What is an Archaearium?
Archaearium is a recently invented word that means “place of beginnings”. An archaearium is a dedicated archaeological museum. Artifacts from a particular site are displayed and are used to tell the story of a particular time in history in a particular place.
A recently opened example, indeed the first example, is the Voorhees Archaearium in Jamestowne, Virginia. This facility opened its doors in 2006, 399 years after the Jamestowne Colony was first settled. Exhibits are chosen and displayed to tell the story of the early days in Jamestowne, when mere survival was a day to day business.
Jamestowne was Britain’s first permanent settlement in the new world in 1607. It began as a commercial interest but failed for many years. It failed so badly that the fort was abandoned after what was called the “Starving Time”. Food was so scarce that some turned to cannibalism to survive. Indians harassed the settlers at this time, thinking the colonists weak and vulnerable.
As the surviving 60 of the original 214 colonists were leaving the area, they chanced upon a reinforcement of people and supplies and were ordered to return. Jamestowne struggled on for many years after this. Finally, John Rolfe, who had been shipwrecked in the Bahamas for several years, made his way to the settlement. When he was able to introduce a tobacco species not found in the region, Jamestowne’s economy finally took off.
The Voorhees Archaearium is equipped with interactive virtual viewers. You cannot walk on the original site but with these viewers you can still take a trip through historic Jamestowne. Videos are included that show the excavation of artifacts, wells and buildings.
An archaearium is a structure which is designed to protect an archaeological site while still allowing people to see it. The term is often used specifically to refer to an archaearium at Jamestown, a historic settlement in Virginia. Visitors to Jamestown can see ongoing excavations at the site through the glass walls of the archaearium, and they can also learn about the dig with a series of informational panels and through tour guides who provide information. The protection of archaeological sites is extremely important, ensuring that as sites are uncovered, they are not exposed to the elements. The conditions which preserve materials at archaeological sites are easily disturbed, especially by things like wet weather and heat waves, so archaeologists typically work under the cover of tents and other structures to ensure that they do not damage the objects they are trying to learn about. For visitors to archaeological sites, such covers can be very disappointing, as they conceal the sit
