Second Year of Archaeological Dig Outside of Penn Hall Begins
By Angelina Stambouli, Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Demaro Ricketts
This semester, the Department of Anthropology’s Field Methods in Archaeology class is conducting a second excavation between Penn Hall and Musselman Library.
Associate Professor of Anthropology Benjamin Luley is coordinating and supervising this year’s dig. Luley explained his goals for this fall, related to the hands-on learning experience archaeology students are receiving from this project.
“Hopefully students gain a good appreciation for what archaeology is in terms of the methods,” said Luley.
The dig site is the former residence of John “Jack” Hopkins. A free Black man in the Gettysburg community, Hopkins lived and worked on campus grounds between the 1840s and 1868, leading up to and immediately after the Civil War. Not only was Hopkins the College’s first janitor, but he played an integral role at Penn Hall. Hopkins also lived in downtown Gettysburg prior to living in the area where the excavation site is located.
There are two major purposes to the excavation. First, students will gain hands-on learning about the field of archaeology. Additionally, students will also be able to appreciate and acknowledge the history of the site, specifically the story of Jack Hopkins and the people who lived in the former house.
Last fall, Assistant Professor of Anthropology Kirby Farrah’s students first discovered the foundations of the Hopkins house and its encompassing bricks.
This year, Luley’s class began working around the house’s foundation, uncovering small artifacts like pieces of glass bottles, fragments of ceramic, and nails from the 1800s.
Luley said, “I hope that coming out of the project, we appreciate more the story of people like Jack Hopkins, who can often be overlooked in the history of the college, as well as appreciating more generally the diversity of our campus.”
Luley believes that although Jack Hopkins has often been overshadowed and forgotten, he will remain one of the most notable individuals in Gettysburg history.
The dig will conclude between the final week of October and the first week of November.
