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Alignment of Old Land Surveys for Accurately Locating Archaeological Sites: The 1634 and 1646 Palisades in Middle Plantation, Colonial Virginia

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Abstract

The location of magnetic north has changed significantly during times relevant to historical archaeologists. To accurately locate sites of archaeological interest mentioned in old land surveys, which used magnetic compass bearings, alignment of those old surveys with true (geographic) north is required. This paper describes the method for doing this and provides an archaeological example of this approach for refining the locations of 17th-century wooden palisades in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Abstracto

La ubicación del norte magnético ha cambiado significativamente durante los tiempos relevantes para los arqueólogos históricos. Para ubicar con precisión los sitios de interés arqueológico mencionados en los estudios topográficos antiguos, que utilizaban rumbos de brújula magnética, es necesario alinear esos estudios topográficos con el norte (geográfico) verdadero. Este artículo describe el método para hacerlo y proporciona un ejemplo arqueológico de este enfoque para refinar las ubicaciones de las empalizadas de madera del siglo XVII en Williamsburg, Virginia.

Résumé

L'emplacement du nord magnétique a changé de manière significative au cours des époques présentant un intérêt pour les spécialistes de l'archéologie historique. Afin de localiser avec exactitude les sites d'intérêt archéologique mentionnés dans les vieux arpentages, lesquels utilisaient les repères d'une boussole magnétique, il convient d'aligner ces anciens relevés avec le véritable nord (géographique). Cet article décrit la méthode pour y procéder et il présente un exemple archéologique de cette approche afin d'affiner les emplacements des palissades de bois du 17ème siècle à Williamsburg, Virginia.

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Acknowledgments:

This study owes its origin to an excellent presentation on the archaeology of Colonial Williamsburg by Meredith Poole (Senior Staff Archaeologist, Colonial Williamsburg). Meredith’s knowledge and encouragement are gratefully acknowledged. Other individuals who contributed insightful comments during the study included Jack Gary (Director of Archaeology, Colonial Williamsburg), Dr. Mark Kostro (Senior Staff Archaeologist, Colonial Williamsburg), and Martha W. McCartney (Jamestown Project Historian, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation). The author thanks the following individuals for providing access to important documents: Marianne Martin (Visual Resources Librarian, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg), Margaret B. Pritchard (Deputy Chief Curator, Colonial Williamsburg), and Aaron B. Small, P.E. (City Engineer, Williamsburg). Three anonymous reviewers are thanked for their thorough reading of, and constructive comments on, an earlier version of this paper.

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  1. Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, U.S.A.

    John W. Delano

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Correspondence to John W. Delano.

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Delano, J.W. Alignment of Old Land Surveys for Accurately Locating Archaeological Sites: The 1634 and 1646 Palisades in Middle Plantation, Colonial Virginia. Hist Arch 54, 502–509 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-020-00228-6

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