apparently died of poisoning

<IreneH>

Did you find any human remains?

<Bill Kelso>

there have been 24 burials done there, but studies are incomplete. evidence of arsenic poisoning is from the historical records to this point

<Kris Hirst>

That's pretty weird; are you suggesting the Jamestown settlers were poisoned by the Jesuits? Doesn't seem like very Jesuitical behavior

<Bill Kelso>

poisoning could have been incidental to working cooper or making glass.

<Bill Kelso>

arsenic was used to purify wells, but great care was needed

<IreneH>

How long did Jamestown last?

<Bill Kelso>

Jamestown lasted as a city until the statehouse burned in 1698. people still live there, though

<pgloss>

What were the Indian domestic artifacts mentioned earlier - pottery?

<Bill Kelso>

Indian domestic artifacts-pottery from as far away as the Potomac. pottery with deer residue. 150 or more stone knife blades and other tools

<Bill Kelso>

there were apparent Indian allies living in the fort, but there is evidence that there were Indian women living there

<IreneH>

How big a complex was it?

<Bill Kelso>

the fort was very small-half to three quarters of an acre. it probably grew every few months, but the core fort remained the small are

<Bill Kelso>

there were much larger areas outside the triangular fort that were palisaded

<Kris Hirst>

so they were real dangers, then

<Bill Kelso>

real danger first from the Spanish, although the fort would not have protected them from Spanish attack. for worked against the Indians, though

<IreneH>

Were there any real surprises? Or phrased differently, what was the most exciting discovery you made?

<Bill Kelso>

most exciting discovery was finding the fort itself

<Bill Kelso>

found a ring that was a signet ring of William Strachy

<Bill Kelso>

he was only here for 9 months. wrote a manuscipt about his experience that probably was the inspiration for the Tempest by Shakespeare

<IreneH>

I've read about that

<Bill Kelso>

first real European threat was in the 1640s from the Dutch

<Kris Hirst>

how many years have you been working at Jamestown? and what are the plans for the future?

<Bill Kelso>

have been working there since 1994

<Bill Kelso>

plans for future? have excavated 15% of the site and it keeps getting bigger. will try to get the northern extent of the triangular fort this summer, will try to work more in the expanded settlement and on an old burial ground

<Bill Kelso>

palisade was set in a trench and backfilled. very shallow but extremely effective. close set posts treenailed together with a runner

<dick>

how was the palisade constructed; set in a trench then back filled or pointed and driven?

<IreneH>

How many people are working at the site?

<Bill Kelso>

there are 14 people working there now and will double that for 6 weeks this summer

<Kris Hirst>

how big a site is it? what was the population of Jamestown and how many houses do you think that translates to?

<Bill Kelso>

it is very difficult to know. in 1625 there were 200 plus in the town. that was the maximum population there except when the legislature was in town

<Kris Hirst>

are you presently working in a particular area of the site?

<Bill Kelso>

yes-there is a warehouse site from the 1640s that is under cover as protection from weather we are working on in addition to a burial area that is pre 1650

<Kris Hirst>

did they have central storage? or is the warehouse for a particular type of good?

<Bill Kelso>

warehouse was for tobacco. company had a store they operated

<Kris Hirst>

tobacco? already? goodness

<Kris Hirst>

I didn't realize it became such a commodity so early

<Bill Kelso>

from day 1 Kris

< IreneH.>

Is there a web site for Jamestown?

<Bill Kelso>

Gosh Irene--don't know, but sure there is

<IreneH >

Ah, here it is: http://www.apva.org/jr.html

<Pat Garrow>

Given the circumstances I propose we end early tonight. Any objections?

<dick>

okay by me

<pgloss>

No objection here

<Kris Hirst>

no,understandable. I apologize to everyone for the chat client, and only hope it improves.

<IreneH >

That's okay Pat, quite a feat again

<pgloss>

Who's on next week?

<Kris Hirst>

thanks very much to Bill, and to Pat for doing double duty

<Bill Kelso>

I want to invite you to visit Jamestown and use his name to get a good tour when you get there

<Pat Garrow>

thank you Bill

<Kris Hirst>

we certainly will

<Pat Garrow>

who is our guest next week Kris?

<Kris Hirst>

Next week, with any luck, will be Justin Kerr and Sandra Noble from FAMSI

<Kris Hirst>

They are Mayanists, and have been working very hard on some interesting Internet projects

<Pat Garrow>

hope we will solve the technical problems next week. thanks for staying with us

<dick>

good night all

<IreneH>

Good night!

Archaeology