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The third president of the United States was an avid--well, actually Jefferson was avid about a lot of things, but one of the things he experimented with was archaeology. A full-fledged, card-carrying member of the Enlightenment, Jefferson excavated Native American mounds on his properties following natural and cultural stratigraphy, a very unusual thing for the 18th century. Ironically, it is archaeology and its related disciplines which have revealed some of Jefferson's history that he would be none too keen on having revealed.
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• The Enlightenment
The History of Archaeology
Part II of a five part series, this one on the effects of the Enlightenment, from your About.com Guide
Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest
Ongoing excavations at Jefferson's year-round retreat near Lynchburg, Virginia
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Thomas Jefferson [1743-1826]
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