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The history beneath our feet reveals the rich history in and around Independence National Historical Park.

October is Archeology Month!

On Saturday, October 11, from 10 AM -- 5 PM , Explore Philadelphia’s Hidden Past with an Archaeology Month Celebration at the Independence Living History Center.  Discover secrets of Philadelphia’s past that lie hidden under our feet. Hear fascinating stories about the archaeology in and around Philadelphia. Visit a working archaeology lab. This free event is sponsored by the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum and Independence National Historical Park.  For more information visit www.phillyarchaeology.org  or call 215 861-4956.  

Try our Independence National Historical Park Cell Phone Audio Tour! Call 267-519-4295, press Prompt #27 for Independence Living History Center and Independence Park Institute information. Read the press release and flyer with stops and other park sites.

Get the real dirt on Philadelphia’s hidden past at the Independence Living History Center 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 Independence Living History Center Archeology Laboratory operates in partnership with the National Constitution Center and is open to visitors Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Volunteer Program
want to participate in this exciting research project? Volunteers experience history “hand’s on” as they assist the archeologists with cleaning, labeling, and mending artifacts recovered from the National Constitution Center archeological site. Exciting discoveries will be made in the laboratory and volunteering offers a rewarding opportunity to work with the tangible remains of the past. 

For information on volunteering at the Archeology Laboratory please contact: 
Debbie Miller, Assistant Laboratory Director and Outreach Coordinator e-mail us (215) 861-4956