CEAC-2022-08-August

“Even in 8th grade they don’t understand the difference
between archaeology and paleontology,” she said.
One of Cohlmia’s most memorable finds at Lambert’s field
school was a pewter toy rake from the early 1800s and mini
teacup handles, probably from a play set. These artifacts
were found in an area where the enslaved lived and worked
at Concord.
“There were children here,” she said about the miniature
domestic items.
On June 15, they uncovered a shiny metallic object.
“The metallic object turned out to be a mourning locket,”
Lambert said. “The locket is still intact and there is a possibility
that hair, which was often placed into mourning jewelry
during the 19th century, is still inside.”
Due to the low-quality metal and the area in which Lambert’s
students were excavating, the locket was likely owned
by an enslaved person.
One of the last recorded events at the mansion was in 1901,
Cohlmia said. While Dr. Steven Kelly owned and rented
the property, the Duke and Duchess of Manchester, barely
entering adulthood, lined the drive with lanterns and invited
droves of people and bottles of port.
Two months later, the house was illuminated not by lanterns
but by embers.
“I think after the main party, the caretakers maybe had some
booze and started a fire,” Cosey said. Her theory is well
known by the archeologists, though Lambert said, “we may
never know what really happened.”
It is still unknown what started the fire, what left the marble
staircase to climb toward nothing. Even the staircase gradually
disappeared as visitors in the mid-20th century realized
they were relics and stole the marble stairs to adorn their
gardens.
Some of the slabs have since been recovered and lined up by
the Coseys in their backyard. Some have markings to instruct
the original builders which side should be placed facing
upward.
The collection of discoveries, displayed on a plastic table,
continues to grow. An intact spongeware cup from the
1840s, likely used by enslaved individuals, is identified by a
flash card.
There are also olive-green bottle fragments that could be
from the Minors’ vast inventory of wines.
Some artifacts have been outside the realm of their purported
interests, like a Snoopy doll from the 1970s and a 1969
Hot Wheels car. “If it’s 50 years or older, it’s considered an
artifact, so we had to keep it,” Lambert said.
Bullets likely from the Union occupation, one fired, were also
found. Because Natchez surrendered, any fired bullets were
likely from practice.
Lambert’s team will take all of the artifacts back to MSU
where they will wash, analyze and curate them for preservation.
With the Coseys’ permission, they might distribute some
to museums but most will return to Concord Quarters for
display.
A primary goal for Lambert’s public archaeology field school
is to create an interactive walking tour at Concord. Each
uncovered feature will have a display banner and be beautified
with flowers. A walking tour will create an “interactive
history of the true history of Concord,” Lambert said.
The cistern won’t be completely unearthed. Instead, it will be
“exposed to the point where it’s a beautiful feature rather
than an eyesore,” Lambert said.
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Volume 87 · Number 8 | 67