SOCIAL STUDIES
HIGHLIGHTED NOTES
PHIPPSBURG DIG
13 October 1998
PHIPPSBURG - (Fort St. George)
Diggers from:
Virginia
Massachusetts
Maine
Looking for 390-year old signs of life.
Dr. Jeffrey P. Brain (Archaeologist)
P. = Phipps
Overseer
Looking for Storehouse.
Found Northeast Post hole
Unique site
Colony failed
Only here 14 months
Efforts in New World
Companion colony of Jamestown
Colony brief
Sincere
Found map 1997 from 1607.
Made 2 months after colonists arrived
Plymouth colony
Came later
Successful because failures at Popham, Fort St. George
Roanoke Colony
Failed
Remains undiscovered
Jamestown Connection
Artifacts
Patricia Stemheimer (archaeologist)
Layers of stratification (preserved & classified) above 1607/8
Coal in the middle (probably fire area)
Clam shells
Alex King (archaeologist)
Found Civil War Penny near water’s edge
Some Discoveries
Waste matter
Lead (melted lead for musket balls)
Daub (Technique for insulation)
Wattle (Technique for insulation)
Charred layer of wood (storehouse)
Posts were laid every 9 ½ feet (map said 9’)
Fort was not elaborately constructed (As map indicated)
Incredibly rich site.
Maine coast contributed to colony’s downfall.
Summers were marvelous
Winters were terrible
Colony lost two leaders
Men in colony bickered
Abandoned fort.
Lessons
English settlement in New England
Send strong leaders
Families
Strong faith
Strong in spirit