Archaeological program on Avery's Rest set at Lewes library May 5

The Archaeological Society of Delaware Sussex Chapter will host speaker Daniel R. Griffith for a presentation on the Avery's Rest site at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 5, at the Lewes Public Library, second floor. This lecture is free of charge and the public is invited.

Since the fall of 2006, the Archaeological Society of Delaware conducted archaeological fieldwork at Avery’s Rest. Over 50 members of the society, and other interested people participated in fieldwork and laboratory analysis of this significant archaeological site. Griffith’s presentation will focus on the 2015 field season and research results, contributing to a broader understanding of the colonial period in southern Delaware.

In 1674 Capt. John and Sarah Avery along with their children left their home in Somerset County, Md., to settle upon the north shore of Rehoboth Bay. The Averys were English immigrants. John captained a merchant ship, operated a plantation and served as a commissioned officer in the militia. He was appointed justice of the peace at the Whorekill. Their new home, an 800-acre Duke of York land patent called Avery’s Rest was a mix of woods, fields and marsh which the family transformed into a successful tobacco, grain and livestock plantation.

The Averys' daughter Jemima and her husband John Morgan inherited a portion of the plantation, including her parents’ home. They rebuilt and expanded the farming operation until ca. 1715, when the house site was abandoned.

The Avery family lived in a culturally diverse world in which complex relationships were formed for purposes of profit, status and survival. These relationships were influenced by the political, economic and social processes evolving in the Atlantic World of the 17th century. This was a frontier culture.

Fieldwork at the site was completed in October 2015 with the excavation of a 17th century well and surrounding areas. Excavations revealed the final elements of a complete colonial homestead, with two structures - a well and a fenced garden. Artifact analysis and research clearly show the occupations of John and Sarah Avery (1674-82) and their daughter Jemima, who inherited the site in 1698.

There were surprises. It seems the Averys were not the first occupants of this site as there is clear evidence of a 1640-65 presence. Who were these inhabitants? Were they Dutch or American Indians with access to European goods or English colonists occupying areas then under Dutch and/or Swedish control? Research continues.

Griffith earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from University of Delaware and  a master's degree in anthropology from American University. He is well known for his work and publications involving Native American history and ceramics typology in Delaware. He worked as an archaeologist with Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs and later as Delaware state historic preservation officer. He has directed The Archaeological Society of Delaware Avery’s Rest Project since 2007 and serves on The ASD executive committee. Lewes Public library is at 111 Adams Ave., Lewes.

For more information, go to www.leweslibrary.org or www.delawarearchaeology.org.