September 21. Lecture: Bits in Pieces: Uncovering Colonial Chesapeake Horse Culture in Archaeological Collections

Speaker:  Sara Rivers Cofield, Curator of Federal Collections, Maryland Archaeological Conservation (MAC) Laboratory

Fragmentary metal artifacts related to 17th- and 18th-century horses can be difficult to recognize, but making the effort to do so reveals the significant role of horses the colonial Chesapeake. Drawing from collections at Historic St. Mary’s City, the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, this presentation will connect fragmentary metal artifacts to the saddles and bridles they represent, illustrating an important part of social interaction in the colonial Chesapeake. Although horses were rare before 1650, by the end of the 17th century saddle horses were abundant and a necessity for socializing across widely dispersed plantations. Just as today one’s car tends to signal something about identity—wealth, occupation, personal tastes, etc.—in colonial Maryland the quality of one’s horse and saddle could vary based on one’s role in society. Analysis of equestrian artifacts can therefore reveal much about the tastes and interactions of Maryland’s colonists.  

Sara Rivers Cofield has been the curator of federal collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum since 2004. She holds a B.A. in History from Murray State University, and a Master of Applied Anthropology from the University of Maryland. She has seven years of experience in precontact and historic archaeological fieldwork and lab processing stemming from projects in Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Jamaica, and Belgium. Since 2002, Sara has focused on curation, collections management, and material culture research. Her past positions include Adjunct Faculty at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Curation and Conservation Assistant at Historic St. Mary’s City, Research Assistant at Monocacy National Battlefield, and Archaeological Aide for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission of Prince George’s County. Her specialty is the study of small finds, especially metal artifacts. In 2019 Sara received a grant from The Conservation Fund to study equestrian artifacts of the colonial Chesapeake.

The lecture is free and open to the public

HSMC Visitor Center Auditorium, 18751 Hogaboom Lane. St. Mary’s City, Md 

Info:  301.994.4370 or email info@hsmcdigshistory.org