VMNH's Dr

May 9, 2012

VMNH's Dr. Judith Winston, Curator of Marine Biology and Dr. Elizabeth Moore, Curator of Archaeology recently visited the Savage Neck site, a prehistoric archaeological site on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Excavated under the direction of State Archaeologist and VMNH Research Associate Dr. Michael Barber, this Native American site contains pieces of ceramics and a shallow shell midden with the remains of shellfish consumption. The midden contains a variety of shellfish including scallop, oyster, and clam. Dr. Winston was examining the shells to determine if they contain evidence of bryozoans. Dr. Winston, one of the world's leading experts in bryozoan research, hopes to use archaeological material to examine the distribution of bryozoans in the Chesapeake Bay in the past.