Discoveries from the Kitchen House

Hopefully by now you’ve heard the exciting news that the next phase of study and restoration of the Nathaniel Russell Kitchen House is underway. Archeologist Dr. Andrew Agha is leading an excavation of the Kitchen House cellar in collaboration with preservation contractor Moby Marks.  Robert Behre highlighted the project and some of the significant findings in a recent Post and Courier article. This is a crucial phase for learning more about the enslaved people that inhabited the house and preparing for future steps to fully document and interpret the Kitchen House for visitors.

The Foundation has formed an advisory committee of museum and preservation veterans to help navigate the path forward as critical questions arise such as should the Kitchen House be completely restored (matching the main house) or should a different approach be taken?  CEO Winslow Hastie wants to take a cautious approach because the importance of this project cannot be overstated.

The archeological excavation has revealed a wealth of historical materials from large fragments of porcelain plates belonging to the Russells and the Allstons, to pieces of graphite pencils likely used by enslaved laundresses to make counting marks on pieces of slate to keep track of completed batches of laundry. Sherds of indigenous Catawba-made pottery were found alongside Edgefield pottery made by enslaved potters in the upstate. According to Andrew, the Kitchen House cellar is revealing one of the richest caches of artifacts that he and retired archeologist Martha Zierden have ever seen in Charleston. These found artifacts, essentially centuries old trash, seem to have been intentionally used for fill to raise the floor to address the effects of rising groundwater.  So, as the old saying goes, one person’s trash is literally another’s treasure! These riches will come to life in the human stories that will be told.

Among the fascinating finds, one piece stands out as extremely rare and powerful in its ability to tell a relatable human story — a small reddish-brown stone called carnelian that has been carved into a decorative bead. Andrew explains that due to the context in which it was found the bead is certainly African in origin and only a handful of carnelian beads have been found around Charleston. He thinks that it may have arrived here by way of the Middle Passage, perhaps even hidden in the hair of a captured African. Many people continue to believe that carnelian beads contain certain powers to help bring clarity of thought, manage anger, and handle the stresses of life. Carnelian beads, with the same color and number of facets, have also been found in burial sites of enslaved people in Barbados.

Carnelian stones such as this one were likely mined in India, and they were brought to West Africa through established trade routes. Further research will likely reveal a more definitive story, but African craftsmen were skilled at carving stones into faceted beads for necklaces or waistbands.

From a 21st century perspective, it’s difficult, even impossible, to understand the stresses that enslaved people endured centuries ago. But through it all, this tiny reddish-brown bead seems to reveal a powerful means of coping, survival, and agency in the life of an enslaved person at the Russell House. Wearing this bead, whether hidden or in plain view, was likely a way to deal with the stresses of enslavement and was an important expression of a person’s private life.

According to Andrew, it’s much harder to find examples of personal agency in urban settings.  Found objects, including centuries old trash or lost items, were commingled between the white and Black inhabitants of well-defined city lots. But the tremendous amount of artifacts and variety of objects found in the cellar at the Kitchen House provides the rare ability to identify enslaved African agency in a congested urban space.

We hope you are (like us) inspired by the stories being told by this rare carnelian bead and so many other artifacts being studied at this site and that you will stay tuned for more discoveries, visit the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, or generously donate to the cause of preserving and interpreting our shared history.

A very special thank you to Dr. Andrew Agha and Richard Marks and his preservation team for their work on this project.