Archaeology in Action: The Kitchen House
Andrew Agha examining artifacts found during excavation, 2024
The next phase of the Nathaniel Russell Kitchen House Project is now underway! The Foundation's Board of Trustees committed $100,000 to kickstart this important project and raise awareness in the community that further support will be needed to advance what promises to be an unprecedented initiative to learn more about Charleston history, especially focused on the lives and activities of the enslaved people on the property. Over the coming weeks, archaeologist Andrew Agha and preservation contractor Richard Marks will fully excavate the Kitchen House cellar, expanding on previous archaeological studies and providing access to secure the structure's floors and brick hearths. This is an exciting and necessary step forward in the Foundation's goal of fully interpreting this incredibly intact domestic space and advancing the knowledge of our shared history. To accompany this work, the Foundation will offer opportunities for the public to learn and engage with a series of programs called, Archaeology in Action: The Kitchen House.
Earlier phases of the Kitchen House project have already contributed immensely to our understanding of this city’s complex and rich history, particularly the African influences on Charleston’s unique cuisine. The sheer volume and variety of seeds of African origin, including African rice, benne, okra and African runner peanuts, has researchers reconsidering established scholarship. Some of the earliest seeds of African origin ever found in America have been discovered beneath floorboards and within the walls of the Kitchen House.
HOW TO ENGAGE: ARCHAEOLOGY IN ACTION
Archaeology volunteer, Bob, sifts through dirt from the Kitchen House Cellar looking for artifacts, 2024
Over the next several weeks, HCF will present Archaeology in Action: The Kitchen House, a program designed for public engagement with the archaeologists on site. These interactive sessions will take place each Wednesday and Saturday from 11 am – 1 pm beginning on August 14th and continuing for the duration of the project. Free with admission, guests are encouraged to stop by the archaeology site anytime between 11 am and 1 pm to meet the archaeologists and see new discoveries made in real time. Children will be invited to participate in helping the archaeologists and staff uncover artifacts. At the top of each hour (11 am, 12 pm and 1 pm) Foundation staff will discuss the project, and the archaeology team will share recent discoveries. Registration for this program is not required. Purchase museum tickets online or in person.
PAST ARCHAEOLOGY
Martha Zierden in the cellar of the Kitchen House
Beyond the kitchen cellar, the Nathaniel Russell House has been explored through archaeology on five previous occasions. The first was a weekend volunteer project in 1982, when a crew of four explored and screened soil from a garden installation. In 1990, installation of a new HVAC system following Hurricane Hugo entailed extensive trenching for ductwork and conduit lines. HCF engaged The Charleston Museum for archaeological research in 1994-1995, as part of an extensive Historic Structures Report. College of Charleston field school students conducted excavations in June of 1994 and the findings were analyzed by Martha Zierden and Martha Reitz. In winter of 1995, Charleston Museum archaeologists and technicians explored the driveway to mitigate damage from drainage improvements and downspout installation.
The Charleston Museum and College of Charleston field school returned in June 1995 and additional faunal remains were analyzed. As part of consideration of the Russell’s garden spaces, particularly the front area, The Charleston Museum conducted archaeological excavations between 2003-2006 that revealed three successive, and well-preserved, garden layouts. The earliest appears to match the gardenesque layout that survives in the 1898 photo of the property.
Renovations to the rear portion of the Russell House and installation of a replacement HVAC system in 2013 required archaeological monitoring and selected excavation. This project was conducted by archaeologists Nicole Isenbarger and Andrew Agha of Archaeological Research Collective Inc.
SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
Support this archaeology project and the Russell House Museum, in addition to our ongoing work in preservation and advocacy, by making a donation to Historic Charleston Foundation. Make a donation and learn more ways to support online.
https://www.historiccharleston.org/donate/
LEARN MORE
The Kitchen House Project on YouTube
https://youtu.be/f_BZIyz65kI?si=nqm-mXZyEg22y-gI
Blog: The Next Phase of the Kitchen House Project
June 12, 2024
Blog: New Floorcloth at the Nathaniel Russell House
April 4, 2023
Blog: Russell House Floorcloth Reproduction Project
Septemebr 12, 2022
Blog: Looking into the Lives of the Enslaved at the Nathaniel Russell House
June 4, 2018