On Thursday, November 7, Dr. Dennis Blanton, Professor of Anthropology at James Madison University, presented “Conversing with Cabells: How the Archaeological Evidence is Beginning to Speak to Us.” Dr. Blanton’s presentation is the third in our new series of free educational talks related to the historic Cabell property. We are pleased to share a full recording of his presentation, held at Mary Baldwin University’s Francis Auditorium, for online viewing. We thank Dr. Blanton and his students for their ongoing archaeological work, which has greatly enriched our understanding of the Cabell Log House.
As anthropologists, archaeologists are concerned with the study of people. Despite misconceptions about the field, archaeology, as Dr. Blanton puts it, is not about “What you find” but instead “What you find out.” Archaeology pairs fieldwork and historical research to help answer guiding questions. In this case, Dr. Blanton and his students are seeking to understand questions like, “How did the Cabells use their yard?” and “Can we reconstruct a day in the life of a Cabell family member?”
Archaeological surveying by way of shovel test pits and surface collection has begun to shed light on answers to these questions. Shovel test pits are small holes marked and dug in evenly spaced increments. At the Cabell property, test pits were marked in five-meter increments across the yard, allowing for a comprehensive archaeological sample to be taken from the site. Students retrieved artifacts from the test pits by carefully sifting the soil through a screen. Conversely, surface collection is the systematic gathering of objects sitting above ground. Students performed a surface collection in an area southwest of the house, where physical and documentary evidence indicates an outbuilding once stood.
Following collection, artifacts from the property were taken to the JMU laboratory, where they were carefully cleaned and cataloged. As part of the students’ laboratory analysis, artifacts were grouped categorically. Categories of findings included container glass, coal and cinders, 19th-century nails, window glass, ceramics, and animal bones. Mapping the concentration of these categorical findings has allowed Dr. Blanton and his students to begin to interpret how the Cabells used their property. For instance, large quantities of tile and ceramic toilet parts retrieved in the surface collection indicate that, at one time, the outbuilding likely served as an outhouse.
Not only were Dr. Blanton and his students able to identify this past use of the former structure, but they were also able to uncover the likely origins of the tile used in its construction. We know that Washington Cabell, son of Edmund Cabell and Evaline Boyers Cabell, who built the home, worked at the Augusta County Courthouse. Constructed in 1901, the Courthouse is home to the same tile collected from the site of the outbuilding. Presumably, Washington Cabell obtained excess tile from the Courthouse and used it to outfit the outhouse. Such discoveries speak to the resourcefulness of the Cabells and demonstrate the critical role of archaeology in deepening our knowledge of the Cabell family and their home.
Dr. Blanton and his students are continuing their archaeological investigations of the Cabell property, which, ultimately, will culminate in a report of their work and findings.
Click to see Dr. Blanton’s Engaging Presentation
