Germanna’s archaeologists, Dr. Eric Larsen and Kelly Arford-Horne, and 2021 archaeology interns bring you up to date on the exciting discoveries of this year’s summer field season.
Digging for the truth at Fort Germanna
(Culpeper Star-Exponent) Many archaeologists were on hand Saturday at the Fort Germanna site in Orange County, where work is ongoing to discover new truths and answer questions about the settlement started there more than 300 years ago. At a rare public access day, visitors mingled with historic preservationists and archaeologists, discussing the fort built at […]
The Peopling of Germanna and Beyond
People have come to Germanna for many reasons. Initially, they came because it was a convenient ford across the Rapidan River, and more recently to connect with the distant past, perhaps where their families fished and farmed, explored, or battled. These people have deep roots far from Germanna, whether they crossed the Bering Straits or […]
Germanna America in Embryo
This 50-minute documentary (originally on DVD) about the story of Germanna was recently uploaded to YouTube by the producer, Phil Audibert of AHHA Productions. Enjoy! In 1714, under the direction of Lt. Governor Alexander Spotswood, 12 German families established a settlement on the Rapidan River in present day Orange County, Virginia. At the time it […]
Explorers, Indians, Refugees, and Settlers—The Road to Germanna 1650-1714
Dennis Loba references primary sources to paint a picture of the history before Germanna and the forces that influenced Lt. Governor Spotswood to explore and settle the Germanna peninsula and its surrounding area. ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Dennis Loba is known to Germanna Foundation mainly for his portrayals of Alexander Spotswood and the Rev. John Thompson. […]
Germanna Foundation welcomes visitors to archaeological site on public access day
News article in the Orange County Review newspaper by Gracie Wilbanks: The Germanna Foundation held a public access day on Saturday, October 3, in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of the founding of Spotsylvania. The history organization hosted its annual public access day to Germanna’s archaeological digs sites, educational opportunities regarding colonial life and a […]
2017 Germanna Reunion Photos
Be sure to take a look at the photos taken during the 2017 Germanna Reunion and Conference– Photos from the Salubria dinner Photos of various events Fort Germanna Archaeology Dig including the visit to the site by world-renowned archaeologist William Kelso, who discovered Fort Jamestown.
BREAKING: Horse Stolen from Col. Spotswood
Okay, maybe the news is 281 years old, but Germanna Foundation President Marc Wheat came across a mention of Germanna and the Iron Works in the January 7, 1736 edition of the Virginia Gazette newspaper about a horse stolen from Col. Spotswood. We wonder if anyone got the “handsome reward” that was offered for the […]
Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition Ride Reenactment
(Dale Duvall/Culpeper Times) Virginia Colonial history will be re-visited as horseback riders from across the United States gather to re-enact Colonial Governor Alexander Spotswood’s Transmontaine Expedition up and over the then imposing Blue Ridge Mountains. It was 300 years ago that this expedition paved the way and began the never ending westward expansion of America. Starting […]
Thanks Virginia Commonwealth University
We treated Dr. Bernard Means and his VCU archaeology field school students to a pizza party picnic at the Fort Germanna/Enchanted Castle excavation site on Thursday, July 28th – the final day of VCU’s field work at Germanna this summer. Our seasonal staff, under the direction of Germanna’s archaeologist, Eric Larsen, Ph.D., and this season’s […]