Center for Archaeological Studies News and Research
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Jewett's Mill and Labor Organizing in Reconstruction-Era Mobile
August 29, 2024In 1867, Black workers at the mills and docks along the Mobile riverfront went on strike for higher wages. We excavated Jewett ... -
Mapping Memory: Our Alley
June 5, 2024Of the many noteworthy locations nestled within the Down the Bay neighborhood, sat "Our Alley." ... -
A 1916 streetcar token provides a window into the daily lives of past Mobilians and show us the importance of public transportatio ...
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Development and Displacement Down the Bay
May 21, 2024Down the Bay sprung up in the late 1800s and grew into a thriving interracial neighborhood. Though it still exists today, it was c ... -
Down the Bay: Making Your Own Fun
April 10, 2024Kids growing up Down the Bay made their own fun. They transformed everyday household objects into toys and invented games to enter ... -
Archaeology in Action: Williams Inspection Site
March 4, 2024We excavated the Williams Inspection Site, or 1MB571, for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2022. The site is bo ... -
A "How?" to Follow the "Why?"
February 19, 2024Oral histories are more than written transcripts, they give life to the past through memories. There is magic in spoken histories ... -
Archaeology in Action: Shotgun House Site
February 15, 2024We excavated the Shotgun House Site in 2023 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project, named for a row of shotgu ... -
Mapping Memory: Harlem Theater
February 7, 2024A light beams onto your face, fragmenting the flickering glow of the theater screen. You squint in dismay, swallowing down the las ... -
Archaeology in Action: Maryland Street Site
January 30, 2024We excavated the Maryland Street Site, also known as 1MB499, in 2022 for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project. The sit ... -
Archaeology in Action: South Conception Street Site
January 10, 2024The South Conception Street Site was one of three sites at "RV City" that we investigated for the I-10 Mobile River Brid ... -
Feeding the Community: Narrative Sustenance and Down the Bay
December 14, 2023Down the Bay was home to some truly incredible cooks. A large part of the community's history lies in recipes that have been ... -
Archaeology in Action: Mardi Gras Camp Site
November 28, 2023The Mardi Gras Camp Site is one of three sites at “RV City,” the area along Water Street where RVs park during Mardi G ... -
Mapping Memory: Texas Hill
October 24, 2023The remarkable thing about oral history, in all of its sonic richness, is the ability of a community to construct a nuanced and vi ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Union Hall Site
October 10, 2023The Union Hall Site, also known as 1MB513, and the adjacent Bender Site, or 1MB555, are the first two sites we started excavating ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Old Water Street Site
September 21, 2023This site is bound by Madison, Old South Water, South Royal, and Canal Streets, and had some of the most intact structural remains ... -
Why Oral History?
September 8, 2023Oral history is documentation, true, but it is also a way of preserving life and sustaining community. ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Palmetto Street Site
August 30, 2023We excavated the Palmetto Street Site, or 1MB412, in 2022-2023 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Madison Street Site
August 16, 2023We excavated the Madison Street Site, or 1MB532 for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2021-2022. ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Eslava Street Site
July 26, 2023We excavated the Eslava Street Site, also known as 1MB531, in 2021-2022 as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Projec ... -
Archaeology in Action: Excavating a Brick Tenement
July 6, 2023On the corner of South Royal and Madison Streets, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a large brick structure while working on ... -
The impact of women in preserving the cultural narrative is undeniable. ...
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Archaeology in Action: Excavating a Hurricane
May 5, 2023Hurricanes are the most common natural disaster to affect the Gulf Coast; in fact, since 1850, the Mobile Bay area has been impact ... -
Archaeology in Action: Ceramic Analysis Using pXRF
April 26, 2023My name is Lance Greene. I'm a historical archaeologist and Anthropology professor at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio ... -
Baseball Legends from Down the Bay
April 19, 2023Baseball runs deep in Mobile. Five players from Mobile are commemorated in the Baseball Hall of Fame. ... -
The Banana Docks, a large open-air market constructed in 1857, provided a landing and launching place for fruits and vegetables im ...
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The Archaeologist's Toolkit: Lab Processing
March 14, 2023Many people imagine archaeologists spend a majority of their time out in the field. However, you might be surprised to find out th ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part III)
February 2, 2023The Virginia Street Site is located south of downtown Mobile on Virginia and South Franklin streets and has a history spanning 2,0 ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is an Excavation?
January 24, 2023The most popularized aspect of archaeology is the process of excavation. According to Hollywood, it is during excavation when arch ... -
The Bankhead Tunnel: Down the Bay and the New Deal
January 19, 2023Each day, around 14,000 vehicles use the Bankhead Tunnel to travel between Mobile and Baldwin. A vital link for commuters and carg ... -
Down the Bay: A Historic Mobile Neighborhood
January 12, 2023Community is a group of people who have genuine connections with each other based on shared traditions and values, ultimately form ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part II)
December 14, 2022The Virginia Street Site is located south of downtown Mobile on Virginia and South Franklin streets and has a history spanning 2,0 ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: Archaeological Survey
December 7, 2022One of the most common questions archaeologists are asked is, "how do you know where to dig?" There are many different w ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is Stratigraphy?
November 30, 2022Did you ever want to dig a tunnel to China? Well, you won't reach China, but that tunnel could transport you to a different t ... -
The Archaeologist's Toolkit: What is Archaeology?
September 23, 2022When people think of archaeology Indiana Jones or digging holes comes to mind. However, archaeology encompasses a lot more than fa ... -
Archaeology in Action: The Virginia Street Site (Part I)
September 9, 2022This series shares results from our ongoing archaeological fieldwork. Our current focus is the I-10 Mobile River Bridge (MRB) Arch ... -
As one of the largest port cities in the country, it is no surprise that shipping and maritime industries have long been an import ...
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37 hurricanes have hit Mobile Bay since 1850, when recording officially began. However, hurricanes have affected the Gulf Coast fo ...
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The USA Center for Archaeological Studies digs into the past to make way for a bridge linking Alabama's two coastal counties. ...
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Huge Boost for the Humanities
October 4, 2021The University of South Alabama has received its largest grant ever in the humanities -- $453,000 from the National Endowment for ... -
Archaeology in Action: South Royal Street Site
January 1, 2014We excavated the South Royal Street Site, or 1MB510, as part of the I-10 Mobile River Bridge Archaeology Project in 2022. ...