Boston City Archaeology Lab

Posted April 28, 2014 by Gemma Doyle

It’s no secret that Boston has a rich history.  One of the first things I did when I moved to this area was spend a long afternoon walking the Freedom Trail, which I highly recommend to anyone new (or not so new) to the area, especially now that the weather has gotten so lovely.  Of course, the Freedom Trail only tells the recent history of Boston; the Massachusett and other Native American people were here long before the Pilgrims, and their history is harder to see.  Not impossible, though – if you’re very interested in the history of the Boston area, the place you want to head is the city’s Archaeology Lab, out in West Roxbury.That’s the home base of Boston’s City Archaeologist, Joe Bagley, who oversees all of Boston’s archaeological digs and collections.  

(Stop for a minute and think about how cool it is that Boston has archaeological digs going on right now that are unearthing amazing finds about the history of the city.  It’s pretty cool.) 

The best part is that if you are interested in getting involved, either on the digs themselves or doing the washing/cataloging, etc. duties on the collections, the lab is always welcoming volunteers.  Even if you don’t have the time to volunteer, the Lab also offers tours.

I’ve never been much of a history person myself, but I know a lot of people who are dual-degree History and Archives Masters students, and they’re the ones that really love knowing that Boston fosters programs like the City Archaeologist.  Boston is a city with a very rich history, and I think it’s a great opportunity for anyone to get their hands dirty learning that history first hand.