Beginning with the first European settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, until the 1775 battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, the Chesapeake region inspired interest among soldiers, merchants, and gentleman scholars in the Old World. Self-trained, amateur scientists like Thomas Jefferson fed that interest by committing their observations to paper. They sent letters and samples to correspondents in the Old World, most of whom held university degrees, at a time when education focused on classical literature and philosophy, theology, and the law.

These early Chesapeake scholars—whether roaming the countryside or making observations in their own gardens—are the intellectual ancestors of today’s citizen scientists, amateurs of all ages and backgrounds engaged in the advancement of knowledge through observation, measurement, analysis, and reporting of the world around them. This presentation explores that history from the vantage of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Citizen Science in Archaeology program, participation in which is open to you.

The Historic Annapolis Virtual Lecture Series is offered free of charge thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor. If you enjoy this program, we hope you will consider becoming a member or making a donation today to support Historic Annapolis and our mission to connect all people with our shared history. 

Can’t watch live? All lectures will be recorded. Please register and you’ll receive the link to watch the recording after the event.

Advance registration required; registration closes on half-hour prior to lecture. 

Cost: FREE

This lecture will be offered virtually by Zoom. Upon registration, you will be sent the link for the video conference to join on the evening of the lecture. If you do not receive your confirmation email after you register, please check your Spam folder, or email Cara Garside at cara.garside@annapolis.org. To learn more about Zoom and to download the app to your computer, visit the Zoom website.

About Our Presenter: Jim Gibb (Binghamton University, PhD 1994) directs SERC’s Environmental Archaeology Laboratory (SEAL), housed in the Charles “Mac” Mathias Laboratory. He has researched and published on numerous topics in archaeology, from a Paleoindian site in Southern Maryland, to patterns of wealth among 17th-century planters, to production strategies among late 19th-century cheese manufacturers. With a team of citizen scientists engaged at all levels of research, from archival research to data collection to analysis and reporting, Jim investigates the ecosystem stresses created by socially differentiated households in the Rhode River watershed, analyzing biological materials and artifacts from tightly dated archaeological deposits from the mid-17th through 20th centuries.

The information contained in the HA Virtual Lecture series represents the historical research, views and opinions of the lecture presenter and may not represent the views or opinions of Historic Annapolis, Inc.