Collections

Colonial Williamsburg’s archaeological collections are among its greatest treasures. Objects from over 70 years of excavation provide the scholar with an unparalleled assemblage of eighteenth-century material culture to study, and many of the objects have been used in museum programs and exhibits throughout the world.

Archaeological Artifact Collection

The archaeological artifact collection is the largest eighteenth-century collection in the world, with several million objects representing one-of-a-kind artifact assemblages from stratified and tightly dated contexts, including tools and products from two large blacksmith shops, an extraordinary collection of working-class leather footwear, and the largest collection of glass and ceramic objects from domestic sites whose occupants’ social and economic status can be accurately identified.

Zooarchaeological Collection

Colonial Williamsburg’s zooarchaeological collection is one of the largest in eastern North America, with a databse containing data from more than 1.1 million bone fragments from over 160 sites, ranging from urban to rural, poor to wealthy, and white to enslaved Africa-American households.

Archaeobotanical Collection

Colonial Williamsburg’s archaeobotanical collections consist of archaeological plant remains and samples from Williamsburg and other regional sites excavated over the past several decades. The archaeobotanical program focuses on two major types of botanical evidence, macroremains (seeds, wood, and other charred plant portions recovered from water flotation), and phytoliths (silica microfossils extracted chemically from soil). In addition to the archaeological samples, the laboratory maintains active reference type collections of plant seeds and phytoliths, expanding with each new research project.