Archaeology in the Mid-Hudson Valley
Anthropological archaeology at Bard has its focus on the Mid-Hudson Valley, within an hour's drive of the campus. Students gain practical experience on diverse Cultural Resource Management projects at the College and nearby. Courses and tutorials take place in autumn and spring, with mid-summer often an intensive archaeological field school. Intergenerational seminars bring students together with community members. Curriculum building has begun in the local elementary and secondary schools. Bard senior projects have led to publication in regional and national journals. Graduates have gone on to attain advanced degrees and join the profession.
You can take a look at the results of some of our recent archaeological investigations by selecting a site name from the menu on the left.
Upcoming Exhibits
Locust Point
Two seasons of testing at this small peninsula have revealed two clusters of stone artifacts. On the point of land with the Hudson River in the distance, Bard students in the field methods class clear the surface of fallen branches and begin to search for artifacts.
Sands House site
Charles Sands, son of John Bard's sister, lived for 20 years next to the College after his uncle, its founder, had moved to England. Excavation recovered artifacts packed into the stone-lined privy shaft after the Sands family departed in the mid-1880s. Many vessels are nearly whole.