Archaeological Dig at the Old Marine Hospital
Orange flags indicated areas where construction would take place.
Orange flags indicated areas where construction would take place.
Camping site, hospital for sailors and soldiers, summer camp, and next: museum.
Camping site, hospital for sailors and soldiers, summer camp, and next: museum.
Jessica Horn holds a graver, tool used by Native Americans to cut and punch holes in materials like leather.
Jessica Horn holds a graver, tool used by Native Americans to cut and punch holes in materials like leather.
Sifting earth through archaeological screen to sort out artifacts.
Sifting earth through archaeological screen to sort out artifacts.
Nadia Kline, one of several PAL archaeologists to work on the site.
Nadia Kline, one of several PAL archaeologists to work on the site.
Archaeologists sifted through 50 centimer by 50 centimeter pieces of land at regular intervals.
Archaeologists sifted through 50 centimer by 50 centimeter pieces of land at regular intervals.
Public Archaeology Lab worked for five days at the site.
Public Archaeology Lab worked for five days at the site.
Ideal location for Island residents going back thousands of years.
Ideal location for Island residents going back thousands of years.
Artifacts found on the site will be part of Martha's Vineyard Museum collections.
Artifacts found on the site will be part of Martha's Vineyard Museum collections.
The grounds of the old Marine Hospital in Vineyard Haven will one day be home to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. From April 18 through April 22 archaeologists from the Public Archaeology Lab were on site excavating and analyzing land that will be disturbed by museum construction. While nothing was discovered that will disrupt any of the museum’s plans, archaeologists did find evidence that the land was used as a camp site by Native Americans for thousands of years.
The Marine Hospital was built in 1895 on a piece of land overlooking Vineyard Haven Harbor. It continued to be used through World War II as a hospital for soldiers and sailors and their families. Later it was home to a summer camp until it was purchased by the museum in 2011.