Corktown Archaeology: Wayne State's Department of Anthropology, Archaeological Field School and Service Learning Experience will give an archaeological demonstration in downtown Detroit behind the Workers Row House on Sunday, June1.
The dig demonstration is a feature of the Annual Homes Tour of Corktown, which features a walk through of 19th and 20th century homes in the neighborhood. The Workers Row house was built in 1849 and is one of the earliest wooden residences left in the city.
This year Wayne State archaeology students and professors will demonstrate archaeological techniques "in action" behind the Workers Row House, display artifacts that have been recovered in the backyard excavations, and answer questions for the general public.
Wayne State students have been excavating in Corktown since 2006 and are exploring the working class lives of early Irish and other immigrants to the city from the mid-19th century onward when Detroit grew from a modest commercial center for the Great Lakes region to one of the most important industrial cities in the world.
The dig is part of the Workers Row House Museum Restoration Project and is being carried out in collaboration with the community engagement program of the Honors College at WSU and the Greater Corktown Development Corporation (GCDC), an affordable housing agency active in the Corktown community for more than two decades.
The Corktown archaeology project looks at the early history of emigration and industrial development in Detroit through archaeological and historical research at this important piece of early Detroit history. The Wayne State archaeology program seeks to promote the cultural resources and heritage of the city and train and retain student talent in historic preservation in the area for the future.
When:
Sunday, June 1, 2008, noon till 5:00 pm
Professor Thomas W. Killion and archaeology students from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan-Flint.
Where:
The Workers Row House is located at 1426 6th St. in downtown Detroit. The house is located right behind Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church on 6th Street between Porter and Labrosse Streets. Take the Lodge Freeway downtown and get off at Howard Ave. Take a right on Howard and the next right on 6th. The Church will be on the right and the Workers Row House is right behind.
Contact Person: Ms. Dianna Jakubiec, WSU Research Assistant for Corktown Archaeology. Phone (248) 495 3061. E-mail dianna_wsu@yahoo.com