Archaeology Day July 18 to Dig at Yarrow Mamout Site


The fourth annual Day of Archaeology Festival will dig up both fun and facts at Dumbarton House Saturday, July 18.

Presented by the local non-profit organization Archaeology in the Community, the free event will feature family-friendly activities like face painting, live music and crafts as well as mock-excavations of artifacts.

To bring the festivities to life, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office will be nearby at 3324 Dent Place NW, the site where the current Yarrow Mamout Archaeological Project is underway. The project aims to answer the question of whether the man it’s named for, a freed Muslim slave, is buried on the Georgetown property which he owned following his 1796 emancipation. Mamout is believed to have been born in West Africa in 1736 before being shipped to Annapolis, Md., where he lived as a slave for more than 40 years.

Information sessions will be held at the property throughout the day to teach visitors about the local history behind the site and give them a glimpse into the hands-on archaeological investigation taking place, in addition to volunteer opportunities to help with the dig. The project has been in talks since 2012 and is now closer than ever to discovering the truth behind the local legend.  

The Day of Archaeology Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

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