At the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Katie Derr worked with the Indian Rest Site artifact collection. The collection contains all of the artifacts collected from the Indian Rest Site and represents over a decade of archaeological work at the site. The 1.5 acre site and log cabin are located in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Dating to 1870 or earlier, the cabin and its associated archaeological collection contribute to Calvert County and Maryland's African American history.
Ms. Derr prepared the Indian Rest Site artifact collection for curation during her time at the MACLab. This involved making sure every artifact was cleaned, properly labeled, and stored in appropriate bags. She also cataloged all of the artifacts and placed this information into a Microsoft Access database. With the aid of the MACLab library resources and her own artifact analyses, she wrote the final site report on the archaeological investigations that have taken place at the Indian Rest Site over the years. A copy of the site report will soon be part of the MACLab library collection for future researchers to use.
Ms. Derr's work with the Indian Rest Site artifact collection allowed her to learn how an artifact collection should be handled and what information it can provide. This experience culminated in the writing of a site report, which reported on the archaeology and artifacts recovered from the Indian Rest Site.
An aerial view of Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum.
The Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.
Katie Derr examines artifacts from the Indian Rest Site.
