Independence Archeology Laboratory
Jackson Ward 'Smokey' Moore Jr. Archeology in Independence National Historical Park Get the real dirt on Philadelphia's hidden past at the Independence Archeology Laboratory. The laboratory is a working facility dedicated to processing materials recovered from archeological excavations conducted between 2000 and 2003 prior to, and during, construction of the National Constitution Center. The approximately one million artifacts recovered from this archeological excavation tell the diverse stories of everyday Philadelphians during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and offers glimpses of the prehistoric past as well. Imagine a busy neighborhood of free African-Americans, Quaker merchants, recent immigrants, and many others living out their ordinary, and many times extraordinary, lives during Philadelphia's formative years. The National Constitution Center archeological site offers a glimpse of "we the people" living in this bustling neighborhood just blocks from Independence Hall during the Revolutionary Era and the early days of the new nation. The laboratory is open to the public and offers visitors a behind-the-scenes view of archeologists at work. You are invited to watch as Philadelphia's buried history is revealed piece by piece. During your visit the research team may be working with everything from tiny seeds and animal bones, to glass bottles and ceramic fragments. As you watch the work, you will learn how archaeologists use these objects to better understand the lives of long forgotten Philadelphians. The Archeology Laboratory operates in partnership with the National Constitution Center and is open by appointment only. Tours are limited to visitors 16 and older in groups of no more than four on a space available basis. To schedule a visit please telephone the Laboratory at (215) 861-4956. Weather permitting, you may find our Archeologists working in the park. |
Did You Know?
There are 39 names on the constitution but only 38 signers? John Dickinson of Delaware gave permission to his colleague George Read to sign his name if he wasn't present.