Linking Girls to the Land

WMNF archaeologists led a field school in historical archaeology as part of the Linking Girls to the Land program.

The White Mountain National Forest Heritage Resources Program and the Swift Water Girl Scout Council conducted their ninth annual field school in historical archaeology from July 13 to July 16, 2008, as part of the "Linking Girls to the Land" partnership between the Girl Scouts of the USA and federal natural resource agencies.

Eight Girl Scouts were part of the "Dig the Past" program, and spent four days conducting archaeological test excavations at the Brickett Place in Stow, Maine. An additional eleven Girl Scouts in the "Challenge and Change" leadership training program participated in the field school on July 15. The Girl Scouts were between the ages of 11 and 17, and came from New Hampshire and Vermont.

The goal of the "Linking Girls to the Land" program is for girls to become involved in conservation and natural resource issues on a national and local level through environmental education, volunteer service, outdoor skills development, and career exploration.

The Brickett Place is a brick farm house built around 1830 by John Brickett. The purpose of the 2008 excavation was to determine the extent and condition of the archaeological remains near the foundation of the house in advance of foundation stabilization work, while introducing the Girl Scouts to archaeological excavation and recording techniques. This year's excavation located trash deposits which contained household artifacts such as fragments of ceramic dishes and glass bottles, and architectural materials such as brick, nails, and window glass.

An 1864 Indian Head penny was recovered from the front yard. All the artifacts from the site will be analyzed and curated by White Mountain National Forest archaeologists in partnership with Plymouth State University, in Plymouth, New Hampshire.