Beginning Monday, June 1st 2009, the ground will again be opened near South Adger’s Wharf in downtown Charleston in search of the city’s colonial fortifications. Charleston Musuem Archaeologist Martha Zierden will be leading a “field school” for archaeology students who will excavate the site over four weeks in the month of June. Like all efforts of the Mayor’s Walled City Task Force, this project is a cooperative venture involving a number of agencies, including the City of Charleston, the Historic Charleston Foundation, the Charleston Museum, and the College of Charleston.

The dig site at the southeast corner of East Bay Street and South Adger's Wharf

The dig site at the southeast corner of East Bay Street and South Adger's Wharf

The upcoming work represents a continuation of the productive dig at South Adger’s Wharf in January 2008. During that ten-day excavation, the Walled City Task Force uncovered approximately 24 feet of the northern wall of the old redan at the east end of Tradd Street (see the images elsewhere on this blog). The June 2009 dig will explore the southern portion of the redan, which is under a city-owned asphalt parking lot adjacent to last year’s dig site. We hope to uncover the apex and a significant portion of the southern wall of the redan, and to explore the foundations of these brick fortifications that were begun in the late 1690s and leveled in the mid-1780s.

The asphalt surface of the parking lot was removed on 28 May 2009

The asphalt surface of the parking lot was removed on 28 May 2009

The public is invited to come view the work in progress on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Educational posters will be displayed at the dig site for the duration, and volunteer will be on hand to answer questions during work hours. In addition, I will be blogging about the excavation as it unflolds, and hosting a wrap-up program at the Charleston County Public Library on Tuesday, June 30th, at 6:30 p.m. Stay tuned for information about the latest discoveries!