In 2013, DigVentures helped a small group of Darrow students carry out a trial excavation on the ruins of an original Shaker structure. Now the team are headed back to help students and volunteers from all over the world to delve deeper into the site’s Shaker history, and explore the world of these fascinating social innovators.
Four years ago, DV and a handful of eager student helpers, set about surveying and excavating the overgrown foundations of what was believed to be an original Shaker building. Documentary evidence suggested that the foundations belonged to the ‘Centre Family’ (or centre community) Washhouse, that had been completely destroyed by fire.
The excavation revealed large, industrial metal items found in the rubble, which were verified as being laundry related. A large whetstone from the Carborundum Company added further muscle to the evidence. Though whetstones are generally used to sharpen objects, Carborundum in ground or grit form can be used to make bulk washing detergent powder. The trenches also revealed a wealth of finds relating to both the Shakers, and the later school residents. These included horseshoes, medicine bottles, glass and pottery sherds, and children’s shoes and toys from across the school’s history.
The team were also able to confirm that the building had been destroyed by fire, revealing vast quantities of burnt materials within the demolition layer that indicated that the structured had collapsed in on itself after being weakened by the blaze.
With the theory confirmed, the team were keen to help Darrow discover more about its past. Driven on by the success of the trial excavation, this year the team will be heading back to Darrow to reveal more of the Shaker’s story. The project has been designed as a five-year field school, with the 2017 season planned as a smaller scale evaluation to take stock of just what remains of the village, both above and below ground.
There are many established Shaker scholars, facilities, and resources in the region, and the project aims to act as a collaborative catalyst for new research, increasing the profile for Shaker studies. Drawing on historical research, landscape survey, field excavation, and environmental archaeology, the team will investigate these major themes:
Millenarian Visions and Utopian Landscapes – We’ll map the entire area of the Shaker village in the first comprehensive archaeological survey on the site; examining how the unique architecture defined Shaker identities, reinforced beliefs, and brought Shaker ideology into being.
Hands to Work and Hearts to God – The team will study the evolution of the industrial and agricultural landscape through an assessment of the standing and demolished structures (including factories, workshops, millponds, culverts, aqueducts, and spillways). Focusing on the Shaker’s experimentation with new technology and industrial innovation, we’ll examine the central role of work in the Shaker spiritual experience, reflected in the aphorism ‘hands to work and hearts to god.’
Shakers and the World’s People – Continuing the survey and excavation of the Centre Family Washhouse and associated industrial and domestic structures, we’ll discover more about the Shakers through their material culture. Recent archaeological and historical studies have revised the romantic myth of the quaint and peaceful Shaker, revealing that they often had factious and conflicting relationships with ‘the world’s people’.
It’s a mammoth project and you can be with us every step of the way, both in the field and online. Though excavation places for this first season are limited, everyone can be part our rapidly-growing global Digital Dig Team. You can read more about our ground-breaking platform in the next section.
