Dig to address many unknowns about the property.
Archaeology is a science which draws from many disciplines. Since 2010, the Wheatland Foundation, a non-profit organization, in Williamsburg, Va., has worked with the Town of Smithfield at Windsor Castle to conduct field investigations and preliminary laboratory processing and analyses. This ongoing work will help guide proposed improvements as the property has never been the subject of a systematic archaeological survey, and it will allow for continued planning and help extend our knowledge of Windsor Castle’s history.
Archaeology can address many unknowns about the Windsor Castle property such as the age of the existing house (thought to be the 1740s), the layout of the plantation, where kilns and other craft areas were located as well as the patterns of consumer behavior and diet. The Wheatland Foundation, working in conjunction with students enrolled in historical archaeology at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., has mapped the site to proceed with excavation, screening, documenting and recovery. Artifacts found on site to date include prehistoric lithic flakes, handwrought iron nails, 18th century stemware fragments, wine bottle glass fragments, 18th century ceramics, animal bones and more. A cellar next to the house has recently been located.
Windsor Castle is a sensitive resource which requires professional care, and all artifacts on site belong to the Town of Smithfield. Please feel free to view the site and ask questions of the archaeological staff when they are on site.
Questions may also be referred to the Isle of Wight County Museum at 757-356-1223.
